This month, she began her first full season as a permanent member of the company, starting as a quadrille, the most junior rank. As COVID-19 stabilized and regular performances resumed, she had to decide if she’d stay in Philadelphia, where she’d danced since 2008 and been a principal since 2016, or if, at age 31, she’d leave to take another short-term corps contract (this time, for one full season) in Paris in hopes of becoming a permanent member.

Over the next two and a half years, she would go back and forth between dancing as a principal with Philadelphia Ballet and dancing in the corps of the Paris Opéra Ballet in a series of short-term contracts, hopping from one continent to another trying to avoid various pandemic shutdowns. But like most of the world at that time, she had no idea how much was about to change, or what exciting but difficult decisions lay ahead. (And) a childhood dream: I’m going to take on the artistic direction of a musical.In January 2020, Lillian DiPiazza had what many would consider a dream job: She was a principal dancer with Pennsylvania Ballet (now Philadelphia Ballet). I want to spend more time with my two boys aged 14 and 11. They inspired me, I wanted to make them independent by inviting choreographers who came from everywhere.Ī: I have a book project where I talk about my journey. This is an extremely curious generation and open to the world.

I’m quite proud of having taught them to highlight their qualities and not their faults.ĭuring the pandemic, we did everything to keep them motivated, and psychologically supported.

There are dancers who are made to be stars, who excel in classical dance, others in contemporary. We went up to an average of 23 or 24 million ticket sales under my direction, against 17 million before.Ī: To have succeeded in highlighting everyone’s talent. We were 98 per cent full even after the pandemic. Q: What challenges were you not expecting?Ī: I always felt legitimate because as an ex-star, when I programme classical ballets, I take a lot of pleasure from passing on the roles (to a new generation).īut I realised there were pressures that I didn’t worry about when I was a prima ballerina: the occupancy rate, sales. Former director of dance for the Paris Opera Ballet Aurelie Dupont poses during a photo session in Paris, on June 17, 2022.

The paris opera ahead