In The Star PrizeFrançois Alu, former star dancer of the Paris Opera, opens the doors to a world of extreme discipline, where passion sometimes clashes with the rigidity of traditions. He recounts without filter the sacrifices, the moments of doubt and the bursts of genius that mark his journey. With this book, he reveals behind the scenes and the disillusionments that led him to leave the Opera to pursue his creative aspirations. Meeting with an artist who redefines his art and invites us to dream differently.
GEO: You were initially excited about the idea of joining the Opera, then disillusioned. What was the first shock?
François Alu: I think it was a bit of the candor of youth. I expected to dance leading roles very quickly, and ultimately I found myself frustrated, staying behind the scenes waiting – even if you don’t want to – for someone else to get injured. But this frustration was beneficial. I often talk about it in my conferences: a little frustration is an excellent motivator. I redoubled my efforts in class, determined to show that I wanted to dance. If I had gotten everything right away, it might have affected my behavior.
And when you arrived at school as a child?
There, the disillusionment was total. I had seen a documentary that showed the best, but the separation from my parents was more difficult than expected, reinforcing my hypersensitivity. On top of that, the pressure of being fired every year if you didn’t measure up was ever-present. The students did not give each other gifts. I was valedictorian every year, but some of my classmates were jabbing at me, and I felt bad for not fitting in. It is a demanding school. As dancer Ghislaine Thesmar said: “The Paris Opera is a machine for crushing the weak”.
You say that, to fit into the Opera, you have to “fit the mold”. What was the most difficult?
At school they told me “refine yourself!”so I did lots of diets that didn’t work, which led to bouts of overeating. Another difficulty was finding my place. I wanted to overachieve to get attention and get roles, but I also wanted to fit in. So I always put myself at the back in classes. It is also an environment where relationships remain superficial. Everyone protects their inner garden so as not to show themselves vulnerable.
Does the Opera seem to you to be a rigid institution, difficult to change?
Like any great institution, the Paris Opera evolves slowly. Today, it is very different from ten or twenty years ago, especially in terms of diversity and management. I left when I was really in tune with the institution, and I have very good relationships with the directors.
On the other hand, some spectators feel offended by my departure, a bit as if I belonged to them. People often tell me on the networks: “You went to the Paris Opera dance school, you took the title of star and you left”. But it wasn’t easy, I really struggled! I gave my all on stage, and after the performances, I loved interacting with the audience. Today, I have osteoarthritis at 30… I have always fulfilled my part of the contract! But, even if I don’t owe people anything, it makes me a little sad.
In my book and my lectures, I explain that too much frustration and a lack of recognition can lead to collapse. This is what happened to me: in less than a month, I tore my stomach and my foot, and I said to myself “dancing is over. It’s too much pain”. It affected my mental and physical health. I had also informed my director, Aurélie Dupont, of my wish to leave, even though I was principal dancer, and that I no longer wanted the title of star. She named me anyway.
Among your rejected artistic ideas, is there one that was close to your heart?
Yes, there was that famous taekwondo kick! I also integrated it into my show. I loved making the steps more complex and getting the audience to stand up. The problem is that I was considered a performer, whereas I need to create. I like the idea that in live performance, nothing is set in stone. But when I took liberties, even if the public liked it, it annoyed the institution, which saw it as a lack of respect. There was a lack of consistency: certain ballet masters, who criticized me for this, modified choreographies by living choreographers! It weighed on me, and it took me ten years to understand that the Opera was not my place.
Today, I want to continue being an artist, but also to express myself differently: I write, I give conferences to give people the keys that have really helped me. My dream is to bring something unique, to create new experiences that speak to the public.
You emphasize the importance of better support for dancers. What would ideal supervision look like?
It takes a mixture of frustration and freedom! The corps de ballet dancers, who replace the regulars when they are injured, rehearse very little. They have to know everyone’s roles, without a clear methodology. It’s a monstrous job! I would suggest that the starters, who have mastered their part, practice for an hour, and the remaining hour and a half would be devoted to the replacements, who would each learn a role, perform it at the next rehearsal, and change places at the third.
In my time, we thought that older people deserved more dancing, but if it’s a young person who has to replace the incumbent, so be it! The goal is to put on a good show. I also often saw dancers move up in rank because they had done a lot of replacements. But this means that they had a good memory, not that they were great dancers.
For me, the closer we get to the star, the more we must have someone unique, who dares to stand out on stage, take risks, make artistic proposals. When I saw Patrick Dupont, my favorite dancer when I was young, I told myself that he could do something different every night!
Didn’t we say anything to him?
I believe that at the time, the singularity of stars was much more respected. Great personalities were encouraged to deploy, which meant that the Paris Opera was considered the best company in the world. Today, although I respect the company, I think that is no longer the case. It’s a bit in the spirit of the times: before, there were colorful artists, whereas today, things have to be smoother.
How would you like future generations of dancers to remember your time at the Opera?
I have a good ego about a lot of things, but I don’t need to be remembered! I would like future generations of dancers to be happy and fulfilled. I knew how to pivot when I was no longer able to do so, without waiting for my retirement at 42 and a half. We all have multiple potential, but we often limit ourselves mentally. When we no longer find ourselves, it is crucial to know how to say stop and take time for ourselves, because we only have one life.
When I coached dancers at the Opera, I put myself at the service of the performer, I did not impose my way of seeing on them. Above all, I would like to convey to managers that this is their role. In this profession where the career is short and intense, support is essential. Getting naked on stage is an intense exercise, and it is crucial to avoid resentment from the hierarchy. Mental health is a concerning topic and should not be neglected.
After the Opera, you became a juror in Dancing with the Stars. How did your colleagues react?
I had made a whole world of myself by telling myself “but what will people think of me?”although in the end I had no comments from them! For those I saw again, we kept the same relationships, and we never talked about it. I’m glad I did this show. It allowed me to contribute in my small way to democratizing dance, to talk about the Opera, I met my partner there, I also learned what it was like to be in prime time, etc. It brought me lots of really interesting things!
What are your projects?
There are the last two dates of my show, December 22 and 23, that I have rethought. I’m going to reduce the spoken part to include more dancing, in order to reconnect with little François who thrilled me!
I also host corporate conferences to introduce creativity into the corporate world. With the rise of artificial intelligence, creativity is becoming a real asset, because it is specific to humans. Faced with current challenges, particularly climatic ones, we are at a pivotal period, and it is crucial to propose creative solutions to reinvent ourselves. I don’t have ready-made solutions, but I provide keys to help companies rethink the way they work.
My first conference, on motivation and meaning at work, helps managers and teams find meaning and supports those who do not feel in their place to leave peacefully while maintaining good relations with the company. In 2023, 67% of French people no longer found meaning in their work. I experienced this situation myself and found the keys to finding happiness again. This is what I want to convey. My second lecture will focus on creativity, with text, dance and audiovisual elements.
