Star dancers shine on stage and make their audience dream by their grace. But how much do these artists gain whose life is made of sacrifices?
They evolve on stage with an unreal grace and a head port that would make a model pale. The star dancers of the Paris Opera embody the ultimate refinement. However, behind the beauty of the gesture hides a much more complex reality. The life of star dancers is punctuated by effort, sacrifices and constant pressure. Years of requirement, from hours to training, of injuries often overlooked. But by the way, how much do they win for all these efforts?
Before you even talk about salary, you have to understand how access to this rank is the obstacle course. Hugo Marchand, a star dancer within the ballet of the Paris Opera, perfectly summed up the situation in an interview for Konbini : “Opera is 154 dancers. And in fact at 42 years and 6 months we retire. And to integrate the opera, there must be a place that is released“And to add:”years ago when there are 5 dancers who retire and years when there are 1. If it’s your boyfriend who is committed … Well it’s not you. “The stars are therefore chosen with meticulousness, often after years of competition and waiting …
And on the salary side, then? Such a discipline, such exclusivity, it deserves to be well paid … according to the site Sirteq.orgthe remuneration of opera dancers depends on a grades system, five in number. At the top, obviously, sits the title of “star dancer”, which gives the right to a salary range ranging from 3,500 euros to 7,000 euros net per month, depending on experience and seniority.
But that’s not all, because each representation, dancers can perceive additional bonuses, which makes it possible to make ends meet and, sometimes, to transform certain periods of shows into real peaks of income. A significant advantage, especially when you know that their careers ends precisely at 42 years and 6 months, shows in hand.
