A recently forged partnership between Paris Opera Ballet and PONANT will enable ballet and travel fans to enjoy the best of both worlds.
Featuring prima ballerinas Valentine Colasante and Mathieu Ganio, a group of six dancers from Paris Opera Ballet will join approximately 264 guests aboard the luxury cruise line as it sails from Athens to Venice.
Titled “From the City of the Gods to the City of the Doges” the itinerary for this special Paris Opera Ballet and PONANT cruise will take its guests from the historic home port of Athens, Greece, through the Corinth Canal to Itea, on to the beautiful Mediterranean fjords of Kotor, and the Croatian cities of Dubrovnik, Hvar, and Rovinj before finishing its journey in Venice, Italy.
“What the Paris Opera Ballet and PONANT have in common is that both are driven by an all-consuming desire to share, to be open to others and the world. Through this partnership, they are offering travellers an opportunity to discover the Opera’s classical and contemporary dance treasures and to exchange views. It is an odyssey that I know in my heart will inspire the six dancers as they perform against a backdrop of theatrical Greek and Croatian landscapes,” says Alexandre Neef, Director General of the Paris Opera.
Paris Opera Ballet and PONANT Program
Paris Opera Ballet and PONANT worked closely and carefully to curate a program that is unique and takes advantage of both the artists’ talents and the amazing Mediterranean backdrop.
Events include:
- Meetings wherein guests will learn directly from the dancers about their careers and motivations;
- Two performance screenings and excerpts from documentaries;
- Lecture demonstrations of rehearsals;
- Intro ballet class with an instructor from Paris Opera Ballet;
- Performances at the Municipality Theatre of Corfu
on August 3, 2024 and the Dubrovnik Theatre Marin Držić on August 5, 2024.
Étoiles from Paris Opera Ballet
Valentine Colasante, prima ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet
“A pure product of the Paris Opera,” as she describes herself, Valentine Colasante joined Paris Opera’s dance school at the age of 8 and was hired by its Ballet company at 17, rising up the hierarchy to become a prima ballerina at 29. A natural born dancer, her mother was a dance teacher, her father a jazz musician in Paris.
Whether being electrifying as Kitri, scintillating as Raymonda or dazzling as Pina Bausch, Valentine Colasante lights up the world’s most prestigious stages with her radiant presence.
Mathieu Ganio, prima ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet
Son of two dancers, one a prima ballerina at the Paris Opera Ballet, the other a soloist at the Marseille Opera Ballet, Mathieu Ganio was destined for stardom. Since he first appeared on stage, in 1986 at the tender age of 2, Mathieu Ganio has given it his all to meet this destiny. His elegant movements and qualities as a partner combined with a rare charisma have earned him international acclaim and raised him in 2004 to the rank of prima ballerina.
In 2020, Mathieu Ganio was elevated to ‘Officer of Arts and Letters’, France national order for cultural merit, for his contribution to dance.
“We are delighted and proud of the confidence and trust placed in us by the Paris Opera in forging this partnership. Dance has the power to unite, transport and invite people to share. It is the essence of PONANT’s Explore to Inspire philosophy. It is also in the spirit of the new collection of themes, Travel is an Art, for voyages ever richer in meaning and inspiration; and truly unforgettable moments,” enthuses Hervé Gastinel, CEO of PONANT.
Featured Photo compiled from photos of dancers in Paris Opera Ballet‘s Etudes ©Sébastien MATHÉ and PONANT‘s ship L’Austral.
