The Paris Opera is deeply moved to learn of the sudden passing of Première Danseuse Stéphanie Romberg. We wish to pay tribute to her brilliant career within our Company. With her radiant and deeply human personality, Stéphanie Romberg left a lasting impression on many iconic roles, infusing them with her own truth.

Born in 1975, Stéphanie Romberg was trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School, which she joined in 1986. She was then admitted to the Paris Opera Corps de Ballet in 1991. Promoted to Coryphée the following year, she became Sujet in 1998 and was named Première Danseuse in 2003. On stage, she drew the spotlight, carried by a sensitivity that brought every character to life.

At the Paris Opera, Stéphanie Romberg performed many roles from the repertoire with great talent: Christine in Miss Julie (Cullberg), the Stepmother in Fall River Legend (De Mille), Myrtha in Giselle (Coralli and Perrot), Myrtha in Giselle (Ek), Stepping Stones, Symphony of Psalms (Kylián), Suite en blanc (Lifar), Lescaut’s Mistress in Manon (MacMillan), Genus (McGregor), Un Jour ou deux (Cunningham), Diana in Sylvia, Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler (Neumeier), Gamzatti in La Bayadère, the Street Dancer and Queen of the Dryads in Don Quixote, Carabosse in The Sleeping Beauty, a Sister in Cinderella, Rosaline in Romeo and Juliet, the Queen in Swan Lake (Nureyev), Le Jeune Homme et la Mort (Petit), Casanova (Preljocaj), the Queen in The Cage, Glass Pieces, In the Night (Robbins), In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated, Pas./Parts, The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (Forsythe), the Chosen One in The Rite of Spring (Béjart), The Four Temperaments, Apollo, Jewels (Balanchine).

Stéphanie Romberg also worked with renowned choreographers, and each collaboration was enriched by her precision, attentiveness, and sincere commitment. She never danced “for,” but always “with”—in constant dialogue with the music, her partners, and the audience. Throughout her career, she took part in major creations, including: Ninth Symphony (Béjart, 1996), Appartement (Ek, 2000), Shéhérazade (Li, 2001), AndréAuria (Lock, 2002), La Petite Danseuse de Degas (Bart, 2003), The Seventh Moon (Bombana, 2004), Variations for a Door and a Sigh (Béjart, 2006), Proust or the Intermittences of the Heart (Petit, 2007), A Sort of... (Ek, 2008), Hark! (Gat, 2009), Salut (Rigal, 2015).

After her career as a dancer, Stéphanie Romberg was invited to return to the Paris Opera as a guest répétiteur, notably for Daphnis et Chloé (Millepied), Orphée et Eurydice, The Rite of Spring (Bausch), and The Seasons’ Canon (Pite) in 2018.

Offstage, Stéphanie Romberg was equally present. Attentive, generous, and always available, she was a valuable guide to many young dancers. She supported them through promotion competitions, offered advice and reassurance, and accompanied them with rare dedication and caring rigor—even on the most demanding stages, such as the Varna competition.

The Paris Opera extends its deepest condolences to her family and loved ones.

“Her passing leaves an immense void. We have lost an accomplished artist, but above all, a profoundly human woman, whose presence, thoughtful gaze, and kind words will continue to accompany us.”— José Martinez, Director of Dance