Benjamin Millepied at The Paris Opera Ballet PDF

IN1605
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Case Study
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Benjamin Millepied at the Paris Opera Ballet
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08/2019-6499
This case was written by Isabelle Solal, postdoctoral research fellow, Kaisa Snellman, Assistant
Professor of Organisational Behaviour, and Gianpiero Petriglieri, Associate Professor of Organisational
Behaviour, all at INSEAD. It is intended to be used as a basis for class discussion rather than to illustrate
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either effective or ineffective handling of administrative or artistic circumstances.

To access INSEAD teaching materials, go to cases.insead.edu.
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Christmas 2015 was just one week away, but Melanie was not feeling festive. She finished her
café allongé and put down the morning’s copy of Le Figaro. This interview with Benjamin Millepied
was not going to go down well with many of her colleagues. At the Paris Opera Ballet, where she
danced, arguments about Reset were still raging. The documentary about the Ballet and Millepied,
its new director, had premiered three weeks before, causing a rift between those who were
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inspired by his vision for the company and those who took offence at his portrayal of it. 1 In the film,
Millepied suggested that the Ballet’s reputation for excellence was mostly due to its glorious past.
“Excellence? I’m waiting to see it for real,” he had said on camera, complaining that the company’s
current dancers were often “deadly boring” to watch. i
The étoiles 2 had been furious, but Melanie, who had only recently joined the company, wanted to
believe that those comments were Millepied’s way of making his mark as a leader of change.
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Change was, after all, his mandate and intent. But the more emotional, expressive imprint that the
new director was trying to leave on the Paris Ballet, as one French dance writer noted, went
“against everything the company has always stood for.” ii Together with his unprecedented casting
decisions, it was nothing short of a revolution.
Melanie liked Millepied’s initiative of giving younger dancers a chance that, otherwise, they would
have had to wait years for. She hoped to become one of the “Millepied Generation,” the men and
women featured in the documentary, who had been chosen over more senior colleagues to star
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in the new ballet that Millepied had created for the 2015-16 season’s opening gala. iii Reset,
Melanie thought, captured the candour, youth and energy of the Ballet’s new leader, with his torn
grey T-shirts, management books, and his tendency to mix English and French as he danced
around the gilded halls of the Palais Garnier with an iPhone in hand and headphones slung around
his neck. It was a stark contrast with the distant formality of his 70-year-old predecessor. He made
the oldest dance company in the world look cool. The gala, moreover, had been a resounding
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success only three months before, raising over one million euros. Le Figaro had praised
Millepied’s “very inspired touch of modernity,” iv and compared the Ballet’s “Franco-American
evening” to “the awakening of a Sleeping Beauty.” v
But in the same newspaper three months later, Millepied was now disparaging the company,
calling it “a bubble.” He explained that he had invited foreign stars to dance the major roles in his
production of La Bayadère, a cornerstone of the repertoire, because the in-house dancers were
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not good enough yet. vi He had also arranged an exchange with the Mariinski ballet in St
Petersburg and the American Ballet Theater in New York City, so that the Paris dancers could
learn from their Russian and American peers. Once more, Millepied’s decisions were not just a
harsh judgment on the ability of the Paris étoiles; they were a challenge to the tradition, and the
institution, in which they had been trained. As he put it:
“The dancers of the corps de ballet work under this strange idea that ‘If they don’t see
you, you’re doing well.’ But what is our job? Being a dancer means expressing
yourself, not trying to look like wallpaper!”vii
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And then there was the hint, at the end of the interview that—only a year after he had returned to
his native France to take over the leadership of the Paris Opera Ballet—Millepied might be ready
1 Relève, (Reset in English), premiered on November 25, 2015, and was released on French television on December 23,
2015. Directed by Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai, it was co-produced by the Paris Opera itself.
2 The Paris Opera dancers are classified in 5 hierarchical levels, the étoiles being the highest level.
Copyright © INSEAD 1
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to move on. “What I do, I do with passion,” he insisted, “because I am driven by the need to give
the Ballet a new spirit. That is my mission. If I can’t do it here, I’ll do it elsewhere.” viii
A 350-year-old Institution
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Benjamin Millepied began his tenure as Director of the Paris Opera Ballet (POB) in November
2014. At the time, the ballet company was among the most prestigious in the world and one of
France’s oldest and most venerable cultural institutions. Founded in 1661 by Louis XIV as the
Royal Academy of Dance, in 1672 it merged with the Royal Academy of Music to promote French
music and dance in Paris and throughout the kingdom. ix By the 19th century, Paris had become
the international capital of opera and ballet, attracting composers and performers from around the
world. La Sylphide and Giselle, still among the most famous classical ballets today, were created
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for the Paris Opera Ballet in 1832 and 1841 respectively.
In 1875, the Opera moved into its new home at the Palais Garnier, a marvel of Baroque Revival
architecture, later made famous as the setting of the Phantom of the Opera. The early 20th century
saw the POB associated with some of the most famous names in dance, like Roland Petit and
Serge Lifar—who led the company for nearly 30 years. In 1989, as part of the bicentennial
celebrations of the French Revolution, a second site was inaugurated on the Place de la Bastille.
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While the Palais Garnier remained its primary home, the POB performed several times a year on
the grand, modern stage of the Opéra Bastille. x
350 years after its founding, the Paris Opera was one of the most successful institutions of its kind.
In 2014, it had a budget of €200 million, half of which came from public funds. It had over 1700
employees and put on 450 shows per year, including 171 ballets, attracting an audience of
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338,200 people xi (see Exhibit A). Its affiliated Paris Opera Ballet School had celebrated its 300th
anniversary the year before. It was one of the best and most selective dance schools in the world, 3
home to 160 students aged 8 to 18, 141 of whom were French. xii
Almost all the 154 POB dancers were hired from its school. xiii New dancers started as “quadrilles”,
after which they could be promoted to “coryphées”, “sujets”, “premiers danseurs”, and finally (for
a select few) “étoiles.” 4 Most other companies in the world, in comparison, had only three ranks. xiv
It usually took years for a dancer to move from one rank to the next. Yet dancers of the Paris
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Opera Ballet rarely left. 5 They were granted civil servant status, received salaries averaging
€2,600 a month for a quadrille and €7,000 a month for an étoile, xv and were entitled to a pension
after mandatory retirement at the age of 42. xvi
While étoiles were appointed at the discretion of the Directeur de la Danse—Millepied’s formal
title—promotions between the more junior ranks were based on a gruelling annual competition,
3 Only 10% of its applicants were admitted each year, mostly boarders, and around 20% of the pupils were asked to leave
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after the competitive annual exam each May. Known for its strict discipline, the school retained traditions such as
curtseying when walking by an adult. “We care about it. We are the last [ballet] school in the world to do it. It’s a sign of
the respect we owe each other, and our sign of recognition,” noted director Élisabeth Platel.x Even after the school moved
to its current campus in the Parisian suburb of Nanterre in 1987, pupils retained the nickname “rats” from the days in
which they could be seen scurrying down the corridors of the Palais Garnier.
4 Dancers at the first three levels (quadrilles, coryphées, and sujets) together compose the corps de ballet.
5 When Mathilde Froustey, a notable exception, left to become a principal dancer at the San Francisco Ballet in 2013, a
local paper observed that “The Paris Opera Ballet has been a major company for longer than the United States has been
a country.” (http://www.sfweekly.com/culture/interview-with-new-san-francisco-ballet-principal-mathilde-froustey/)
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the Concours. Instituted in 1856, it was unique to the Paris Opera Ballet. xvii Since 1970,
participation was voluntary, but it was the only way to advance through the ranks, affecting
dancers’ salaries as well as roles. Every November, a jury of 11 members including Ballet officials,
senior dancers and two external judges evaluated dancers based on four minutes of imposed and
“free” dance. xviii Promotion was far from guaranteed. If a ballet school admit had a one in ten
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chance of being hired into the company; xix a quadrille had a one in eight chance of making it to
premier danseur, and a one in fourteen chance of becoming an étoile. xx David Hallberg, a dancer
for the American Ballet Theater who spent a year at the POB school, noted:
“It’s an amazingly stressful system, but it’s just normal for them. Not only do the
dancers not question the system, they are proud of it. It’s part of their institution, their
tradition. In France, that counts for a lot.” xxi 6
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From the 1970s to the 1990s, the POB burned through a series of directors, the most famous
being Rudolf Nureyev. xxii Appointed in 1983, the Russian dancer and choreographer presided over
the Ballet for six tumultuous years, during which he battled both against the dancers, who resented
the fact that he often reserved major roles for himself, and the general director, who resented his
long absences from Paris to perform around the world. During his tenure, the “Tzar”, as he was
dubbed, choreographed works that would remain classics at the Paris Ballet and beyond, such as
Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, and The Nutcracker. He nurtured a small cohort of talented young
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dancers who went on to become famous Paris étoiles, but was reprimanded for his behavior and
decisions, which on occasion even led dancers to strike. Only after his departure would he come
to be regarded as a legendary director. xxiii
Nureyev was followed by Patrick Dupond, a former étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet, who left after
four years. xxiv His successor Brigitte Lefèvre, however, remained in the role for nearly 20 years. A
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former dancer who had joined the POB school at the age of 8 and the corps de ballet at 16, Lefèvre
worked for the French Ministry of Culture before rejoining the Ballet as an administrator in 1994.
The following year she took over from Dupond as Director of Dance. When she announced that
she would step down after the 2013-14 season, her right-hand man and ballet master, Laurent
Hilaire, a Nureyev protegé and former étoile, was widely expected to succeed her. Another
candidate was Nicolas le Riche, an étoile due to retire in 2014.
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The choice of Lefèvre’s successor, however, fell to the incoming General Director of the Paris
Opera, Stéphane Lissner, who had recently arrived from Milan’s La Scala. One of Lissner’s first
actions in his role was to solicit an application from, and then appoint, the 36-year-old charismatic
choreographer, entrepreneur, and former star of the New York City Ballet, Benjamin Millepied. xxv
A Frenchman in Hollywood
Benjamin Millepied was born in Bordeaux, France, in 1977, and moved to Dakar, Senegal with his
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family when he was three months old. As a small child, he spent time in the studio where his
6 In an interview, Ariane Dollfus, a writer for the magazine Danser, tied the dancer’s support for the Concours to the French
cultural context: “We are a nation of competitions. The idea that excellence is recognized through an exam or competition
is prevalent in every walk of French life. There are competitions to get into the grandes écoles, for administrative jobs,
for architects, for civil servants. It’s very French. We have more confidence in a formal, official structure than in something
that seems like an arbitrary decision.”xvi
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mother taught African and contemporary dance. According to his friend and collaborator Dimitri
Chamblas, Millepied’s early years in Senegal had a huge influence:
“I have often wondered why, among all the dancers in a cohort, there is one that stands
out... Well, for Benjamin, it’s probably his African roots. When the little boys of the
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Paris Opera were pulling on their tights, learning precision and discipline, constrained
to go through exercise after exercise, he was starting with a dance from the gut, about
energy and pleasure, to the rhythm of the drums. Later, he learned the requirements
of classical dance. But he never lost that freedom and that celebration of his
beginnings. He is still that bare-footed kid.” xxvi
The family moved back to Bordeaux when Benjamin was four. His mother continued to teach
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dance and he occasionally choreographed short pieces for her recitals. He also learned to play
the drums and participated in track and field races, encouraged by his father, a former decathlon
champion. xxvii He started studying classical dance at age 8 xxviii and took to it immediately. His
teachers suggested that he apply to the POB school, but he refused. 7 Later, he would recall seeing
“a documentary on the school, and there were all these boys in grey tights, and curfews, and
teachers with canes… There was no way I was going there.” xxix
Instead, he joined the National Conservatory in Lyon at the age of 13, obtaining a special
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dispensation because he was two years too young to study there. xxx Two years later, he spent a
summer in New York and fell in love with the city and its dance scene. “There was a relation to
music that was appealing to me,” he recalled. “There was a real energy, a joy.” xxxi At 16, he
received the prestigious Lavoisier scholarship from the French government to study at the School
of American Ballet, an affiliate of the New York City Ballet, where he was mentored by legendary
choreographer Jerome Robbins. 8 At 17, Millepied won the Prix de Lausanne, a major international
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dance competition. Robbins chose him to play the main role in one of his last productions, “Two-
and Three-Part Inventions,” and Anna Kisselgoff, a dance critic for the New York Times, described
Millepied’s long solo as “brilliant”. xxxii
Millepied joined the New York City Ballet at 18 and rose quickly through the ranks, becoming a
principal dancer 9 at 24. xxxiii While his performances continued to win accolades, 10 Millepied began
showing an interest in choreography. In 2001, he created a piece for his former school in Lyon.
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He founded a “pick-up troupe” of professional dancers, called Danses Concertantes, and

