With Cédric Andrieux as director, the Lyon Opera Ballet remains a pioneer in the exploration of the boldest, most demanding pieces contemporary dance has to offer. A laboratory for experimental, innovative productions, with an emphasis on complemental repertoires, the Ballet is home of the greatest artists of yesterday, today and tomorrow. Deeply rooted into its region and relevant on the national and international scene, with multiple tours and performances at partner venues, the company is devoted to passing on and writing part of the history of dance with constant awareness to the issues of our time. The bold streak of the previous seasons went on in 2024-2025: Envols (Takeoffs) gathered masterpieces from the repertoire, Jiří Kylián’s Bella figura, Set and reset / Reset by Trisha Brown, and Jan Martens’ Period Piece. Nature Studies, a fresh dialogue between Merce Cunningham’s Beach Birds and Christos Papadopoulos’ Mycelium was performed at the Maison de la danse. The Ballet then celebrated the addition of an outstanding piece by a major figure of contemporary dance to the repertoire, Ohad Naharin’s Last Work; then the season culminated in an event featuring Noé Soulier, Nacera Belaza and Lucinda Childs, À l’infini (Ad Infinitum). In 2025-2026, the Ballet will keep on exploring iconic repertoire pieces and collaborating with pioneer guest artists on contemporary dance works. This season’s opener, the Nuits transfigurées (Transfigured Nights) programme performed as part of the Biennale de la danse, gathers Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Mercedes Dassy and Katerina Andreou. Furthering its collaboration with the Biennale, the Opera invited Nina Laisné, François Chaignaud and Nadia Larcher to present their collective work, Último helecho. The Ballet will also perform in Marlène Monteiro Freitas’ thundering Canine jaunâtre 3, then in major pieces by William Forsythe, David Dawson (who is making his Lyon debut) and Lucinda Childs as part of the Avant la tempête (Before the storm) event. The season will culminate in the addition of one of the most influential artists of her generation to the repertoire, Sharon Eyal, at one of our partner venues, the Théâtre Théo Argence in Saint-Priest.