Thomas Docquir, first Belgian to become a principal dancer at the Paris Opera

On June 21, 2026, following the performance of La Bayadère, to a choreography by Rudolf Nureyev, the Paris National Opera has formalized the accession of Thomas Docquir to the rank of star dancer. It all starts with an absence. Two days before the performance, Hugo Marchand, the titular role of Prince Solor in La Bayadèregets injured and has to give up dancing. The troupe is urgently reorganized and Thomas Docquir finds himself propelled to the top of the bill. He will have to perform the performance on the morning of June 21.

At his side, two stars: Dorothée Gilbert as Nikiya and Roxane Stojanov as Gamzatti. The context is that of a big stage, a ballet with a demanding repertoire, and a first in this role for him. At the end of the evening, when he had triumphed, Alexander Neef, director of the Paris National Opera, announced at the suggestion of José Martinez, the opera’s dance director, that he was becoming a new star.

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Thomas Docquir is a regular at these miracles. At the last minute, he knows how to take on the most demanding roles at short notice. His sense of drama and his incredible dance technique allow him to dance the most difficult ballets.

A devotion to his art

Born in 1998 in Sambreville, Wallonia, he started dancing at the age of eight in Belgium. In 2010, he entered the Paris Opera school, before joining the corps de ballet five years later. His progression never stops: coryphée in 2016, subject in 2020, Premier dancer in 2024. In the meantime, he received the AROP Prize in 2021. Thomas will go through all the stages of the institution.

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From the end of the 2010s, his name appeared in increasingly prestigious distributions. He is the terrible wizard Rothbart in Swan Lake by Tchaikovsky in 2019. This role marks a first turning point in his career. Then will naturally come the heroes of the classical and neoclassical repertoire. He plays Romeo (Romeo and Juliet on Nureyev’s choreography), Prince Désiré (Sleeping Beauty), Basilio (Don Quixote) or even Des Grieux (The Lady of the Camellias to the choreography of John Neumeier).

Thomas Docquir will play Prince Solor again on June 23, 2026 alongside Sae Eun Park (Nikiya) and Inès McIntosh (Gamzatti). It is also expected in The Golden Idol June 26 and 29. This new star is unlikely to fade.