premiered his first ballet, Triple Duet, at Sadlers’ Wells in London in 2002. He continued to
choreograph for and tour with them for eight years. He was also invited to create works for the
American Ballet Theater, the New York City Ballet, the Mariinsky Ballet, and the Paris Opera
Ballet. xxxiv He even choreographed a solo piece for ballet legend Mikhail Baryshnikov, which critics
saw as a “symbolic passing of the torch.” xxxv
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7 An external report into conditions at the Paris Opera Ballet School published in 2002—a time when some of the dancers
working for Millepied in 2014 would have been training as children—condemned the atmosphere of “psychological terror
and medical neglect.” (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2002/dec/08/france.arts)
8 Jerome Robbins (1918-98) was a dancer, director, producer and one of the most famous American choreographers.
Widely known for his work in cinema, he choreographed and directed West Side Story, for which he received an Academy
Award for Best Director in 1961.
9 The New York Ballet’s equivalent of an étoile.
10 When George Balanchine's ''Harlequinade'' returned to New York City Ballet in 2004, Kisselgoff praised Millepied for his
“sharply articulated performance” as Harlequin and called his final solo “a study in ardent infatuation.”
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Throughout this period, Millepied demonstrated an uncanny talent for fundraising. He attracted
wealthy sponsors for his many artistic endeavours, including a residency program for young
choreographers in the Hamptons, the chic Long Island resort. His collaborators came from all over
the art world: Marc Jacobs, Nico Muhly, and Philip Glass all worked closely with him on different
ventures. xxxvi Paul Cox, a painter who collaborated with Millepied on several scenographies,
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described him as a “voracious” artist. xxxvii While the influential Dance Magazine called him one of
the major choreographers of his generation, “not everyone in the ballet world is equally smitten,”
Joshua David Stein wrote in the New York Times. “Though… commissions have come to Mr
Millepied with ease, some argue his greatest talent isn’t as a choreographer, but as a blue-eyed
charmer able to raise money, court donors and attract audiences.” xxxviii
Those audiences became much bigger in 2009, when director Darren Aronofsky hired Millepied
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as dance consultant and choreographer for his movie Black Swan, and to train the lead actress,
Natalie Portman, in classical ballet. Millepied had a small role in the film, too, as Portman’s on-
stage partner. Off stage, romance blossomed. Portman revealed their relationship and her first
pregnancy at the 2011 Golden Globes, while accepting her award for best actress xxxix She also
went on to win an Academy Award for the role. xl Portman and Millepied were married in Big Sur,
California, in 2012. xli
In addition to gracing the red carpet as “Mr Portman,” xlii as the press took to calling him, Millepied
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became the face of iconic French brands, modelling for Yves Saint Laurent 11 and Air France. He
also featured in campaigns for The Gap and Club Monaco. xliii The New York Times fashion section
profiled the rising star of the ballet world, while Details Magazine photographed him shirtless,
revealing a Bauhaus tattoo across his abdomen. xliv The French Ministry of Culture, meanwhile,
named him Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres. xlv12
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In 2011, Millepied resigned from the New York City Ballet, leaving without any of the public
celebrations that usually accompanied a dancer’s retirement. He later explained,
“My interest was over. I had learned all that I had to learn there, and it wasn’t for me
to stay in the craziest shape and do nothing but hang around. When I go back to visit
some of my colleagues now, and I see they are going on tour in Washington, or doing
the same ballets, I could never think of myself … doing the same thing.”xlvi
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Millepied moved to Los Angeles and, along with several artist friends, founded L.A. Dance Project,
a small company of six dancers. His intention was not to start yet another traditional dance
company but a collective of artists. xlvii
“Enough with the old model! I want to create a space of artistic vibrancy, a real
laboratory, bringing together writers, composers, choreographers, videographers.
New work is born from a dialogue between the arts. We have to get out of the
traditional frameworks, go where the younger audiences are.” xlviii
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Initially, he received a cool reception from the dance community in Los Angeles, partly because
none of the L.A. Dance Project dancers that Millepied hired were actually from the city. “Millepied
11 Millepied was the face of a new YSL fragrance called Homme Libre (Free Man).
12 A prestigious French national honor bestowed upon those "who have distinguished themselves for their creations in the
artistic or literary fields or for their contributions to the diffusion of Arts and Letters in France and in the world."xliii
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considered the hostility to his efforts provincial,” wrote the New Yorker’s Rebecca Mead. He told
her, “When you are an outsider, you are looked down upon—there is this whole idea, ‘What are
the intentions here?’” After the Project’s first successful performances, however, the initial
skepticism turned into appreciation for the company’s work. xlix
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In addition to leading the L.A. Dance Project, Millepied continued to choreograph with acclaim. He
received commissions from the New York City Ballet, the Lyon Opera Ballet, and the Ballet de
Genève. But there was no hint that he would soon be handpicked to bring his vision of renewal to
one of the most traditional and renowned institutions in the dance world.
A Surprising Appointment
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It was Millepied’s unconventional career and entrepreneurial spirit that convinced the Paris Opera
director Stéphane Lissner to appoint him as Director of Dance. “I was not looking for a
choreographer,” Lissner explained, “I was looking for a director, and when I met him, that’s what I
found, someone who could take this company forward.” l Later, he added
“I spent a lot of time thinking about what [the Ballet] needed, and I was convinced that
it needed an outsider, to introduce modernity and reform. … Having worked in the US,
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he comes from a different culture, that of the private sector and not the institution.”li
News of Millepied’s appointment to succeed Brigitte Lefèvre met with reservations in France. One
journalist described him as “an American who speaks good French,” lii while another referred to his
appointment as “American glamour meets the Sun King.” liii And yet, the French establishment had
often criticized Lefèvre for ruling the Paris Opera Ballet like her personal empire, hanging on to
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power for too long, and trying to arrange her own succession by placing her protégé on the
throne. liv The French media were not alone in casting doubt on Millepied’s preparedness for his
new role. One British journalist wrote that success as a founder of the L.A. Dance Project was
“little preparation for the responsibility of managing 150-plus dancers, fielding a formidably
idiosyncratic culture, let alone … overseeing a repertory of 19th-century classics that—as some
have pointed out—Millepied hasn't even danced in.” lv
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Even friends warned Millepied about his fit with the hierarchy of the Paris Opera Ballet. Peter
Martins, former ballet master in chief of the New York City Ballet, told the New Yorker, “I said, ‘Are
you sure you want to do this?’ There are so many layers of authority—you have a Minister of
Culture, you have a Directeur Général, and there’s such history. And there are the labour unions:
people are always on strike.” lvi Charles Fabius, co-founder of the L.A. Dance Project, tried to
persuade Millepied not to take the job, and said so to the press: “I am concerned about his
personality, and keeping his enthusiasm, and not being crushed by traditions.”
Perhaps to appease critics and reassure friends, Millepied declared at his first press conference,
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in January 2013, that he would take on the role “with tremendous respect and humility”, and that
he was looking forward to leading the company’s dancers, “known for their style, which is all about
refinement, elegance, a way of holding your arms: a Paris Ballet dancer is instantly
recognizable.” lvii To the question of whether some at the company might resent an outsider being
in charge, he replied “We’ll see,” and emphasized his experience:
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“I am not entirely a foreigner. I did grow up in France, and even though I didn’t go to
the school or dance with the Paris Opera Ballet, I absorbed similar ideas in my training.
I understand the scale of a big company. I danced for one for almost 20 years. I think
it’s an asset that I have absorbed other traditions and had other experiences in the
U.S., which I can bring to the dancers here.” lviii
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Acknowledging the scepticism about his appointment, a few months later he declared: “I know
some people think I’m all celebrity names and big talk. But I am very, very serious about all of this,
and I’m going to get it done.” lix And he would do it with passion, as was his style: “I want to do it
all the way—I don’t want to do it and be, like, ‘Oh, my God, I might get fired.’ I might get fired, but
I really want to follow my vision.”
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The Paris dancers and audience got a glimpse of that vision when Millepied, a few months before
officially taking over, visited the Ballet as a guest choreographer in May 2014. Brigitte Lefèvre had
issued the invitation long before he was a candidate for her job, and Millepied honored it with a
new choreography of Ravel’s “Daphnis et Chloé” that delighted critics and ballet aficionados. He
cast Aurelie Dupont, the most senior of the Paris dancers, and two of her fellow étoiles in leading
roles. The result was a piece that the New York Times described as “that rarest of creatures”—
“…a new classical ballet that feels contemporary, not because it imposes a bit of
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extraneous modernity (some electronic music; a little talking), but because of the
sensibilities of its creators. … This is a substantial work, a major moment in Mr.
Millepied’s career, and a good augur for his directorship.”lx
In a sober farewell, Lefèvre wished luck to the Paris dancers “impatient for discoveries.” lxi She had
also warned her ambitious successor: “Ben, you are young. That will sort itself out.” lxii
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Focusing on Talent & Transformation

