BENJAMIN MILLEPIED TO STEP DOWN FROM PARIS OPERA BALLET

The director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, Benjamin Millepied, will be stepping down to return to his own choreography—and LA—according to Roslyn Sulcas in the New York Times. The French paper Paris Match first reported rumors of his departure yesterday. Millepied started his role in November 2014, bringing an cross-disciplinary spirit and level of visibility to the enterprise. The director of the Paris Opera, Stéphane Lissner, will be holding a press conference later today.

Calling his departure “a blow to the opera’s much-vaunted era of new collaboration between opera, ballet, and other artistic ventures,” Sulcas wrote that the choreographer had spoken “of his dislike for the rigid hierarchical system of grading and promotion at the Opera.”

“His discontent with various aspects of his role has been well documented over the past few months,” she added.