Description of the attraction
The Théâtre de la Ville (City Theater of Paris) is located on the Place de la Chatelet. It is one of the most prestigious stages in France and its leading dance theater. Choreographers all over the world are honored to receive an invitation and work here.
The theater was created during the urban planning transformations of Baron Haussmann (1862) by the outstanding architect Gabriel Daviu - he also designed the "twin theater" Chatelet located opposite. But the fate of the theaters turned out to be completely different.
If Châtelet was famous for his adventure performances, then his counterpart, who was initially called "Theater of the Lyric", staged operas by Gounod, Bizet, Berlioz, Verdi, Mozart. The best opera singers of the 19th century performed here. All this splendor was lost during the Paris Commune, when the Communards burned down the theater. He could not recover from this blow until the great Sarah Bernhardt acquired him in 1899. Her name, inscribed on the pediment of the building, seemed to have removed some kind of curse: the hall was always overcrowded. Sarah Bernhardt was a huge success in the plays of Dumas the father, especially in the role of Marguerite Gaultier (Lady of the Camellias). On the same scene, the amputated actress played, sitting in a chair in a long dress, Racine's "Phaedru". She was already 75 years old at that time.
When Sarah Bernhardt died in 1923, the theater again lost its creative impulse and after a while was closed. During the occupation, the Nazis removed the name of the Jewish actress from the building. After the liberation, the theater was officially named after Sarah Bernhardt - he wore it until 1968, when he decisively changed his role and began to specialize in dance performances.
Since then, the municipal theater has been bearing its current name and invariably attracts masters of contemporary dance from all over the world. Avant-garde choreographers from the USA, Belgium, Great Britain, Holland and the German contemporary dance group Pina Bausch worked here. Here the popularity of the new school of French dance was born, associated with the names of Philippe Decoufle, Jean-Claude Gallot, Regina Chopin.
Today the best choreographers in the world - Harry Stewart (Australia), Ea Sola (Vietnam), Akram Khan (India) - stage performances in the Parisian temple of dance, which has become one of the symbols of France.
