Paris Opera Ballet new Junior Company

[Garnier]

Not sure whether this has been mentioned elsewhere, but POB have announced on their website the details of the Junior Ballet that will be launched in September. Eighteen dancers aged 17-24 will be recruited and a further 6 in 2025, with two-year contracts. They will tour and also participate in 1-2 big POB productions (starting with Sleeping Beauty in 2025). Recruitment will be via the external competition for recruiting dancers for the POB.

 

 

[Birdy]

Paris Opera Ballet is forming a junior company. 18 dancers between the ages of 17-23 for the 2024-25 season, growing to 24 dancers starting with the 2025 season. Major funding by Chanel. Auditions are on the 2nd and 3rd of July. 
https://www.operadeparis.fr/en/artists/ballet/the-junior-ballet

[Sophoife]

Recruitment will be from those unsuccessful in gaining a contract at the concours externe for the main company. No separate auditions will be held.

[Sophoife]

Could some kind moderator please merge this thread and the one started by Birdy in Doing Dance? 

[Ballet Saga]

Yes I read about this last night. Good news. 

[Lifeafterballet]

I’m thinking that this is further training and not what I would refer to as a “Junior Company”.

I can’t see whether there is a cost. It doesn’t speak of it being paid sadly. 
If they are modelling this on Dutch National and other Junior Companies then they need to pay the dancers. After all, the majority will have completed years of ballet training already. 
Please enlighten me if I’m wrong 😑 

[Amelie-DALP]

The dancers of this Junior company will have a "Contrat de professionnalisation". It's a specific contract, for young people or not, that combines training and professional experience. This contract stipulates a minimum remuneration of 80% of the minimum salary (which is 1,413 euros before tax in France). So it's less than for a normal contract. But It's a minimum; companies can pay more if they wish.

[Pas de Quatre]

This is a wonderful initiative.  The level of payment sounds very similar to the traditional "stagiaire" in French companies. When I was auditioning (last century) in Germany and France my teacher warned that to begin with a stagiaire position might be offered instead of a full corps contract, and that they were a valid entry point. As it happened I did get a full corps contract in France, but there were a handful of stagiaires. Some progressed to full contracts in various places at the end of the year.  

[alison]

8 hours ago, Sophoife said:

Could some kind moderator please merge this thread and the one started by Birdy in Doing Dance? 

 

Bit of a nightmare, but I've done it.  Sort of  

[Sophoife]

@alison, 'tis genius ye've displayed. Thank you 😘

 

2 hours ago, Lifeafterballet said:

I’m thinking that this is further training and not what I would refer to as a “Junior Company”.

I can’t see whether there is a cost. It doesn’t speak of it being paid sadly. 

"The creation of the Junior Ballet has been made possible thanks to the commitment of corporate sponsors, private foundations and major donors, to whom the Opéra would like to express its gratitude, first and foremost CHANEL, Founding Patron of the Junior Ballet."

 

"The 9 male and 9 female dancers who have accepted the offer to join the Junior Ballet will be hired under a 24-month professionalization contract starting on August 28, 2024. "

 

A contrat de professionalization has rights and obligations and guarantees payment.

 

There is no cost to the junior company members, apart obviously from living costs (rent etc); they will be paid a salary, and have free access to all the medical support of the company. They will also get to take on corps work with the Big Company during the season.

 

It's not a rubbishy pay-to-perform scam.

 

Edited May 31 by Sophoife

[Birdy]

When done well, I am a fan of the junior company model. Would I prefer my DD to be earning the higher pay of a full contract? Of course. But my DD and her friends like the idea of a junior company because in addition to performing with the main company, they get to do their own tour. This means having choreographers set pieces on them and getting to dance bigger parts. All of the performance opportunities help them bridge the gap from student to professional. The tours they do also bring ballet to smaller towns and at a more affordable price, ideally expanding the reach of ballet.