The Malandain Ballet Biarritz made its first full-company appearance on Wednesday at the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées in Paris. The programme featured three choreographies by Thierry Malandain: L’Oiseau de feu to music by Igor Stravinsky, Boléro to a composition by Maurice Ravel, and Minuit et demi, ou le Cœur mystérieux to music by Camille Saint-Saëns. The evening was part of the Ça colle au basque, a series through which the Etxepare Euskal Institutua aims to strengthen the visibility, knowledge and influence of Basque culture in the Francophone world.
The First Vice-Lehendakari and Minister for Culture and Language Policy, Ibone Bengoetxea, accompanied the company at the performance. Outside the venue, she stressed the importance of the event for the Euskadi Global international strategy, calling it an opportunity to establish contemporary artistic production from the Basque Country more widely. According to the organisers, representatives of the French Ministry of Culture and the city of Biarritz were also present.
According to the organisers, this is Malandain Ballet Biarritz’s first appearance with its full company at the historic Paris venue. The choice of works deliberately sets Malandain’s choreographic approach in relation to key scores from French and European music history. With Boléro, the company takes on one of Ravel’s best-known compositions, while L’Oiseau de feu presents Stravinsky’s early ballet music in a contemporary interpretation; Minuit et demi, ou le Cœur mystérieux broadens the programme to include Saint-Saëns.
The performance also marks the start of a two-day visit to Paris by the Government of the Basque Country. A presentation of a new alliance between the Basque government and the Centre Choréographique National – Ballet Biarritz is scheduled for Thursday. Several institutional and cultural meetings are also on the agenda. According to the official account, the aim is to deepen artistic cooperation and promote the presence of Euskara in public cultural spaces.
Malandain Ballet Biarritz is one of the most prominent companies in the French-Basque cultural sphere. Based in Biarritz, it regularly works with venues in France and Spain. Its Paris appearance forms part of a long-term programme to build international connections through performances at renowned venues and partnerships with public institutions.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).