Okay, let’s talk about the elephant in the room—or should I say, the ballet company that just left all its tutus and tiaras back in Paris.
The Paris Opera Ballet is touring the U.S., and they’re not bringing *Giselle* or *Swan Lake*. Instead, they’re rolling out “Red Carpet,” and the headlines alone are giving us whiplash. “Balanchine on an LSD trip”? “Leaves its tutus at home”? Sign. Me. Up.
If you’re like me, the name “Paris Opera Ballet” conjures images of exquisite precision, centuries of tradition, and dancers moving like perfectly tuned instruments of classical art. But “Red Carpet” seems to be throwing that entire playbook out of the gilded opera house window.
So what’s the deal?
From the sound of it, this isn’t your grandma’s ballet night. The comparison to Balanchine—the godfather of neoclassical ballet—but *on acid* is what really grabs you. Balanchine was already a revolutionary; he stripped back the narrative, accelerated the music, and showcased the raw architecture of movement. Now imagine turning that dial all the way up, breaking the knob off, and diving into a kaleidoscopic, surreal exploration of form and sensation. That’s the vibe “Red Carpet” is serving.
And honestly? It’s about time.
For an institution as historic as the Paris Opera Ballet to take such a bold, almost rebellious step is thrilling. It signals a refreshing self-awareness and a desire to stay relevant, to converse with the contemporary world. They’re not just preserving art; they’re actively making it, challenging it, and maybe even trolling it a little.
Leaving the tutus at home is a powerful statement. It’s a declaration that the body, the movement, and the artistic concept are the real stars—not the costumes or the fairy tales. It’s a move that demands the audience to see ballet not as a museum piece, but as a living, breathing, and evolving art form.
The fact that their *only* West Coast stop is in the Bay Area feels significant. This is a region that thrives on innovation, that lives at the intersection of tech and art, tradition and disruption. It’s the perfect audience for a work that redefines what one of the world’s most elite ballet companies can be.
So, is it worth seeing?
If the reviews are any indication, this isn’t just a ballet; it’s an event. It’s a chance to witness a pivotal moment where a pillar of the classical world leans fully into the avant-garde. You go to be mesmerized, to be confused, to have your expectations shattered. You go to see what happens when unparalleled technical mastery is unleashed on a vision that is utterly, brilliantly unhinged.
In a world saturated with content, “Red Carpet” seems to be that rare thing: an authentic, can’t-be-replicated live experience. So if you have the chance, grab a ticket. Let’s see what a trip looks like when it’s choreographed by the best in the world.
