In her own words, Amandine Albisson has been a… Star Dancer at the Paris Opera since March 5, 2014.
She tells us that she has always wanted, since her early childhood, to be a dancer. At the age of 6, in front of the Paris Opera, she said to her mother " I will dance there ." At 9, she was already in a sports-study boarding school, at 17 she joined the Paris Opera after passing the entrance exam, then climbed the ranks. " My career path is ultimately very classical, I just had that in me," she says simply, as if she did not realize the premonitory accuracy of her initial intuition, the extraordinary nature of her career.
We are delighted to finally see her again at the Opera, in the two broomsticks In The Night and The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude.
All women have faced a struggle at one time or another. What was the biggest challenge in your life?
Béjart's Boléro dance. A bewitching solo during which we are surrounded by dancers who gradually join us. For us, this choreography is one of the top 3. It is known to be particularly challenging and leads to the verge of exhaustion. Living this experience is a chance, unfortunately I was severely injured 6 weeks earlier. However, you should never let a chance pass you by! So I fought harder than ever, both physically and mentally, and finally achieved this dance. I remember a moment of incredible emotional intensity. This choreography is so difficult because of the effort it requires that it is rare that we reach the end during rehearsals, which are done solo only. But during the performances, we find ourselves carried by the energy of the dancers around us; they are the ones who ultimately carry us to the end.
When do you feel you need to be strong?
When it's time to go on stage. There's that decisive step, that tipping point between the wings and the stage, a few dozen centimeters that take us from the shadows to the light that will reveal us completely to the audience, our strengths and weaknesses included. It's a simple step forward that's almost like a leap into the void.
In turn made of shadows and lights, such are women, echoing the moon that governs us.
What is your light side, what is your dark side?
My dark side lies in my perfectionism, which can be a terrible flaw. I harbor a form of obsession with work and organization. Yet, I am convinced that it is this very framework that allows me to express myself and truly enjoy it. I set immense barriers for myself, but I believe it is also to have the pleasure of overcoming them. My bright side certainly lies in my instinct; I have chosen to always trust it.
Express your most important conviction, the one that guides your steps in life.
I have one that matters even more in these unusual times, when we are not completely in control of our daily lives: " Make your life a dream and your dreams a reality ." We only have one life, it goes by so quickly and we must make the most of it.
We must continue to dream and achieve our dreams no matter what.
Mind upload. Our heroine Alyh uploads her mind into a universe in which she evolves and surpasses herself.
What skills would you develop if the adventure were offered to you?
I wish I could speak all languages. Some of my trips have generated immense frustration at not being able to ask all the questions I had, at not being able to interact with people, at not being able to share our points of view. As a second choice, since I've done skydiving, I'd also quite like to be able to fly without accessories!
Take us to your safe space?
Alyh uses her imagination to create a world somewhere between solar punk and brutalism. What would yours look like?
I don't care about the context practically, what matters is my surroundings, I need my family and my friends, and if I have to choose a setting I would then combine the sea and the mountains to enjoy them with them.
Never give up on... What would you say to your best friend or your child?
Never give up on your honesty. Above all, you must be honest with yourself and accept being challenged.
And also, not to give up on curiosity, on our ability to generate new dreams, to want in order to then be able.
The best… What are you most proud of?
As a little girl, my mom and I went to Paris so I could do a dance course. I was only 6 years old and I said to my mom:
" I'll dance there later." I succeeded, I realized my childhood dream.
And now that I'm a woman, and because it's fairly recent, I'm very proud to have gotten married this summer to the man I love. It's also an achievement in these times. Once again, you always have to believe in yourself and never give up.
