Benjamin Millepied, Photo © Julien Benhamou

PARIS: Benjamin Millepied, Director of the Dance of the Opéra national de Paris from 15 October 2014.

Nicolas Joel, Director of the National Opera of Paris, in close collaboration with Stéphane Lissner, Managing Director, and in accordance with Aurélie Filippetti, Minister of Culture and Communication,  appointed Benjamin Millepied as successor to  Brigitte Lefèvre as Director Dance, effective from October 15, 2014. Paris,

Born in Bordeaux in 1977, Benjamin Millepied spent part of his childhood in Senegal. Initiated dance by his mother, a professor of African and contemporary dance, he joined thirteen years at the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Lyon where he studied with Michel Rahn

.

During the summer of 1992, he did an internship at the School of American Ballet he joined in 1993, after receiving a scholarship from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

He won the Prix de Lausanne in 1994 and the same year, Jerome Robbins chose to interpret the role of 2 & 3 Part Inventions designed for students of the School of American Ballet. Engaged in the Corps de Ballet of New York City Ballet in 1995, he was promoted to Soloist in 1998 and “Principal Dancer” in 2002.

Within the New York City Ballet, Benjamin Millepied interprets principal roles in ballets by George Balanchine (including Agon, Coppélia, The Nutcracker, Ruby, The Dream of a Summer Night …), Jerome Robbins (Dances at a Gathering, Fancy free, A Suite of Dances, The Goldberg Variations, West Side Story Suite …), Peter Martins (Hallelujah Junction, Swan Lake), and participated in the creation of Angelin Preljocaj (La Stravaganza) Bigonzetti (Vespers, In Vento), Alexei Ratmansky (Concerto DSCH) or Christopher Wheeldon (Mercurial Manoeuvres …).

Meanwhile, Benjamin Millepied debut as a choreographer with Passages it creates for students Lyons Conservatory in 2001. The following year, he presents Triple Duet at Sadler’s Wells in London, with a whole Dances Concertantes and directed the film with Olivier Simola Chaconne (2003).
He returns to Sadler’s Wells in 2004 and Circular Motion choreography, the same year, On the Other Side of Maison de la Danse de Lyon. Follow Double Aria for the New York City Ballet on original music by Daniel Ott (2005), 28 Variations on a Theme by Paganini for NYCB School (2005), The Nutcracker for Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève (2005 ) Closer to the Joyce Theater in New York (2006), Capriccio for American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company (2006), Years Later, a solo for Mikhail Baryshnikov in collaboration with Olivier Simola (2006), From here on out (2007 ) on original music by Nico Muhly for ABT, Petrushka (2007) for the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, 3 Movements (2008) for the Pacific Northwest Nallet Without (2008) Dances Concertantes, Quasi una Fantasia (2009 ) for the New York City Ballet, Everything does not happen at once (2009) for the American Ballet Theatre, Sarabande (2009) Dances Concertantes, Why Am I Not whereyou and plainspoken Are (2010) for the New York City Ballet , One thing leads to another (2010) for the Het National Ballet, The Bartered Bride (2011) for the Metropolitan Opera, This hand in Darkness (2011) for the Pennsylvania Ballet, Without (2011) for the Mariinsky Ballet, Les Sylphides and Le Spectre de la Rose (2011) for the Geneva Ballet, Khovanschina (2012) for the Metropolitan Opera and Two Hearts (2012) for the New York City Ballet.

At the Opéra national de Paris, at the invitation of Brigitte Lefèvre, director of dance he choreographed for the Ballet Company Amoveo in 2006 on an original adaptation of musical excerpts from Einstein on the Beach Philip Glass (scenography Paul Cox and costumes by Marc Jacobs) and Triad in 2008, the original music of Nico Muhly.

Benjamin Millepied was artistic director of the Morris Dance Center in Bridgehampton (New York, 2004 – 2005) and “Resident Choreographer” at Baryshnikov Arts Center (New York, 2006 – 2007).
In 2010, he was adviser and choreographer Oscar-winning film Black Swan directed by Darren Aronofsky.
In 2011, he left New York City Ballet and directed five short films dance pieces for cello Philip Glass and founded his own company in Los Angeles, “LA Dance Project,” a creative collective that seeks to present the dance in all its forms. A world tour takes them to Los Angeles Bordeaux (Novart 2012) before Paris in May 2013.

He is also the image of the perfume for men by Yves Saint Laurent “L’Homme Libre” and Air France campaign “The Flight.”

In 2007, Benjamin Millepied received the United States Artists Wynn Fellowship.
He is Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres (2010).

Kulturkompasset is seriousely welcoming Benjamin Millepied as new Ballet director from 15. October 2014

. We are looking forward to that he will take well care of a sincere problem for the balletcompany towards the media. As for the time being the internet press is no longer invited to write about the Ballet de l´Opera de Paris. It is in contrast to the EU regulations about free admission for all kind of press to all kind of performances. Unfortunately the Ballet Press Office in Paris, don´t follow the official regulations, – but the Opera Press Office follows them. This is a seriouse problem for his coming international ballet company – Ballet de l´Opera de Paris. 

Henning Høholt, redacteur en chef, Kulturkompasset