Choreographers Reimagine Philip Glass's "Satyagraha" for Paris Opera Premiere

In April 2025, acclaimed choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber will make their Paris Opera debut, directing and choreographing a production of Philip Glass's 1980 work "Satyagraha." The piece, which explores Mahatma Gandhi's devotion to peaceful resistance, will run for eight performances at the Palais Garnier from April 10 to May 3.

The couple, who met and fell in love as dancers at the renowned Batsheva Dance Company, have become known in the dance world for their boundary-pushing work that blends art forms. As founding members of the American Modern Opera Company, they have collaborated with a diverse array of artists, including frequent Glass interpreter Anthony Ross Costanzo, who will perform in the Paris production.

According to Smith, the decision to take on "Satyagraha" was an easy one, as the meditative, trance-like quality of Glass's score "overwhelms you and drives you and it does not let go." The choreographers aim to channel this energy through movement, drawing inspiration from Gandhi's philosophy of nonviolent resistance.

For Schraiber, the piece's themes of endurance, creativity, and standing firm for one's beliefs have deeply resonated, influencing his own artistic practice and daily life. The Paris Opera production will mark the couple's third collaboration with Glass's music, following previous works choreographed to his "Etude No. 8" and "String Quartet No. 5."