Julien Favreau appointed Artistic Director of Béjart Ballet Lausanne
© BBL – Jennifer Santschy
Julien Favreau, dancer with The Béjart Ballet Lausanne for 30 years and soloist in a number of key roles in the repertoire of Maurice Béjart and Gil Roman, was appointed Artistic Director of the company on Friday 28 June. This appointment guarantees the continuation of Maurice Béjart‘s artistic legacy and reinforces the extremely dynamic new impetus that the company has been experiencing since Julien Favreau took over as interim artistic director.
The Board of Directors of Béjart Ballet Lausanne is delighted to unanimously announce the appointment of Julien Favreau as Artistic Director of the company, effective 1 September 2024. Julien Favreau, who has been the ballet’s interim artistic director since February, has convinced the members of the Board of Directors of the quality of his work and the relevance of the project he has put forward. In taking over as artistic director of the Béjart Ballet Lausanne (BBL), Julien Favreau aims to preserve the legacy of Maurice Béjart, notably by reviving ballets that have not been revived for a long time, but also to open up the company to contemporary guest choreographers.
Born in 1977 in La Rochelle, Julien Favreau studied classical and contemporary dance at the Ecole Nationale de Musique et de Danse. Noticed by Maurice Béjart, he joined the Ecole-Atelier Rudra Béjart Lausanne in 1994, then joined the company in 1995. From then on, Maurice Béjart created important roles for him (Zarathoustra, Le chant de la danse) and entrusted him with several leading roles (The Rite of Spring, Ballet for Life). Under the artistic direction of Gil Roman from 2007 onwards, he has taken on numerous solo roles (Boléro, Light) and taken part in his own creations, as well as those of many choreographers invited by the BBL. Winner of the Ballet Etoiles 2000 prize at Cannes in 2006, he was awarded the Premio Positano “Leonide Massine” per la danza in 2012, and takes part in international galas.
The Board of Directors is confident that under his artistic direction, Béjart Ballet Lausanne will continue to shine on international stages, while maintaining its status as a benchmark in the world of choreography. Following the company’s huge success most recently in Lausanne and its forthcoming tours, the BBL, led by Julien Favreau as artistic director, is beginning a promising new chapter in its history.