Millepied’s vision was a renewal of ballet as art. Challenging the established distinction between
classical and contemporary dance, he believed that it was time to “reintellectualize” ballet,
producing work that used classical skills to reflect, and speak to, contemporary social issues. “I
am passionate about ballet,” he explained. “I want to see that technique being used and
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evolving.” lxiii Ballet could be relevant in the way that music or novels continued to be relevant even
as times changed. 13 Contrary to its reputation, he argued, “choreographing to music isn’t old-
fashioned.” All that was needed was “getting great conductors involved, and great writers, like
those of ballet’s Romantic era, and truly reflecting society.” lxiv
His vision of renewal informed Millepied’s leadership ethos and his strategy for the Paris Opera
Ballet. “I had to feel that there was an honesty, an integrity, in the way I ran the company,” he
recalled. “I needed to build something that reflected the things I believed in, social as well as
artistic issues, from A to Z.” lxv His strategy rested on two pillars. The first was to cultivate the talent
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of the dancers. “It’s the company with the greatest potential in the world,” he noted, “even if I don’t
love such competitive language. I am going to maximize that [potential].” lxvi The second was to
transform the Paris Opera Ballet as an institution. “I can’t decide alone to abandon [systems like
13 As part of that vision, he announced that he would set up an academy for aspiring choreographers that resembled the
New York City Ballet’s Choreographic Institute. “Artists study drawing; musicians study compositions; only
choreographers are left alone to learn their craft,” he explained.lix
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the Concours,] but I am going to make them evolve,” lxvii he vowed. Despite the weight of tradition,
Millepied believed that the institution’s unique position, resources and visibility presented
enormous opportunities:
“New York’s great, but there’s a different mindset in Paris. There’s a real attachment
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to culture—the bookstores, the cinemas—and we can put on more than 100
performances a year because the arts really matter here, and we have an audience
that’s ready to see anything.”lxviii
His first priority was to improve working conditions for the dancers. Before he had officially taken
over, he raised half a million euros from private funds—rather than wait for public funding lxix—to
change the flooring throughout the Palais Garnier, from the main stage to the rehearsal studios. lxx
The new, shock-absorbent floors were designed to reduce the risk of injury for dancers. His
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outsider’s perspective was welcomed:
“I had my career at the New York City Ballet and I was taken care of very, very well by
the best knowledge in dance medicine in the world. So when I arrived in France and I
found that there was no dance medicine—it’s the truth—it was very important for me
to start setting up physiotherapy, massage, thinking about the rehearsal schedule. …
You make such sacrifices when you take up the career of a dancer!”lxxi
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He quickly hired a staff of specialist physicians and physical therapists to be available around the
clock. lxxii The dancers were thrilled, and their union approved. Marie-Agnès Gillot, an étoile since
2004, noted that the company was “very lucky, because he is a very optimistic person. In France,
we are not so enthusiastic and positive and energetic.” lxxiii
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Conversant with the language and practice of business, Millepied spoke about his focus on talent
to the Harvard Business Review. A director, he noted, “has to take his artists in a specific direction,
and for that you have to be present. For twenty years [the dancers] did not have that kind of
relationship with their director, so it's very new.” He changed the dancers’ daily schedules,
checked costumes and lights personally, attended practice and rehearsal sessions, and in an
effort to get to know them better, gave weekly classes:
“Part of the company appreciates these changes. The other does not understand what
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I'm trying to do and feels shaken. For example, only a third of the dancers participate
in the class I give. This is an opportunity for them to be noticed, but they do not
come.”lxxiv
The administrative system of the Opera was “obsolete,” he concluded, but most of all he hoped to
ignite a “mindset change” among the dancers. He gave the following example:
“When I walk down a hallway, they stand to attention... I ask them not to do it because
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this excess of discipline bothers me. In the US, things are simpler, relationships are
more direct, more immediate. That's what I'm trying to do here.”
The rigid formality, Millepied observed, seeped into performances, where the focus on technique
to the point of perfectionism deprived the dancers of vitality and impact:
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“[A collective] is only gorgeous if everybody in that moment of unison is being
themselves and dancing as if they were on their own. It’s not a matter of perfection—
it’s not The Rockettes. The ballet has to be in unison, but the energy comes at you not
because of its perfect aesthetic or architectural vision, but because of the emotion. …
That’s what’s beautiful about it.”lxxv
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Millepied’s focus on talent did not diminish his fundraising prowess. In his first year, the POB
attracted more money than ever. Private funding for the opera and the ballet rose from 9 to 12
million euros, and corporate sponsorship increased by 40 percent. lxxvi Although he claimed that
the press made too much of fundraising being “his thing,” he stressed its importance in an
economic climate where the POB’s old business model was no longer sustainable.
“The financial crisis makes funding the arts more difficult, there is less public financing. … My
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challenge is to develop the global image of the Paris Ballet and bring in money. I want to do
marketing around the Ballet, sell the Paris Ballet brand intelligently, like the Louvre Museum did.
… The entrepreneurial mindset is a problem in France, but… selling tickets is no longer
enough.”lxxvii 14
The Paris Opera Ballet had not suffered dwindling attendance like other companies in France and
abroad, but public funding was diminishing. Millepied drew on his experience in the US to make a
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case for change:
“It is so hard in dance in America right now. There are no dance companies, there is
no funding, and even fewer people come to the ballet in New York at Lincoln Center
than when I started. But at the [Los Angeles’ Museum of Contemporary Art,] we [the
L.A. Dance Project] turn people away, and we have a young audience, and people
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coming to the ballet for the first time. All that matters to me.”lxxviii
The changing economics of the art industry were only one obstacle to innovation, Millepied
reasoned. The other was ballet’s overly traditional and elitist image. Fundraising, like engaging
other artists and deploying digital technologies, were levers to make ballet more relevant and
expand its appeal. To do both, Millepied launched the 3eme scène (“3rd stage”), a popular digital
platform where he invited artists to collaborate and create short films around the Paris Opera Ballet
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and its dancers. He hired his childhood friend and L.A. Dance Project co-founder Dimitri Chamblas
to head up the project. lxxix Within a week, the website had received over 100,000 visits. lxxx Several
of its projects went on to win international awards. lxxxi It seemed proof that the POB could show
the world that ballet, in the 21st century, was not only alive and well, it could be a much better
business and art form.
Clear, Loud, Bright … Forward?

