Victoria Dauberville show, "Classique !"
- Delphine & Romain Class
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
With Classique?, Victoria Dauberville presents an ambitious debut performance that goes far beyond a mere dance showcase. Conceived as a choreographic tale, the project questions the place of classical ballet today—its rules, its demands, but also its ability to evolve and engage in dialogue with the contemporary world. On stage, the dancer tells a universal story: that of an artist in search of freedom, identity, and meaning.
An introduction to the codified world of ballet
The performance opens in a universe familiar to all lovers of classical dance. A ballerina, almost frozen inside a music box, performs movements of great precision. Everything evokes rigor and discipline: posture, pointe work, repetition, and the pursuit of perfection. This first part highlights the beauty of classical ballet, but also its sometimes restrictive nature, where the body must conform to strict and unchanging standards.
Victoria Dauberville never rejects this tradition. On the contrary, she reveals its technical and aesthetic richness. Every step reflects years of demanding training and a deep respect for this centuries-old art. Yet soon, the dancer allows a tension to surface — that of a body and a mind yearning for something more.
Breaking the box, opening the movement
As the performance unfolds, the ballerina steps beyond her frame. The “box” becomes a powerful symbol: that of artistic constraints, social expectations, limitations, but also the constant pressure for perfection that weighs on classical dancers. As the story progresses, the dance itself transforms. The once-rigid lines soften, styles merge, and movements grow more instinctive, more fluid.
Victoria Dauberville then explores a striking choreographic gap — between classical dance, contemporary influences, and freer gestures. This blend is never gratuitous: it follows the narrative and mirrors the character’s inner evolution. The ballet becomes a language, able to express doubt, anger, joy, and emancipation.
A fairytale without a prince, but with a heroine
Unlike traditional ballet stories, Classique? does not tell the tale of a savior or a romantic ideal. The story is resolutely modern: the heroine builds herself through her own choices and breaks. The performance thus questions the place of women in the world of dance — a field long shaped by stereotypical roles and fixed narratives.
Discreet yet ever-present humor also helps to demystify ballet. Certain scenes play with the clichés of the dance world, making the show accessible even to those unfamiliar with classical ballet. This subtle educational dimension helps to open the art form to a wider audience.
A coherent artistic vision
Classique? fits seamlessly into Victoria Dauberville’s artistic path, known for her performances in unexpected places and her viral videos — such as the one where she dances on the bulbous bow of a cruise ship. On stage, she extends this approach: showing that ballet is not reserved for an elite nor confined to prestigious theaters. It can be alive, contemporary, and deeply human.
The minimalist scenography, lighting, and music accompany this evolution without overwhelming it. Everything is designed to let the body tell the story — to keep movement at the very heart of the narrative.
A performance between heritage and renewal
With Classique?, Victoria Dauberville achieves a delicate balance: honoring tradition while questioning it. The performance does not aim to “break” ballet, but rather to let it breathe, to shift its boundaries, to make it porous to the world of today. It reminds us that classical dance is not a frozen art form, but a foundation from which new possibilities can emerge.
This debut performance asserts a distinctive and promising artistic voice. Classique? leaves the audience with one clear conviction: ballet can still surprise, move, and tell contemporary stories — provided one dares to move, both literally and figuratively.
Biography of Victoria Dauberville: between classical rigor and creative boldness
Victoria Dauberville, born on March 20, 1996, in France, is a ballet dancer and choreographer who has successfully blended tradition and modernity through a unique artistic approach. Trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School and later at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris, she has mastered the foundations of classical ballet while asserting a deeply personal artistic freedom.
After performing with prestigious companies such as the Opéra de Bordeaux, the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Dauberville chose to step away from institutional structures to explore freer and more hybrid forms of dance.
Highly active on social media, Victoria Dauberville has gained public recognition through her striking performances in unexpected locations — from deserts to gym treadmills, and even across Antarctic glaciers — capturing the attention of millions worldwide. As seen in the photograph above, Victoria has also collaborated several times with the French artist JR.
Twice featured in Forbes’s 30 Under 30 list (France 2023 and Europe 2024) for her cultural influence and innovative spirit, Victoria now stands out as one of the leading figures of contemporary ballet.
She is also the founder of the Victoria Dauberville Company, through which she continues to develop an artistic approach that blends dance, performance, and storytelling.
Biography of Mathieu Forget: the “Flying Man” and the art of suspended movement
Alongside Victoria, Mathieu Forget brings his multidisciplinary vision to Classique?. Born in Paris, Forget is a multifaceted artist — dancer, photographer, choreographer, and artistic director. Known under the pseudonym ForgetMat, he has gained international acclaim for his mastery of movement and levitation photography, capturing suspended silhouettes that seem to defy gravity.
His artistic work explores the relationship between movement, space, and aesthetics. Through his images and videos, he seeks to promote freedom of expression, self-transcendence, and the fusion of styles. His practice combines dance, performance, and visual storytelling, often within unexpected or poetic settings.
Mathieu is also recognized for his collaborations with major international events, including the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, where several of his works celebrated sport and movement through an artistic lens.
In Classique?, his role goes far beyond performance: he embodies a key element in the dialogue between dance and image, enriching the choreographic narrative with his visual and physical sensitivity.
A unifying artistic experience
Classique? is more than just a ballet — it is an invitation to rethink classical dance as a living language, open to the influences of the contemporary world. The artists on stage tell a story that resonates both with ballet enthusiasts and with audiences discovering this art form for the first time.
Victoria Dauberville and Mathieu Forget, each in their own way, perfectly embody the idea that dance is not confined to the traditional stage: it is a vehicle for poetry, reflection, and freedom. Their artistic collaboration bridges choreography and storytelling, connecting rigor with spontaneity, tradition with innovation.
Premiering in December 2025 with a series of performances between Lyon and Paris, Classique? will tour across France in 2026, with around twenty show already scheduled — from Tours to Geneva, including Lyon and Annecy. Mathieu Forget just posted on Instagram that most of the performances for this year are allready sold out !
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