Under the gentle radiance of golden chandeliers stood dancers, rows and rows of them, gleaming onstage. The scene was like a painting steeped in mist, its width diffused by shards of light and fog, its depth seeming to reach into infinity. The mood was dreamy as packs of dancers moved as one, filling the stage with the force of unison, or breaking away for solos, more meditative than flashy, yet each — and this was important — showing intent and individuality. Within each body, you felt dance history.
For this version of his dance “Apaches,” the choreographer Saïdo Lehlouh opened the Foyer de la Danse behind the stage at the Palais Garnier, the opera house that is a hallowed home for classical ballet. The foyer, a gilded salon where dancers warm up, is not a space the public usually sees.
“It’s kind of the background, the underground of the opera,” Lehlouh said. “I wanted to add it to the scene onstage. For me, there is no wall between the backstage and the stage itself.”
Breaking down walls, pushing past boundaries is what “Apaches” is all about. Created in 2018, the dance, named after the Parisian street gangs of the early 20th century, has had different iterations depending on the performance space (often outdoors) and the cast. “Apaches” is meant for all kinds of dancers and all types of movers: professional, untrained, people with disabilities. Lehlouh’s 8-year-old son wants to make an “Apaches” with kids. (“I can assist him if he wants,” Lehlouh said.)