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When he first took over the role, Millepied oversaw a season programmed by his predecessor.
But when it came time to developing the program for the 2015-16 season, his first, he chose a
number of works that were new to the POB. He favored American choreographers over French
14 In a similar vein, Millepied called for a modernization of the Paris Ballet School curriculum, over which he had no control.
“The study of arts and music must be at the heart of the School’s courses, but students must also develop entrepreneurial
skills, learn how to find funds or manage a career, for example with social networks... Dance schools around the world
can no longer be satisfied to produce good dancers who have no judgment!”v
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works that had always been an important part of the company’s repertoire. Some of the dancers
who had spent years mastering those classics resented this choice. lxxxii
Transforming the Ballet took more than changing old mindsets; it required changing old systems,
especially the Concours. 15 “All this hierarchy,” Millepied argued, “doesn’t need to be there. What
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is the point of all these competitions, this hierarchy? It creates fear.” lxxxiii In most companies around
the world, professional dancers were able to focus on their performances rather than preparing
for exams. But when Millepied polled the dancers about eliminating the Concours in the spring of
2014, they voted overwhelmingly in favor of keeping the current system, and he backed down. lxxxiv
One étoile declared herself “super in favor of the Concours,” because it was an opportunity for
junior dancers to “show who they are.” lxxxv
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Undeterred, Millepied gave junior dancers from the corps du ballet roles that by tradition should
have gone to the premiers danseurs or étoiles, disregarding the rules of the Concours:
“When I first arrived, I discovered 30-year-old dancers who had never had the
opportunity to express their tremendous potential. So I dared to disturb the hierarchy
with my casting. The Director’s job is also to spot those who will make the company
better.” lxxxvi
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Thus was born the “Millepied Generation,” lxxxvii sometimes referred to as his “dream team,” lxxxviii a
group hand-picked to take on leading roles, including those in his new ballet Clear, Loud, Bright,
Forward, scheduled for the 2015-16 season’s opening gala. lxxxix He justified his decision saying
that the “dancers of the corps de ballet are as important as the étoiles… For me, there is no
difference between the ranks.” xc16
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He also arranged the shooting of a documentary on the making of the new ballet. “I knew it was
the beginning of an interesting time,” he reflected later, “and something might happen that’d be
good to capture no matter what.” xci The title, Relève, made a dual reference to a ballet dancer
rising on pointe, and to a newcomer taking over from the old guard. Its English rendition, Reset,
summed up Millepied’s intent for the company.
Beside the weight of hierarchy and rigid promotion system, Millepied repeatedly complained about
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another obstacle to the expression of talent, and to the company’s transformation into a more
appealing relevant cultural force—the lack of diversity.
“I want a company in 2015 that is diverse, with dancers of different nationalities,

