Listen to the article

Choreographed by Damien Jalet with an auditory creation by Thomas Bangalter, a concept envisioned by JR, the walls of the Paris Opera were animated in a spectacular dance show. The event, Chiroptera, unfolded on Sunday, November 12, 2023, transforming Plato’s “cave” into a stage curtain and presenting a free artistic spectacle of two twenty-minute acts. This installation remains available until November 25, 2023.

Within the protective embrace of the “cave,” beyond today’s pervasive darkness, dance still thrives. In an era devoid of meaning or humanity, the artist JR once again rose to the challenge. Adorning the façade of the Paris Opera, 153 dancers clad in black and white capes unfolded their artistry, among them Amandine Albisson, the prima ballerina of the Paris Opera. They revisited Plato’s cave, embodying the essence of beauty that humanity can still create. Wasn’t it the Platonic ideals of Goodness, Truth and Beauty to which Plato alluded? Were these not the shadows of Justice in a world deprived of The Just?

“In recent weeks, we have witnessed overwhelming darkness around us. We asked ourselves: what is the purpose of dance, of creation? Yet, as artists, our perpetual role is to lead people back to the light. Darkness is not dispelled by darkness, but even by the slightest light,” asserts JR. He thereby encouraged the audience to close their umbrellas and light their headlamps to better explore the cave.

Gathering people once more at the base of the edifice, gazing at the sky, JR demonstrated that there still exists, in some corner of the world, an audacious, relentless and formidable tool… a tool mightier than fear, disgust or any other emotion: one’s dream. In pursuit of this dream, amid shadows and light, black and white, the dancers presented a remarkable spectacle, captivating the audience.

“The cave becomes a protective haven, shielding its inhabitants from the world’s violence. Darkness serves to reveal light. The walls turn prehistoric, and the exploration of the cave becomes a spelunking discovery,” proclaimed L’Opéra in a statement. This assembly in the name of art stands as proof that music and justice will triumph over all… that beauty still exists. One only needs to look up or raise their arms to the sky. In the night’s darkness hovering over the majestic monument, clouds dance and harbor a belief in a better world.

Instagram: @mariechristine.tayah