Dance

As in music, the formerly hard-and-fast borders separating classical from modern are becoming increasingly blurred. The Paris Opera Ballet has maintained its long tradition of excellence and thanks to Claude Bessy, its school has become one of the foremost dance academies in the world. The last twenty years have witnessed the birth of a large number of companies that have cast a whole new light on the art of choreography. Maurice Béjart reinvented dance, and those who have followed in his wake have left their mark on it, from Régine Chopinot and Jean-Claude Gallotta to Dominique Bagouet, Angelin Preljocaj, Sylvie Guillem and Marie-Claude Pietragalla. In France, dance has also benefited from the work of foreign choreographers such as William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham or Pina Bausch, who regularly perform to great acclaim in the theatres of Paris and the provinces. Established in 1998, the Centre national de la danse (National Dance Centre) works to encourage creativity, the dissemination of works and training and research in choreographic culture and dance-related professions.