difference races, on stage. I was clearly told when I arrived that you cannot put a
dancer of colour in a corps de ballet because it’s a distraction—so if there are 25 white
girls with one black girl, people will only look at the black girl. In the corps de ballet,
everyone has to be the same, and the same means everyone has to be white. When
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15 The Concours was only the centrepiece of a broader hiring, promotion and reward system that constrained the authority
of the Director of Dance. As Millepied explained, “I can’t hire dancers, I merely head a jury of 10 people which selects
them. I have no power over the company’s ballet school, and I have to ask permission to promote dancers. It’s very
frustrating, and it’s very difficult to bring talented dancers up through the ranks.”lxix
16 The new piece featured 8 men and 8 women from the corps the ballet. No étoiles danced in it, but some had leading
roles in a demanding Balanchine piece that followed Millepied’s new ballet in the same gala.lxx
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you’re coming from the US and you hear that, it’s scary… If we, through art, can’t be
an example for society, then what are we doing?”xcii
He gave a leading role to a dancer of color from the corps de ballet in La Bayadère, a first for the
company in nearly two centuries. xciii He also changed the name of the racially-charged “danse des
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négrillons” from the same ballet (which many dance companies around the world had removed
altogether), and abandoned the use of blackface for the children in that dance. xciv This change was
applauded by some dancers, but angered others who objected to his tampering with tradition. xcv
One critic accused him of “betraying the very story of the ballet,” committing a “crime” equivalent
to “removing a line of dialogue from a play by Molière, or a couplet from a poem by Baudelaire.” xcvi
Millepied was not new to rejecting what he saw as the ballet’s anachronisms rather than traditions.
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Before joining the POB, he had objected to the way women were portrayed in many classical
pieces and had set out to challenge that in his work.
“I like to let the women be in charge a lot in my duets, because there is something
really old-fashioned about the man carrying the woman across the stage and that’s
not how I want to portray women.”
During a rehearsal, he had publicly chastised a male dancer for placing his hand around the back
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of the neck of his partner: “You can’t have a man grabbing a woman by the neck,” he told the
dancer. “The way you touch, the way you move, the way that you are partnered, the way that she
gets to be on her own—all these things convey something.” xcvii
Most of all, Millepied resented the bureaucracy that he had been hired to shake up. He admitted
that the POB was a difficult place to manage not because of the dancers and staff, but because
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of the “administration, the way it operates, the way people learn, the egos, the rules… that are the
result of the system malfunctioning. Instead of simplifying the work, it makes it more difficult.” xcviii
In Reset, he was often seen leaving managerial tasks to his assistant, Virginie, dismissing them
with a laugh as unnecessarily bureaucratic.
Some employees began complaining that he was not around: “if you need to talk to Benjamin,
leave him a message on Facebook!” xcix His detractors called him impatient, too American, overly
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preoccupied with media appearances, creating short films for 3ème scène, or working on his
choreography. “Only doing management tasks doesn’t interest me,” Millepied conceded, arguing
that “choreography, ‘writing dance’, is the best way to work with dancers.” c
Others, however, continued to applaud him for his energy and his vision of radical change.
According to one of the Millepied Generation dancers, he came “to the studio often, he is very
present, we feel that he is with us. … I felt that the company was kind of stuck in the mud, there
was a lack of motivation, and he brought the winds of change. I feel like this is a new start. He has
already changed a lot of things, in terms of health management, which is critical. I hope people
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realize how lucky we are to have someone like him in the company.” ci
A Make or Break Moment

Melanie put her head down against the wind on rue Scribe as she walked to the dance studio.
She dreaded going into the morning rehearsal. The tension between junior and senior dancers
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was bound to be amplified by the interview. There were rumblings about a formal request for
clarification being drafted by the dancers’ union. More time would be spent on gossip than on
perfecting fouettés. It was almost three years since Millepied’s appointment and barely one since
he had officially taken over. His first season had started only months ago with the successful gala
(see Exhibit B), but the internal controversies were already public. One étoile had told the press
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that the “atmosphere [was] stormy.” cii Another declared that he “was shocked by Millepied’s lack
of respect for the company that he is totally denigrating. I have been here thirty years,” he said, “I
love the Paris Ballet, and I have never felt so unhappy here as in these last six months.” ciii Although
Millepied had been welcomed as a “Prince Charming,” civ “part of the company, little by little, felt
delegitimized and threatened.” cv
Millepied had not tried to get everyone on board. “I hope the dancers are receptive,” he declared
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in Reset. “Those who are receptive are the ones I’ll work with. There will always be those who
aren’t interested, who don’t want it. I’ll work with those who want it.” cvi
The question now was whether these tensions could be resolved with grace. Vowing to transform
the Ballet, Millepied had asked for more directness and emotion. He had ignited plenty of both.
He often told dancers that the key to a great performance was to be emotionally receptive to the
people around them. Would he be receptive to the pain and anger he had caused within the
company, after the initial excitement and hope? Was this pain, like in dancing, simply a sign of
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stretch and growth? Or would relationships be strained beyond repair?
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Exhibit A
Summary Organization Chart of Paris Opera Artistic Functions (2014)
Paris Opera
(General
Director)
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Orchestra Technical
Choir (Choir Ballet (Director Costumes Other (support)
(Musical department
Director) of Dance) (Director) functions
Director) (Director)
147 employees
First musical
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Deputy director Administrator across 7 500 employees
assistant
departments
Maitre de ballet
Director's
112 singers assistant to the
assistant
director
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174 musicians (in 4 singing
154 dancers
2 formations) directors
4 stage 3 stage 3 maitres de

managers managers ballet
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Administrative Administrative 5 stage
team team managers
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7 dance
instructors
Data derived from: Rapport annuel 2014. Opéra National de Paris. https://www.operadeparis.fr/lopera-de-paris/rapport-annuel
os
Copyright © INSEAD
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Exhibit B
Timeline of Events
1661 Louis XIV founds the Royal Academy of Dance
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1672 Royal Academy of Dance merges with Royal Academy of Music to
promote French dance and music throughout Paris and the kingdom
1713 Founding of the Paris Ballet School
1856 The Concours is instituted as an annual competition for dancers looking to

be promoted to the next rank in the hierarchy
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1875 Paris Opera moves to the Palais Garnier
1977 Millepied is born in France; moves to Dakar
1983 Dancer and choreographer Nureyev is appointed Director of Dance of the

