Not well known in France? Not for long. Choreographer Alexander Ekman, born in Stockholm in 1984, was 7 years old when he discovered the ballet Swan Lake. Three years later, he entered the Royal Swedish Ballet School. He landed his first contract at the age of 17. Today, this 40-something dancer, internationally recognized for his work with prestigious companies such as the Göteborg Ballet, the Sydney Dance Company and the Norwegian National Ballet, is now at the helm of the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games opening ceremony.
In 2021, when his hit piece Play (created in 2017 with the Paris Opera Ballet) was revived, Ekman told us that he wanted to “create worlds that have never been seen before.” He is ready to take on the challenge of the opening ceremony, which will be shaped by his love of surprises. Will he manage to achieve the extraordinary in the grand and specific context of this gigantic event? “I love surprises,” he confirmed, laughing. “Here, the format isn’t one of them, but we can pave a new way for this type of ceremony. I’m the creator, so I’m not objective. It’s a truly unique event, in any case.”
Four stages totaling 4,500 square meters have been set up on the Place de la Concorde, in the heart of Paris, which will accommodate 140 dancers, including 16 with disabilities. The show is entitled Paradox. “This word guided us,” he explained. “We worked on different paradoxes. Paralympic athletes are seen as heroes today. But tomorrow, they will return to their daily lives, in which they can face discrimination and a lack of accessibility. The venue itself is a paradox. Very difficult things happened on this square [he made a gesture that mimicked beheading]. I really like the word ‘concord,’ and that’s what we’ll be aiming for: to achieve concord, harmony.”
“A great celebration”
To find this team of exceptional performers, an audition was held in which 2,000 performers participated. Only 124 were selected. But there was also a worldwide search on social media that led to the other 16 performers. “These are top-level talents,” he said. Some are in wheelchairs; others use crutches.
Before concretely tackling the choreography, Ekman, who had never worked with people with disabilities before, did some research. “I did a lot of interviews with people who had different disabilities to understand what was important to them,” he said. “So we tried to create a big celebration with important messages.” Inclusion and “pride” will be on the agenda. “We want to change the perspective on how disability is seen and considered.”
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