As Christmas approaches, it’s time for demonstrations. The apprentice dancers leave their modern school in Nanterre (Hauts-de-Seine) to present their work on the main stage of the Palais Garnier, a monument which will celebrate its 150th anniversary in January. years. How many little rats have scampered across his old floors ? Mystery. What is certain is that they come back every year, as surely as the log for New Year’s Eve, at the time of the demonstrations, a very long-lived tradition. We took the opportunity to meet Élisabeth Platel, the prestigious director of the school. This former star of the Paris Opera – one of Rudolf Nureyev’s favorite performers – has seen several generations of children pass by.
Franceinfo Culture: What do demonstrations consist of? ?
Élisabeth Platel: Claude Bessy, who created the demonstrations in 1977, called them open doors. She wanted to show the many dance teachers in the room what was done at the opera. These are only educational exercises, at the bar or in the middle [de la scène]. They allow us to present all the students at the end of the first term of work, for us the longest. It’s naked, without costume. It is the aridity and the veracity of the technique. The goal is to ensure that everyone makes progress. It is also an opportunity for the teachers (18 including 12 for classical dance) and me to do a first evaluation at the end of this long term and to check, for each student, what we still have to work on. The team will identify weaknesses and try to understand where they come from.
Prepare the demonstrations like a show ?
No, it’s a prepared and rehearsed lesson, but not as much as a show. We cannot totally improvise. You need a rhythm, a timing. Especially for the pas de deux class [duo chorégraphié]. We have a meeting with the teachers and we choose the music with the 12 school pianists who accompany our students on a daily basis. I’m the conductor, the only one who knows what everyone is doing. The demonstrations are a showcase of our school. We look back on our past and look forward to the future. Our youngest students have generally “walked” for the first time on the large, sloping stage of the Palais Garnier during the September parade, but this is the first time they have performed technique in front of an audience.
How many children participate in the demonstrations ?
Sunday December 15, for the first two performances, there were 135. The youngest is 9 years old. years and a half, the oldest have just turned 18 years. Only four students were absent, one because he was injured on a bad landing and the other three for growth-related problems. This means that the medical service and management are doing a good job. We are vigilant and in anticipation. The first draft was very good, especially since we never do rehearsals. Knock on wood for the next ones.
Have the children at school changed in twenty ans ?
Yes of course. When I took charge of the school after Claude Bessy [directrice de 1972 à 2004]the children were different and the education was different. In my time, we were hyperdisciplined. Me, I perhaps brought my naivety (…). The child today, you cannot tell him : “That’s good, that’s not good.” Now, we feel that we have to convince them. They need to be respected and considered individually. The relationship with adults is different. And then we didn’t have a boarding school, we had a life after dance class. Me, at 15. years ago, I walked alone in Paris in complete freedom, including in the evening. Today’s times would no longer allow it.
The cell phone is progress or a scourge ?
This is a cause for concern for me, social networks. The education system in France has let control of these networks slip away. There is a race to be known. That worries me. At school, I set up training. We teach our students the law and respect for image rights. I explain to them what we can post and what we should not post.
How were you chosen for this position in 2004? ?
I was lucky enough to be chosen for my personality. Now, to apply for this type of position, you need a project, precise ideas expressed in a cover letter. This happened for José Martinez, the dance director of the Paris Opera. Twenty years later, I am proud to still have ideas for school. The person who succeeds me must have their vision for the school of the future.
Do you think you will stay at the head of the school for a long time? ?
I don’t know. As long as I want to and the management of the Paris Opera trusts me.
Demonstrations from the Paris Opera dance school
Saturday 21 and Sunday 22 December 2024 at 10:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
Duration 2h15 with an intermission, prices from 12 to 35 euros
