On 18 and 19 November 2025, CHANEL hosted two exclusive private performances of the Paris Opera Junior Ballet at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall. Created in May 2024 with the support of the Maison — Major Patron of the Paris National Opera, the Paris Opera Junior Ballet made its inaugural visit to Asia this year (its second season). With this milestone, the company was able to reach and appeal to a wider audience beyond France.
The Paris Opera Junior Ballet’s entourage here in Malaysia comprised 24 members. Additionally, joining them on stage were Roxane Stojanov and Sae Eun Park (Étoiles), Francesco Mura (Premier Danseur) as well as Antonio Conforti (Sujet). Among the ballets showcased (a world premiere, by the way) during the private showings was ‘Eternal Rift’, choreographed by Julian Nicosia. Filled with release and restraint while dancers and sound invoke introspective dialogue, the performance also featured costumes conceived by CHANEL.
Meant to present luminescent fractures with golden accents and sculptural lines, the CHANEL-designed pieces explored the intertwining of both vulnerability and strength. Two silhouettes were presented — one in the form of a black unitard imbued with a wheat motif and the other featuring an oversized coat, wide-cut black trousers and tank top. Music by Janiv Oron and Michael Anklin enhanced the intense yet raw experience.
Apart from ‘Eternal Rift’, the Paris Opera Junior Ballet also showed other notable works in the programme including ‘Allegro brillante’ by George Balanchine, ‘A la manière de…’ by Jean-Guillaume Bart and José Martinez’s ‘Mi Favorita’. Martinez, Director of Dance at the Paris Opera, was present here in Kuala Lumpur for the performances. Also performed by the dancers on the exceptional evenings was ‘the Act II Giselle pas de deux’, a work choreographed by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot — adapted by Patrice Bart and Eugène Polyakov.
For the uninitiated, CHANEL’s relationship with dance can be traced all the way back to the 1920s when Gabrielle Chanel first introduced costumes for ‘Le Train Bleu’. After that, the Maison has created ensembles for the likes of Hofesh Shechter’s ‘Red Carpet’, ‘Grand Pas Classique’ by Victor Gsovsky and Serge Lifar’s ‘Variations’ among others. CHANEL’s designs for Julian Nicosia’s ‘Eternal Rift’ join the storied history.
In addition to the private showcases, the Malaysian tour of the Paris Opera Junior Ballet also consisted of a public class and participatory workshops. They included pupils from the Lycée Français and students from local ballet schools.
(All photos by CHANEL)
Note : The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.
