Ravel’s Boléro as you’ve never seen it before. It begins as something of a duet between the lead dancer and the spotlight operator. The principal is gradually joined by a gaggle of well-formed young men for a piece that is both sensual and a show of strength. Choreographed by Maurice Béjart and performed by Nicolas Le Riche, this dance is truly memorable. All the dancers are pure artists and their athleticism is abundantly apparent. It isn’t often that I post about something that celebrates the male form, but this video does just that, and beautifully.

Danced by The Corps de Ballet of the Opera National de Paris with accompaniment by The Paris Opera Orchestra, the Boléro performance was filmed at the Opera National de Paris Bastille.

Béjart died in 2007 and Le Riche transitioned from dancing to choreography in 2014 at the age of 42, the mandatory retirement age for dancers at the Paris Opera Ballet. This glorious performance represented Le Riche’s farewell performance. He certainly went out with a bang! You’ll be glad to hear the dancer has since become the director of The Royal Swedish Ballet.

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