Salle de Danse

Powerful, moving and spectacular 

Can we form connections without touching one another? This question lies at the heart of Salle de Danse, the choreographic duo León and Lightfoot’s new creation, performed in Norway for the first time. The answer is yes – and when 40 dancers fill the entire stage space, the result is both powerful and poignantly vulnerable. 

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. 

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!

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. 

In 2024, the Norwegian National Ballet performed Diamonds: León & Lightfoot / Balanchine to sold-out houses. Read the interview with León and Lightfoot here (in norwegian).