Aurélie Dupont to Retire

In what’s proving to be a year of many ballerina retirements, Paris Ópera Ballet star Aurélie Dupont has announced that she will step down from the company next month. The 42-year-old dancer has been with the Ópera for 32 years, and has been an
étoile for 17 of them. Her final performance on May 18, in
L’Histoire de Manon
, will reach an audience far beyond Paris: It will be shown in 350 cinemas throughout Europe, and later screened in 100 theaters in the U.S. and Canada.

After her retirement, Dupont will become the company’s ballet mistress, teaching company class and working with the dancers in rehearsal. And she doesn’t plan to stop dancing entirely—though she says she’d like to explore more contemporary work.