Paris Opera Ballet announces promotions after internal competition in "new format"

Paris Opera Ballet announced the result of the internal promotion competition, which took place in a new format for the first time on 3rd - 4th November 2025 at Palais Garnier.

Promoted dancers - source: Opéra national de Paris news release

The following is the list of the dancers who were promoted to the respective ranks, as announced in the news statement issued on 4th November shortly after the conclusion of the competition.

CORYPHÉES FEMALE

• Yeeun LEE

• Sofia ROSOLINI

  
  

CORYPHÉES MALE

• Shale WAGMAN

• Nathan BISSON

• Loup MARCAULT-DEROUARD

  
  

SUJETS FEMALE

• Apolline ANQUETIL

• Seohoo YUN

  
  

SUJETS MALE

• Enzo SAUGAR

• Keita BELLALI

  
  

PREMIÈRES DANSEUSES

• Bianca SCUDAMORE

• Clara MOUSSEIGNE

Congratulations!

New Format

The promotion competition of Paris Opera Ballet (concours de promotion interne du Ballet de l’Opéra) this year was announced on 29th October.

As a background, the annual internal promotion competition is Paris Opera Ballet's tradition since 1860. It has also been the tradition that only Étoiles are nominated by the company director. Paris Opera Ballet is the only major ballet company in the world which holds an internal promotion competition.

In the past couple of years, however, the promotion competition was under review and under scrutiny. Last year, it was held only for the lowest ranks.

This year, the competition took place for all ranks except for Étoiles nevertheless, which might have come as a surprise to some ballet enthusiasts. But the company came up with what they call a new format.

Opéra national de Paris explained in the news statement;

"The internal promotion competition of the Paris Opera Ballet, whose organizational procedures have been defined by the direction in close collaboration with the dancers’ representatives for the 2025/26 season, will take place on Monday, November 3, and Tuesday, November 4, 2025, on the stage of the Palais Garnier.

"Each candidate will perform before the jury a compulsory variation, chosen from three options representing different styles, as well as a free variation.

"This new format is intended to encourage broader participation among the dancers and to showcase the diversity of their backgrounds, talents, and artistic sensibilities."

Available positions were also announced in advance in the same news statement.

For serious ballerinas and ballerinos, the below is the options of the compulsory variations. All challenging!

For female artists

Quadrilles 

• La Bayadère, Act II, Gamzatti's variation, choreography by Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa

• or Giselle, Act I, Giselle's variation, choreography by Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot, adapted by Patrice Bart and Eugène Polyakov

• or Signes, second tableau « Loire du matin », principal dancer's solo, choreography by Carolyn Carlson.

  
  

Coryphées 

• Sylvia-pas de deux, choreography by George Balanchine 

• or Suite en blanc, Sérénade, choreography by Serge Lifar 

• or Vaslaw, choreography by John Neumeier.

  
  

Sujets 

• Suite en blanc, La cigarette, choreography by Serge Lifar

• or Casse-Noisette, Act II, Louise's variation, choreography by John Neumeier

• or Le Sacre du Printemps, solo de l'Élue, choreography by Maurice Béjart

For male artists

Quadrilles

• The Sleeping Beauty, Act II, The Hunt, 1^st variation of the Prince, choreography by Rudolf Nureyev after Marius Petipa

• or Onegin, Act II, Lensky’s variation, choreography by John Cranko

• or Body and Soul, Act II, Hugo Marchand’s solo, choreography by Crystal Pite

  
  

Coryphées

• Suite en blanc, The Mazurka, choreography by Serge Lifar

• or Sylvia, Act III, Aminta’s variation, choreography by Manuel Legris

• or Vaslaw, choreography by John Neumeier

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Updated on 5th November 2025 to add details and background, and to correct a typographical error.