Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile

Le Teatro Municipal de Santiago - © Elena Bauer / OnP

In April 2023, the Paris Opera entered into a partnership agreement with the Teatro Municipal de Santiago, Chile.

As the country’s leading opera and ballet venue, the Teatro called on the Paris Opera to benefit from its expertise in teaching the French school of classical ballet. Through this agreement, Carmen Gloria Larenas, General Director of the Teatro Municipal, set out to undertake an ambitious overhaul of its ballet school, which is set to become a benchmark for dance education in South America.

Initially planned for three years (2023-2025), the partnership was renewed in 2026 for a further three years (2026-2028). It has already enabled several hundred students to benefit from the Paris Opera’s expertise in classical ballet.

Each year, Paris Opera experts travel to Chile to train students and teachers in Santiago. In return, teachers from Santiago are welcomed for immersive stays at the Paris Opera Ballet and Ballet School.

“I have seen real progress, especially among the teachers involved in this project: they have completely changed the way they teach and the way they see things. It is a true transformation. The teachers, the students, the dancers, the whole house believes in this project.”

Carmen Gloria Larenas, General Director of the Teatro Municipal de Santiago

Le Teatro Municipal de Santiago © Elena Bauer / OnP