Paris Opera Ballet
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1990 POB dancer Patrick Dupond becomes Director of Dance
13-year-old Millepied joins the National Conservatory of Dance in Lyon
1993 Millepied receives the Lavoisier scholarship to study at the School of

Ballet in New York City
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1994 Millepied wins Le Prix de Lausanne
1995 Former Paris Opera dancer and Culture Ministry administrator Brigitte
Lefèvre becomes Director of Dance
Millepied is hired by the New York City Ballet
2001 Millepied becomes principal dancer at the New York City Ballet
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2002 Founds dance troupe Danses Concertantes and premieres his first ballet
at Sadlers’ Wells Theatre in London
2004 Becomes artistic director of a choreography centre in The Hamptons,

funded by wealthy donors
2009 Appointed dance consultant and choreographer of Black Swan

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2011 Resigns from the NYCB, and founds L.A. Dance Project
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2012 Brigitte Lefèvre announces her intention to step down after the 2013-14
season
Millepied marries Natalie Portman
Jan 24, 2013 Incoming Paris Opera General Director Stéphane Lissner appoints
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Millepied as new Director of Dance
Spring/Summer 2014 Millepied raises money to install new floors in all the rehearsal rooms of
the Paris Ballet, to prevent injuries
Launches poll on the future of the Concours – dancers vote

overwhelmingly in favor of retaining the current system of promotion
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August 1, 2014 Stéphane Lissner officially begins his tenure as General Director of the
Paris Opera
Nov 1, 2014 Millepied officially begins his tenure as Director of Dance
February 2015 Announces the 2015-16 season program, favoring American

choreographers over traditional French repertoire
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June 2015 Begins work on Clear Loud Bright Forward, for the opening gala of the
2015-16 season. Filming takes place for Reset
September 2015 Creation of 3ème Scène, the Paris Opera Ballet digital platform
Sept 24, 2015 Opening gala of the 2015-16 season raises over €1 million
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Nov 25, 2015 Premiere of the documentary Reset
December 2015 La Bayadère is performed as part of the 2015-16 season. Millepied invites
foreign dancers to take lead roles, removes blackface, and renames the
racially-charged children’s dance
Dec 18, 2015 In an interview with Le Figaro, Millepied complains that the Paris dancers
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lack individuality and “look like wallpaper”
Dec 23, 2015 Reset premieres on French television

