The Théâtre National de Chaillot (English: Chaillot National Theatre) is a theatre located in the

Palais de Chaillot The Palais de Chaillot () is a building at the top of the in the Trocadéro area in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, 16th ''arrondissement'' of Paris, France. For the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937) ...

at 1, place du Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. Close by the

Eiffel Tower The Eiffel Tower ( ; french: links=yes, tour Eiffel ) is a wrought-iron lattice tower on the Champ de Mars in Paris, France. It is named after the engineer Gustave Eiffel, whose company designed and built the tower. Locally nicknamed "'' ...

and the Trocadéro Gardens—the Théâtre de Chaillot is among the largest concert halls in Paris. It has long been synonymous with popular theatre and is especially associated with stars such as

Jean Vilar Jean Vilar (25 March 1912– 28 May 1971) was a French actor and theatre director. Vilar trained under actor and theatre director Charles Dullin, then toured with an acting company throughout France. His directorial career began in 1943 in a sma ...

and

Antoine Vitez Antoine Vitez (; 20 December 1930 – 30 April 1990) was a French actor, director, and poet. He became a central character and influence on the French theater in the post-war period, especially in the technique of teaching drama. He was also tr ...

. In 1975 the

French Ministry of Culture The Ministry of Culture (french: Ministère de la Culture) is the ministry of the Government of France in charge of national museums and the . Its goal is to maintain the French identity through the promotion and protection of the arts (visual, ...

designated it as one of the four

national theatres National Theatre or National Theater may refer to: Africa *Ethiopian National Theatre, Addis Ababa *National Theatre of Ghana, Accra *Kenya National Theatre, Nairobi *National Arts Theatre, Lagos, Nigeria *National Theatre of Somalia, Mogadishu *Na ...

of Paris.

History

The Théâtre national de Chaillot was built between 1934 and 1937 by the brothers Jean and Édouard Niermans for the Paris Exhibition of 1937 on the site of the former Trocadéro Palace, itself an elaborate structure built for the Paris World's Fair of 1878. Starting in 1973 the interior of the theatre was completely renovated by the team of Valentine Fabre and John Perrottet and now houses a theatre school and three theatre venues: the Salle-Jean Vilar with 1250 seats, the Salle Gémier with 420 seats, and an 80-seat studio dedicated to small productions and avant-garde shows. In 2007, France's Ministry for Culture under

Christine Albanel Christine Albanel (born 25 June 1955) is a French politician and civil servant. From May 2007 to June 2009, she was France's Minister for Culture and Communication in François Fillon's government. Early career Albanel is agrégé in classica ...

directed the Théâtre national de Chaillot to promote

contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in ...

—especially the work of French choreographers. This announcement was greeted by controversy and outright hostility in some quarters. Nevertheless, according to the Paris convention and visitors bureau, the Chaillot is dedicated to a presenting world class international dance, theatre, circus and visual arts—to being "a theatre that welcomes art in all its diversity". It regularly hosts international dance companies such as

The Forsythe Company The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of eighteen dancers based in Dresden and Frankfurt, Germany. It was founded in 2005 as The Forsythe Company by American choreographer William Forsythe following the closure of ...

, the

Royal Swedish Ballet The Royal Swedish Ballet is one of the oldest ballet companies in Europe. Based in Stockholm, Sweden, King Gustav III founded the ballet in 1773 as a part of his national cultural project in response to the French and Italian dominance in this fi ...

, and the Irish troop

Colin Dunne Colin Dunne (born 8 May 1968) is an English-Irish dancer and choreographer who is a leading figure in the world of traditional Irish dance, as well as a theatre actor and contemporary dancer. Best known internationally for his performances and c ...

. The Chaillot is a frequent venue of au courant fashion shows featuring top designers such as

Giorgio Armani Giorgio Armani (; born 11 July 1934) is an Italian fashion designer. He first gained notoriety working for Cerruti and then for many others, including Allegri, Bagutta and Hilton. He formed his company, Armani, in 1975, which eventually expande ...

Elie Saab Elie Saab ( ar, إيلي صعب; born 4 July 1964) is a Lebanese fashion designer. His main workshop is in Lebanon, with additional workshops in Milan and Paris. He started his business in the early 1980s and specialized in bridal couture (ex ...

, and

Claude Montana Claude Montana (29 June 1947 in Paris) is a French fashion designer. His company, The House of Montana, founded in 1979, went bankrupt in 1997. Early life and Design career Born in Paris in 1947 to a Catalan father and a German mother, Montana be ...

.New York Times, 20 March 1995
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Directors

Directors of the old theatre (demolished in 1935): * 1920–1933 Firmin Gemier * 1933–1935 Albert Fourtier Directors of the new theatre (rebuilt in 1937): * 1938–1939 Paul Abram * 1941–1951 Pierre Aldebert * 1951–1963

* 1963–1972

Georges Wilson Georges Wilson (16 October 1921 – 3 February 2010) was a French film and television actor. He was the father of French actor Lambert Wilson. Biography Wilson was born in Champigny-sur-Marne, Seine (now Val-de-Marne) as the illegitimate s ...

* 1973–1974 Jack Lang * 1974–1981 Andre-Louis Périnetti * 1981–1988

* 1988–2000

Jérôme Savary Jérôme Savary (27 June 1942 – 4 March 2013) was an Argentinian-French theater director and actor. His work has democratized and widened the appeal of musical theater in France, drawing together and blending such genres as opera, operetta, and m ...

* 2000–2008 Ariel Goldenberg * 2008–2011 Jose Montalvo and Dominique Hervieu * 2011–present Didier Deschamps

References

External links

* {{Authority control Theatres in Paris Buildings and structures in the 16th arrondissement of Paris Monuments and memorials in Paris Beaux-Arts architecture in France