Martin Chaix

Born in Albi, France, Martin Chaix trained at the Paris Opera Ballet School before joining the Paris Opera Ballet in 1999. He subsequently became a soloist at Leipzig Ballet (2006) and Ballet on the Rhine Düsseldorf Duisburg (2009-15), performing works by George Balanchine, Pina Bausch, John Neumeier, Jiří Kylián, Martin Schläpfer, Mats Ek, Marco Goecke, and many others.

Since establishing himself as an independent choreographer in 2015, Chaix has created over 30 works for leading international companies. A pivotal moment in his artistic trajectory came with his 2023 production of Giselle for the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin, a feminist reimagining that interrogates gender dynamics and power structures within the classical canon. This production earned him a nomination for the prestigious Benois de la Danse in 2024, marking a significant political and societal turning point in his career.

His choreographic language continually explores cross-cultural narratives and contemporary reinterpretations of tradition. Among his major works are QiXi (2024), a milestone creation for the Liaoning Ballet exploring Chinese mythology, Die Mondprinzessin/Kaguya-Hime (2025) for Leipzig Opera based on Japanese folklore, and A Streetcar Named Desire (2024) for Cottbus Ballet. His commissions include work with Vienna State Ballet, Ballet on the Rhine, and international projects with the Liaoning Ballet, Croatian National Theatre Ballet in Split, and Bolshoi Ballet.

Chaix's collaboration with Les Arts Florissants marks a rare venture into lyrical repertoire for the choreographer. Deeply committed to training the next generation, he teaches at Gymnasium Essen-Werden in Germany and recently created Ma Mère l'Oye for the Paris Opera Ballet School.