3e étage is an abbreviation of Troisième Étage, or “Third Floor” in French. The name refers to the location of the studios of the Paris Opera Ballet, the parent company for this nimble offshoot of the world’s oldest ballet company. Founded and directed by Samuel Murez, the company presents the work of contemporary masters such as William Forsythe as well as dances by Murez himself, some of which are credited to his pseudonymous alter-ego, Raul Zeummes. Although this particular group made its U.S. debut at the Pillow, it follows in the distinctive footsteps of another prominent group of Paris Opera Ballet dancers who made their first U.S. appearance at the Pillow in 1963 under the direction of Claude Bessy. The witty and virtuosic work seen here is customarily performed by four men (as it was in the company’s 2013 return), but an injury reduced the cast to three in this performance.
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