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Endnotes
i
Thierry Demaizière & Alban Teurlai, 2015. Reset. Reset, 2015.
ii
Jennings Luke, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied: ballet’s black swan bows out in Paris.” The Guardian, Feb 07.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2016/feb/07/benjamin-millepied-paris-opera-ballet-director-resignation-black-swan-
rP
interview
iii
Sulcas Roslyn, 2015. ”Paris Opera shows off its brilliance.” The New York Times, Sept 25.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/arts/international/paris-opera-shows-off-its-brilliance.html
iv
Bavelier Ariane, 2015. “Opéra de Paris : le coup de balai de Millepied.” Le Figaro, Oct 2.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2015/10/01/03004-20151001ARTFIG00200-opera-de-paris-le-coup-de-balai-de-
millepied.php
v
Bavelier Ariane, 2015. “Palais Garnier : la nuit (franco)américaine.” Le Figaro, Sep 27.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2015/09/27/03004-20150927ARTFIG00103-palais-garnier-la-nuit-francoamericaine.php
vi
Bavelier Ariane, 2016. ”Départ surprise de Benjamin Millepied : les sujets qui fâchent.” Le Figaro, Dec 2015.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/theatre/2015/12/17/03003-20151217ARTFIG00225-benjamin-millepied-le-ballet-doit-sortir-de-sa-
yo
bulle.php
vii
Ibid.
viii
Ibid.
ix
Discover the Opera. Opéra National de Paris. https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/discover/the-paris-opera/history
x
Découvrir l’Opéra. Opéra National de Paris. https://www.operadeparis.fr/artistes/decouvrir/lopera-national-de-
paris/histoire
xi
Rapport annuel. Opéra National de Paris. https://www.operadeparis.fr/lopera-de-paris/rapport-annuel
xii
A.B., 2013. “L’école de danse, un monde à part.” Le Figaro, Mar 20.
xiii
Cramer Laura Jaye, 2014. “Interview with New San Francisco Ballet Principal, Mathilde Froustey.” SFweekly, Jan 23.
op
https://archives.sfweekly.com/exhibitionist/2014/01/23/interview-with-new-san-francisco-ballet-principal-mathilde-
froustey
xiv
Ono-dit-Biot Christophe, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied: ‘Un corps de ballet, ce n’est pas du papier peint!’” Le Point, Feb 04.
https://www.lepoint.fr/culture/millepied-mille-projets-21-09-2015-1966646_3.php
xv
Robert Martine, 2013. “Le Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris fait salle pleine à 300 ans.” Les Echos, Jan 01.
https://www.lesechos.fr/02/01/2013/LesEchos/21345-073-ECH_le-ballet-de-l-opera-de-paris-fait-salle-pleine-a-300-
ans.html
xvi
Marois Noemi, 2018. “5 choses étonnantes que vous ne savez pas sur les danseurs étoiles.” Europe 1, Mar 30.
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https://www.europe1.fr/culture/5-choses-etonnantes-que-vous-ne-savez-pas-sur-les-danseurs-etoiles-3613568
xvii
Verriele Philippe, 2016. “Pourquoi Millepied a fait faux pas.” Slate, Feb 05. http://www.slate.fr/story/113677/opera-de-
paris-pourquoi-millepied
xviii
Sulcas Roslyn, 2009. “So you think you can compete?” The New York Times, Dec 04.
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/arts/dance/06concours.html
xix
A.B., 2013. “L’école de danse, un monde à part.” Le Figaro, Mar 20
xx
Adaouts Camille. “Enquete France Info. ‘Je suis partie en larmes, vidée, épuisée’: Des danseurs racontent la tension
dans les coulisses de l’Opéra de Paris.” France Info.
https://www.francetvinfo.fr/culture/spectacles/enquete-franceinfo-je-suis-partie-en-larmes-videe-epuisee-des-danseurs-
No
racontent-la-tension-dans-les-coulisses-de-lopera-de-paris_2858025.html
xxi
Sulcas Roslyn, 2009. ”So you think you can compete? ” The New York Times, Dec 04.
https://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/06/arts/dance/06concours.html
xxii
Kisselgoff Anna, 1982. ”The Paris Opera Ballet : A tempestuous history. ” The New York Times, Aug 19.
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/08/19/arts/the-paris-opera-ballet-a-tempestuous-history.html
xxiii
Dollfus Ariane, 2017. “Aurélie Dupont remplace Benjamin Millepied à l’Opéra de Paris.” Point de Vue, Mar 20.
http://www.pointdevue.fr/culture/aurelie-dupont-remplace-benjamin-millepied-lopera_1159.html
xxiv
Robert Martine, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied démissionne de l’Opéra de Paris.” Les Echos, Feb 03.
https://www.lesechos.fr/03/02/2016/lesechos.fr/021669760574_benjamin-millepied-demissionne-de-l-opera-de-
paris.htm
xxv
Sulcas Roslyn, 2013. “Paris Opera Ballet picks outsider for new director.” The New York Times, Jan 24.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/arts/dance/benjamin-millepied-to-be-paris-opera-ballet-
Do
director.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&pagewanted=1&adxnnlx=1389199268-kBxs8lZOPyXfHOBMLt8IEg
xxvi
Cojean Annick, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied en fait-il trop?” Le Monde, Feb 04.
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-styles/article/2011/12/16/benjamin-millepied-en-fait-il-trop_1619051_4497319.html
xxvii
Saugues Florence, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait sa révolution.”. Paris Match, Oct 03.
https://www.parismatch.com/Culture/Spectacles/Benjamin-Millepied-fait-sa-revolution-837491
xxviii
L.A. Dance Project. Benjamin Millepied. http://ladanceproject.org/bmillepied
xxix
Rebecca Mead, 2013. “Bounding Ambition.”The New Yorker, July 29.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/05/bounding-ambition.
t
os
xxx
Conservatoire National Supérieur Musique et Danse de Lyon. Admission Procedure. http://www.cnsmd-lyon.fr/en-
2/students/admission-to-dance-departments
xxxi
Mead Rebecca, 2013. “Bounding Ambition.”The New Yorker, July 29.
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2013/08/05/bounding-ambition
xxxii
Kisselgoff Anna, 1994. “Review/Dance: A robbins premiere with a cast to match its youthful outlook.” The New York
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Times, Jun 06. https://www.nytimes.com/1994/06/06/arts/review-dance-a-robbins-premiere-with-a-cast-to-match-its-
youthful-outlook.html
xxxiii
New York City Ballet. http:/www.nycballet.com/company/personnel/artistic/millepied.html
xxxiv
Cojean Annick, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied en fait-il trop?” Le Monde, Feb 04. https://www.lemonde.fr/m-
styles/article/2011/12/16/benjamin-millepied-en-fait-il-trop_1619051_4497319.html
xxxv
Stein Joshua David, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied leaps into the spotlight.” The New York Times, Feb 02.
https://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/03/fashion/03millepied.html
xxxvi
Herschthal Eric, 2009. “Everything is happening for Millepied.” Observer, Sept 30.
https://observer.com/2009/09/everything-is-happening-for-millepied/
xxxvii
Ibid.
yo
xxxviii
xxxix
Golden Globes Awards 2001. Natlie Portman Acceptance Speech for Best Actress Drama “Black Swan” at the 2011
Golden Globe Awards. Youtube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLVUwSZtJMs
xl
Goodman Dean, Chan Eric, 2001. “Natalie Portman leaps to Oscar for Black Swan.” Reuters.com, Feb 28.
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-oscars-bestactress/natalie-portman-wins-oscar-for-black-swan-
idUSTRE71R19920110228
xli
Finn Natalie, 2012. “Natalie Portman marries Benjamin Millepied.” NBC New York, Aug 06.
https://www.nbcnewyork.com/entertainment/celebrity/Natalie_Portman_Marries_Benjamin_Millepied-165063296.html
op
xlii
Pétry Valentine, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied ou monsieur Natalie Portman.” L’Express, Feb 09.
https://www.lexpress.fr/styles/decryptage-people/benjamin-millepied-ou-monsieur-natalie-portman_960701.html
xliii
xliv
Wheelock Katherine, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied: Lord of the Dance.” Details. June.
http://archive.wikiwix.com/cache/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.details.com%2Fculture-trends%2Fmen-of-the-
moment%2F201006%2Fbenjamin-millepied-nyc-ballet-choreographer-natalie-portman-boyfriend%2F
xlv
Ministère de la Culture. Conseil de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres.
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http://www.culture.gouv.fr/Nous-connaitre/Organisation/Conseil-de-l-Ordre-des-Arts-et-des-Lettres
xlvi
Mead Rebecca, 2013. “Bounding Ambition.” The New Yorker, Jul 29.
xlvii
BleibergLaure, 2011. “Benjmain Millepied and Music Center announce L.A. dance project.” Los Angeles Times, Nov 21.
https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/culturemonster/2011/11/dance-benjamin-millepied-and-music-center-give-birth-to-la-
dance-project.html
xlviii
Cojean Annick, 2011. “Benjamin Millepied en fait-il trop?” Le Monde, Feb 04. https://www.lemonde.fr/m-
styles/article/2011/12/16/benjamin-millepied-en-fait-il-trop_1619051_4497319.html
xlix
No
l
Sulcas Roslyn, 2014. “His plan: have one eye on everything.” The New York Times. Oct 31.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/02/arts/dance/benjamin-millepied-takes-over-at-paris-opera-ballet.html
li
Ariane Bavelier, 2016. “Stéphane Lissner: ‘Benjamin Millepied a réussi à faire bouger les lignes’.” Le Figaro, Feb 10.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2016/02/10/03004-20160210ARTFIG00245-stephane-lissner-sans-doute-benjamin-
millepied-a-t-il-ete-impatient.php
lii
liii
Quin Elizabeth, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait souffler un vent nouveau sur l’Opéra. ” Le Figaro Madame, Feb 06.
http://madame.lefigaro.fr/celebrites/benjamin-millepied-variation-libre-300115-94145
liv
No author listed, 2012. “Le Ballet des Atrides.” Nouvel Obs, Jun 29.
https://www.nouvelobs.com/culture/20120628.OBS5531/le-ballet-des-atrides.html
Do
lv
Mackrell Judith, 2013. “Can Benjamin Millepied walk the walk at the Paris Opera Ballet? ”. The Guardian, Jan 25.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2013/jan/25/benjamin-millepied-paris-opera-ballet1
lvi
lvii
No author listed, 2013. “Millepied nommé directeur du ballet de l’Opéra, une ‘West Side Story .’” O Nouvel Obs, Jan 24.
https://o.nouvelobs.com/people/20130124.AFP1526/millepied-nomme-directeur-du-ballet-de-l-opera-une-west-side-
story.html
lviii
Sulcas Roslyn, 2013. “Paris Opera Ballet picks outsider for new director.” The New York Times, Jan 24.
https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/arts/dance/benjamin-millepied-to-be-paris-opera-ballet-director.html
lix
t
os
lx
Sulcas Roslyn, 2014. “In Paris, Benjamin Millepied rises to the occasion.” The New York Times, May 12.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/13/arts/international/benjamin-millepied-rises-to-the-occasion-on-a-grand-stage.html
lxi
De Saint Pern Dominique, 2015. “Quand Benjamin Millepied menait la danse.” Le Monde, Jan 02.
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2015/01/02/benjamin-millepied-mene-la-
rP
danse_4547785_4497186.html?xtmc=benjamin_millepied&xtcr=66
lxii
Sulcas Roslyn, 2013. “Benjamin Millepied answers questions about his new post with Paris Opera Ballet.”. The New
York Times, Jan 24. https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/01/24/at-press-conference-benjamin-millepied-responds-
to-questions-about-new-paris-opera-ballet-post/?searchResultPosition=8
lxiii
Ibid.
lxiv
Jennings Luke, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied: ballet’s black swan bows out in Paris.”. The Guardian, Feb 07.
interview
lxv
Mackrell Judith, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied and Paris Opera Ballet: a step too far.”. The Guardian, Fe 05.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/dance-blog/2016/feb/05/benjamin-millepied-quits-paris-opera-ballet
yo
lxvi
Quin Elisabeth, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait souffler un vent nouveau sur l’Opéra. ». Le Figaro Madame, Feb 06.
lxvii
Ibid.
lxviii
interview
lxix
lxx
De Saint Pern Dominique, 2015. “Quand Benjamin Millepied menait la danse.” Le Monde, Jan 02.
op
https://www.lemonde.fr/m-actu/article/2015/01/02/benjamin-millepied-mene-la-danse_4547785_4497186.html
lxxi
Aftab Kaleem, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied: ‘It’s not a matter of perfection.’” The Talks, May 18. https://the-
talks.com/interview/benjamin-millepied/
lxxii
lxxiii
lxxiv
Montaigne Caroline, 2015. “Le travail d’une vie: Benjamin Millepied, danseur et chorégraphe.” Harvard Business
Review, Sept 16. https://www.hbrfrance.fr/magazine/2015/09/8293-le-travail-dune-vie-benjamin-millepied-directeur-de-
tC
la-danse-de-lopera-de-paris/
lxxv
Aftab Kaleem, 2016. “ Benjamin Millepied : ‘It’s not a matter of perfection.’” The Talks, May 18. https://the-
talks.com/interview/benjamin-millepied/
lxxvi
2015/2016 Rapport annuel. Opéra National de Paris. https://www.operadeparis.fr/lopera-de-paris/rapport-annuel
lxxvii
Quin Elizabeth, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait souffler un vent nouveau sur l’Opéra.” Le Figaro Madame, Feb 06.
lxxviii
lxxix
Ono-dit-Biot, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied : ‘Un corps de ballet, ce n’est pas du papier peint!’” Le Point, Feb 04.
No
lxxx
lxxxi
https://www.operadeparis.fr/3e-scene/contributeurs;
https://www.operadeparis.fr/lopera-de-paris/rapport-annuel
lxxxii
Kaufman Sarah, 2015. “Why Benjamin Millepied is quitting Paris Opera Ballet: ‘He tried to do too much.’” The
Washington Post, Feb 5. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/05/why-benjamin-
millepied-is-quitting-paris-opera-ballet-he-tried-to-do-too-much/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.da4327278918
lxxxiii
lxxxiv
A l’Opéra national de Paris, le concours annuel du Corps de ballet est une tradition à laquelle les danseurs restent
attachés. Nous avons assisté aux épreuves de la cuvée 2014. Télérama. https://www.telerama.fr/scenes/rites-et-merite-
a-l-opera-de-paris,120167.php
lxxxv
Bertrand Amelie, 2015. “Laura Hecquet : Avoir des responsabilités est quelque chose qui me plait.” Danses avec la
Do
plume, Mar 27. https://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/pas-de-deux/laura-hecquet-avoir-des-responsabilites-est-quelque-

