Opéra de Lyon

The permanent orchestra, chorus, and ballet of the Opéra de Lyon work in the building. Under the glass half-cylinder at the top is the ballet studio: its floor matches the dimensions of the main stage. A covered gallery runs along the three stone façades. Toward the end of the nineteen nineties, its smooth floor became another rehearsal hall—free and accessible without an invitation.

Young dancers from different parts of Lyon met here. In nineteen ninety-nine, Riad Fghani, a breakdancer who wanted to form them into a strong competitive team, helped found Pockemon Crew. Their goal was battles—duels between dancers, where an opponent is defeated through technique and improvisation.

At the time, a path to the theater stage barely existed for breakdancers. Fghani recalled that they were called acrobats and were refused recognition as dancers. So they first had to prove their right to do this professionally in competitions. The group practiced in the square and decided to win the largest international tournaments.

In two thousand three, Pockemon Crew became world champions. That same year, the management of the Opéra de Lyon invited the group inside and gave it a ten-year residency—spaces and the opportunity to prepare its own productions. A year later, Fghani took charge of the artistic work and moved the team from battles alone to devised performances. The dancers had to learn to rehearse at length, build an entire piece, and hold the audience's attention without an opponent facing them. Works created here were later shown in more than fifty countries.

In two thousand nineteen, Pockemon Crew returned to the Opéra de Lyon's main stage with an anniversary production featuring artists from its ballet. The stone gallery where the team gathered still runs along the façades; the ballet studio remains above, under the glass roof. The two companies, which rehearsed one above the other, eventually performed in the same hall.