Marion Barbeau was born in 1991 in
Nogent-sur-Marne, in the
Val-de-Marne department. Her father was a dentist. She began practicing dance at the age of six, studying at a school in
Fontenay-sous-Bois. After studying at the
Conservatoire de Paris, she entered the ballet school of the
Paris Opera Ballet in 2002. In 2008, at the age of 17, she joined its
corps de ballet. In 2019, she became a
première danseuse (first dancer). In addition to her classical repertoire she gradually embraced
contemporary dance. In her evolution, which began under the guidance of
Benjamin Millepied, she was encouraged by
Aurélie Dupont, director of the Paris Opera Ballet since 2016, who included many non-classical productions in her repertoire. Barbeau credited her experience with Israeli choreographer
Hofesh Shechter, who she met at the Paris Opera in 2018, as the "real turning point" in her journey into the contemporary genre. Shechter's piece
The Art of Not Looking Back entered the Paris Opera Ballet's repertoire in 2018, and was recorded for video by director
Cédric Klapisch. In 2022 Barbeau appeared in the leading role in Cédric Klapisch's film
Rise, about a dancer who, after sustaining an injury, becomes passionate about contemporary dance. For her performance, Barbeau received nominations for the
César Award for Most Promising Actress and
Lumière Award for Best Female Revelation. ==Filmography==