chose-qui-me-plait/
lxxxvi
Vertaldi Aurélia, 2016. “Millepied : ‘Ma place n’était pas à l’Opéra .’” Le Figaro Culture, Sept 06.
http://www.lefigaro.fr/culture/2016/09/05/03004-20160905ARTFIG00118-millepied-ma-place-n-etait-pas-a-l-opera.php
lxxxvii
Bretrand Amelie, 2015. “Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris : une Génération Millepied en marche.” Danses avec la plume, Juil
22. https://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/en-coulisse/33648-ballet-de-lopera-de-paris-une-generation-millepied-en-
marche/
lxxxviii
Boisseau Rosita, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied démissionne de ses fonctions de directeur de la danse à l’Opéra de Paris.”
Le Monde, Feb 04. https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/02/04/benjamin-millepied-va-t-il-quitter-l-opera-de-
paris_4858949_3246.html
t
os
lxxxix
Sulcas Roslyn, 2015. “Paris Opera shows off its brillance.” The New York Times, Sept 25.
https://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/26/arts/international/paris-opera-shows-off-its-brilliance.html
xc
Saugues Florence, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait sa révolution.” Paris Match, Oct 03.
xci
Eckardt Stephanie, 2017. “Benjamin Millepied, out with new ballet documentary, says of Trump inauguration: ‘You have
rP
to roll up your sleeves.’” W Magazine, Jan 20. https://www.wmagazine.com/story/benjamin-millepied-netflix-ballet-
documentary-reset-trump-inauguration
xcii
xciii
Ibid.
xciv
Le Monde, Feb 04. https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/02/04/benjamin-millepied-va-t-il-quitter-l-opera-de-
paris_4858949_3246.html
xcv
interview
yo
xcvi
The Editorial Team, 2016. “Les adieux impromptus de Benjamin Millepied. Au Feminin.
https://www.aufeminin.com/news-loisirs/les-adieux-impromptus-de-benjamin-millepied-s1809238.html
xcvii
xcviii
Saugues Florence, 2015. “Benjamin Millepied fait sa révolution.” Paris Match, Oct 03. Robert Martine.
xcix
Robert Martine, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied démissionne de l’Opéra de Paris.” Les Echos, Feb 03.
https://www.lesechos.fr/03/02/2016/lesechos.fr/021669760574_benjamin-millepied-demissionne-de-l-opera-de-
paris.htm
op
c
Ono-dit-Biot, 2016. “Benjamin Millepied : Un corps de ballet, ce n’est pas du papier peint !’” Le Point, Feb 04.
ci
Bretrand Amelie, 2015. “Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris : une ‘Génération Millepied’ en marche.” Danses avec la plume, Juil
22. https://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/en-coulisse/33648-ballet-de-lopera-de-paris-une-generation-millepied-en-
marche/
cii
Le Monde, Fev 04 . https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/02/04/benjamin-millepied-va-t-il-quitter-l-opera-de-
paris_4858949_3246.html
tC
ciii
Ibid.
civ
Boisseau Rosita, 2016. “Millepied à l’Opéra de Paris: il était une fin.” Le Monde, Feb 09.
https://www.lemonde.fr/culture/article/2016/02/11/a-l-opera-de-paris-la-fin-du-conte-
millepied_4863105_3246.html?xtmc=benjamin_millepied&xtcr=55
cv
Ibid.
cvi
No
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IN1605

either effective or ineffective handling of administrative or artistic circumstances.

He founded a “pick-up troupe” of professional dancers, called Danses Concertantes, and

Focusing on Talent & Transformation

Clear, Loud, Bright … Forward?

“I want a company in 2015 that is diverse, with dancers of different nationalities,

A Make or Break Moment

4 stage 3 stage 3 maitres de

copyright. Permissions@hbsp.harvard.edu or 617.783.7860

1661 Louis XIV founds the Royal Academy of Dance

1713 Founding of the Paris Ballet School

1856 The Concours is instituted as an annual competition for dancers looking to

1977 Millepied is born in France; moves to Dakar

1983 Dancer and choreographer Nureyev is appointed Director of Dance of the

13-year-old Millepied joins the National Conservatory of Dance in Lyon

1993 Millepied receives the Lavoisier scholarship to study at the School of

1994 Millepied wins Le Prix de Lausanne

Millepied is hired by the New York City Ballet

2004 Becomes artistic director of a choreography centre in The Hamptons,

2009 Appointed dance consultant and choreographer of Black Swan

Millepied marries Natalie Portman

Launches poll on the future of the Concours – dancers vote

Nov 1, 2014 Millepied officially begins his tenure as Director of Dance

February 2015 Announces the 2015-16 season program, favoring American

Nov 25, 2015 Premiere of the documentary Reset

lack individuality and “look like wallpaper”

Dec 23, 2015 Reset premieres on French television

plume, Mar 27. https://www.dansesaveclaplume.com/pas-de-deux/laura-hecquet-avoir-des-responsabilites-est-quelque-

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