OVERVIEW

Eric Gauthier’s Ballet 102 is a witty, fast-paced take on the classic pas de deux. Instead of music, we hear the choreographer’s voice onstage, calling out and counting the familiar positions—one after another—until the symbolic number 102. Each step is named and executed with crisp technical precision, but what starts like a classroom exercise quickly turns into something playful and alive, with flashes of theatrical humour. The dancers become “living instruments,” reacting instantly to the instructions, racing through position after position, and still keeping their poise, expression, and sense of fun.

The piece draws on iconic pas de deux moments of the 20th century and tips its hat to choreographers such as Vaslav Nijinsky, John Cranko, and Kenneth MacMillan—while gently poking fun at the strict rules and the pursuit of perfection so closely linked with classical ballet.

Premiered in 2016 at a ballet gala in Moscow, Ballet 102 quickly became a favourite with audiences and is now performed in theatres around the world.

“I use a lot of humour, because ballet and contemporary dance are usually very serious. I like to make fun of ballet; I used to be a ballet dancer myself, and I always found it too serious,” says Eric Gauthier. He adds: “Anything funny is always difficult to do in a way that doesn’t become kitschy or stupid. But I think with Ballet 102 I managed to stay on that thin line. It’s funny and still very clever.”