François Alu, sacred star without his followers – Liberation

Behind the scenes

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–The conditions of the long-awaited appointment of the dancer to the title of star last week recorded the disenchantment between some of the balletomanes and the director of the ballet, Aurélie Dupont.–

Look at the stars and watch the trains go by. For François Alu, this scene lasted eight years. Appointed to the rank of “first dancer” of the Paris Opera ballet in 2013, the now 28-year-old star waited a long time – abnormally, it is said, given the extraordinary nature of his performances – before to finally reach, on April 23, the holy grail of the centuries-old institution: either the status of “star”, sesame towards the greatest roles in the repertoire, but also towards that of ambassador of the house. Eight years and as many years that the faithful public of the ballet of the Opera stamps and chomping at the bit, amazed to see the young man so little distributed in “star” roles, ulcerated, finally, that this atypical dancer considered as the “new Patrick Dupond” is at this point sacked by the management of the institution.

In any case, this is the message that the many members of his fan club wanted to convey in the hall of the Opéra Bastille – swollen since Alu was a juror on the show. Dance with the stars – last Wednesday, the one supposed to be D-day for them. The fans had snatched the tickets. However, at the greetings, nothing. The bronca that followed was considered “unpublished” by several regulars: a room standing in ovation for fifteen long minutes, demanding justice for François Alu, screams “…

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