Hugo Marchand’s undeniable virtuosity, lyricism, charisma and artistry have catapulted him to the height of ballet excellence. He is perhaps the most famous male Étoile in the Paris Opera Ballet—the highest rank in the most prestigious ballet company in the world. He is the curator and lead performer of City Center’s fifth Artists at the Center program, the most ambitious to date.
The highlight of the program is Maurice Béjart’s Boléro, a tour de force piece for a dancer so special that few artists have been granted permission to perform the work since its creation in 1961. Set to Ravel’s Boléro, Marchand will dance a triumphant, athletic solo surrounded by 18 dancers from the Béjart Ballet Lausanne.
Marchand also dances a pas de deux from the seductive, sumptuous Le Parc by Angelin Preljocaj, alongside fellow Paris Opera Ballet Étoile Dorothée Gilbert. Inspired by Les Liaisons Dangereuses and set to music by Mozart, Le Parc is a sensual exploration of the way that love blossoms through a gorgeous balance of classical and modern forms. The rest of the program will include Béjart’s Firebird, George Balanchine’s Sonantine and a pas de deux from Carolyn Carson’s Signes.
