French dancer and choreographer Benjamin Millepied is back in Los Angeles after just two years as Artistic Director of the Paris Opera Ballet.
He could have stayed in that prestigious position until he was well into his golden years, "I actually had a life contract until I was 70 years old," he told The Frame. But he decided to leave so he could focus full time on growing L.A. Dance Project, the company he started in 2012.
Millepied has lived and worked in the U.S. for many years, mainly on the east coast as a principal dancer with the New York Ballet. But in 2012 he set down roots in Los Angeles, launched the L.A. Dance Project, and settled down with his wife Natalie Portman, who he'd met while working on Darren Aronofsky’s film "Black Swan."
The invitation to lead the Paris Opera Ballet was an offer he couldn't refuse, but he tells The Frame why he ultimately decided to leave, what he hopes to accomplish here in LA, and why the L.A. Dance Project show in December will be the last time he dances on stage.
Interview Highlights:
On why he decided to leave his post as director of the Paris Opera Ballet:
Even if I stayed my whole life there I actually had a life contract until I was 70 years old. But I realized that I wouldn't be able to turn it into the vision I really wanted and in order to do that I needed to come back and build this company here. Building a company exactly the way that I am envisioning and surrounded by people I believe in and love, America is the place to do that. And now that I've been back for four months, it really feels like it was the right decision and there is momentum and excitement behind the company. It's going to be happening in a much more substantial way than it has in the last four years so I'm thrilled to be home.
On she lessons he learned from his two years at the Paris Opera Ballet
Mainly we're at a time where the performing arts are struggling, dance is having a very hard time, we saw reports that the dance audience is declining and it's harder to get people to listen to symphonic music, opera and dance. What I think is important is not to try to turn around an institution that was built for a different time, that was built for a different audience, but rather create one that can meet the challenges of our time, both economically and in terms of artistic projects. We're no longer in an era of this idea of prestige, a large institution. We'll have the ability to tour with this company, it's smaller. The environment when you have less than 20 dancers can be really creative, you can start to experiment. So both for me as a choreographer but also in general as an organization we're going to be able to take more chances.
On Paris Opera Ballet's lack of diversity among its dancers:
The idea that having a dancer of color in the corps de ballet was a distraction, which is what I heard on my first day in the office...There was one particular event La Bayadère, which is an 1800 ballet by [Marcus] Petipa...at the time, it's was this sort of exotic ballet, and you have kids painted in blackface. I decided that we would no longer do that in the production. We would not paint white kids in blackface. It was really an uproar. I had to explain to them that maybe a black family that might come to the performance could be offended. How would they explain to their children that they're still represented in that way on stage. They felt that I was really changing the tradition and why is it a problem? It really is a matter of sensibility that went all the way to having a major newspaper write about it and say that I was wrong to change that.
On what will be his final performance as a dancer with LA Dance Project, Rufus Wainwright and Marc Bradford:
Rufus, I've been listening to his songs for years and we've talked about doing something together for a long time. Last year I started to listen to this cycle of songs from the album Days Are Nights, they're really stunning songs, really poetic and great for dance. He will come and sing and it will probably be the last time I get my act together and in shape to perform. This will probably be my last show. I haven't been dancing really, but I think this will probably be the last. But I look forward to it. And of course I've known Marc since 2006. I wanted the piece to have this identity of Los Angeles, which his work has so strongly.
On the importance of having a resident dance company in Los Angeles:
I always felt that New York was saturated with organization in a way sometimes very conservative. So coming to LA and not only was there a personal fascination with the history of the city, now that I've been here four years I love the community, I love how easy it is to reach out to people in different organizations. There's a deep interest in the city's history and I think possibility. The company will develop more work based with composers on the West coast and certainly visual artists. For me it's a really exciting canvas. LA has this aura worldwide and I think people are excited about this city today and it's a great thing to carry around the world. I think the goal now is to be here more. I see these shows on Dec. 9 and 10 at the Ace theater as a reboot and a new stage for L.A. Dance Project. A great way to celebrate what's next to come next.