Since their creation in 1977 by Claude Bessy, the Paris Opera Ballet School’s Demonstrations have become a privileged performance, where the audience can appreciate the beautiful and rich education of classic dance at the Paris Opera. Considered as one of the School’s highlights, this moment allows the students to show the work accomplished during the first semester and unveils the transmission’s methods of a traditional artistic knowledge. Along with their teachers, the students feature their skills, necessary to master the classic dance codes and the French style; a basis that, once mastered, will free their artistic liberty.
The Demonstrations also invite the public to discover other artistic disciplines or choreographic styles, the additional lessons followed by the student to complete their training (contemporary, folk, baroque, mime, character, and music class).

The performance is divided in two parts: the first one focuses on the younger students, a moment that is seen by many of them as a “baptism by fire” on the Garnier’s stage. And the second one is dedicated to the older students and highlights the skills of the future dancers’ generation.