“I took my first dance class at the age of 9, with the deep intuition that this practice would transform my life. From that very first lesson, an awareness took hold: that of the entirety of my body — its mobility, flexibility, strength, limits, and availability. I became aware of the space around me, the space offered to me, the space left for others. I felt the presence of the group and the rhythm of its collective breath. I left the class shaken, amazed. Since that day, dance has remained the driving force of my life.

I am convinced that dance has so much to offer. Far beyond the wonder it brings, it is a tool for reclaiming the body, a powerful vector for education, a field for exploring collectivity, a gateway to spirituality, and sometimes even a means of healing.

Driven by this conviction, in 2022, I founded the association Hugo Marchand pour la Danse, with the idea of taking dance out of theaters to share this magic with a wider and different audience, by offering exceptional performances, accessible to all, at the unique price of €13.

This ambition is embodied in the project Les Étoiles au Château. Several times a year, seven exceptional artists from the Paris Opera accompany me to bring life to the courtyards and gardens of our French castles, as well as other jewels of local heritage. For a weekend, these emblematic places are transformed into sublime settings, and through the synergy between dance and music, they in turn become actors in the performance.

These events also embody the strong social commitment of the association. They help to bring dance to territories where it is still rarely present, to reveal its richness, and to affirm that women and men, dancers of all kinds, complement and share this practice with the same level of demand and artistic drive. It is thanks to the support of local communities that we can welcome, at each edition, priority audiences and organize mediation moments aimed at young audiences. This desire to transmit is addressed to everyone. We invite you to visit the new educational page dedicated to the history of dance: OUR COMMITMENTS

To date, more than 20,000 spectators have attended Les Étoiles au Château performances over eight weekends. I am happy that the adventure will continue in 2026 with three new dates, aware that none of this would be possible without the loyal support of our sponsors, the unwavering commitment of our volunteers, or the guidance of an experienced producer. In 2010, Alexandra Cardinale, then a dancer at the Paris Opera, founded AC Opéra Ballet Production and launched the Gala d’Étoiles evenings. As a young dancer, she gave me my first opportunity to take part in one of her shows. Since then, a loyal and demanding collaboration has united us. I am happy to carry this new project at her side, with the same love of dance and sharing.”

Hugo Marchand

Hugo Marchand began dancing at the age of 9 at the Nantes Conservatory. A few years later, he won the gold medal at the Conservatory and joined the Paris Opera Ballet School in 2007. He joined the Paris Opera Ballet in 2011.

He quickly went up the various grades of the company and won the bronze medal at the Varna International Ballet Competition in 2014. In 2015, he received the Prix du Cercle Carpeaux and the AROP Dance Prize, both a recognition as young talents at the Paris Opera. Hugo Marchand was appointed Étoile (Principal Dancer) on March 3, 2017, during a tour in Japan where he performed La Sylphide. That same year, he received the Benois de la Danse award for Best Male Dancer of the Year. He was honored with this distinction again in 2023 for his role as Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling.
He performs the major ballets of the Paris Opera repertoire but also has the privilege of participating in many modern pieces choreographed by William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Hiroshi Sugimoto, Mats Ek, Angelin Preljocaj, Jiří Kylián, and others.