León & Lightfoot:
Salle
de danse
Kristian Alm / Photo: Erik Berg
Audience favourites return
With humour, striking stage imagery and innovative movement, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot have long captivated Norwegian audiences. Now they return with two works – one Norwegian premiere and one of their most celebrated ballets.
Powerful, moving and spectacular
Can we form connections without touching one another? This question lies at the heart of the choreographic duo León and Lightfoot’s new creation, Salle de danse, which is being performed in Norway for the first time following its world premiere with The Royal Ballet in London earlier this year. The answer is yes – and when 40 dancers fill the entire stage space, the result is both powerful and poignantly vulnerable.
★★★★★
Occasionally in this world of dance, you come away feeling that you have witnessed something verging on the profound. This was definitely one of those moments.
Deborah Weiss, Bachtrack
In Salle de danse, the focus turns to the very foundation of a dancer’s daily life: the ballet class. Inspired by this everyday ritual, the work unfolds in the duo’s distinctive style – with long lines and sharply defined detail, breathtaking solos and striking duets.
The precursor to Salle de danse was originally created as a film during the pandemic, choreographed by Paul Lightfoot. It has now been recreated and further developed for the stage under a new title, set to newly composed music by the award-winning Ilya Demutsky, performed by the Norwegian National Opera Orchestra.
Studio photos Salle de danse:
Glimpses into spaces and relationships
Shoot the Moon opens the door to a universe of relationships – and the loneliness that so often hides within them. Three revolving rooms frame the stories as they unfold in cinematic fashion, while Philip Glass’ shifting score propels the three pairs of dancers through narratives of longing, separation and unspoken emotions.
“(…) another fantastic work by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León,” wrote VG after the Norwegian premiere in 2010, awarding it six out of six. This year, Shoot the Moon celebrates its 20th anniversary. This is a long-awaited return!
Studio photos Shoot the Moon:
World-renowned choreographers Sol and Paul
They have had Norwegian audiences queuing for hours to secure tickets to contemporary ballet, and they bring out the very best in every dancer on stage. Spanish-born Sol León and British choreographer Paul Lightfoot have developed a highly distinctive movement language – fluid yet raw, weightless yet charged with underlying tension. Their works have been performed all over the world, particularly by Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), where the duo served as resident choreographers from 2002 to 2020.
Salle de danse – The Royal Ballet, June 2026:
- Free introduction (in norwegian) one hour before the performance (except for the premiere).
- Salle de Danse is a co-production with The Royal Ballet and Kungliga Baletten and is produced in collaboration with The Royal Ballet.
Artistic team and cast
Shoot the Moon
Choreography, set design and costume design Sol León, Paul Lightfoot
Music Philip Glass
Lighting design Tom Bevoort
Salle de danse
Choreography, set design, costume design and lighting design Sol León, Paul Lightfoot
Music Ilya Demutsky
Conductor Matthew Rowe
Participants The Norwegian National Ballet, The Opera Orchestra
Salle de danse
The spirit, the passion must always be there. These two virtues, together with style, are the reason I wish to dedicate this ballet to our dear Maestro and friend Hans van Manen. – Sol León
Dedicated to my mother, Patricia Mary Lightfoot, an inspirational school teacher. Thank you for teaching me the power of education and its biggest lesson that love matters more than knowledge. – Paul Lightfoot
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Black
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Pink
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Green
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Beige
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Prelude
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I. Le Maître et la Maîtresse
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II. Tendus, Glisses, Frappes, Grand battements
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III. Ronds de Jambe Solo homme
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III. Ronds de Jambe Quatre femmes
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IV. Etirements
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V. Adage 1. pas de deux
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V. Adage 2. pas de deux
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V. Adage 3. pas de deux
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VI. Port de bras
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VII. L'art de la marche
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VIII. Savoir faire
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X. Fin du chapitre Maîtresse
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Interlude
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XI. Pirouettes
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XII. Relevés
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XIII. Pas de deux Romantique
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XIV. Solo Prima ballerina
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XV. Piqués & Grands pirouettes
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XVI. Coda
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XVII. Petit Allegro
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deux
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XVIII. Tarentelle 6 menn
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XIX. Mazurka
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XIX. Mazurka Premier Cinq couples
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Postlude
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XX. Grand allegro solo
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XX. Grand allegro Cinq hommes
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XX. Grand allegro Maître og Maîtresse
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XX. Grand allegro Chess board finale
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Press photos
Photo: Erik Berg, The Norwegian National Opera & Ballet
