He dances for as far back as he can remember, and for three seasons now, through his art he has been delighting the spectators of the National Opera in Bucharest. Alexandre Plesis was born in France, in the city Le Havre in Normandy. To Romania he came three years ago, when he was hired in the corps de ballet of the National Opera in Bucharest. He came for the 2016-2017 season, and here we are in 2019, and he is still here. Furthermore, in the meantime he evolved in his career and he says that in our country roles more and more important await him.
Alexandre lives in Crângași, a quiet neighborhood in Bucharest. He gradually adjusted to the life in the Capital of Romania. He told us that, when he chose to move from France to Bucharest, he did it without having expectations or preconceived ideas. This attitude allowed him to discover the city step by step, day after day, and he had enough pleasant surprises.
„I like a lot that Bucharest has many parks. Some are big, as for instance Cișmigiu Park or Herăstrău Park, but there are many smaller ones. There is a park even in my neighborhood, in Crângaşi. I also like that Bucharest is an evolving city. As time goes by, although it has and it preserves its own identity, it opens up more and more to the world, and tries to improve all its qualities. It should continue doing this, because Bucharest is a city with potential. I also enjoy restaurants and coffee shops, the Old Center… What I do not like very much is the weather: either very hot or very cold…, but you get used to it…as the times go by,” told us the young artist.
The French ballet dancer claims that Bucharest is similar to any other Capital cities of the world: it has strong points, but also weak points. „I don’t own a car, but I do believe that traffic poses a problem to those who participate in it, as in any other Capital of in the world. At least in Paris it happens the same way,” added Alexandre.
He made himself a number of friends in our country, coming to know beautiful people, especially at his work place. Some of those close to him are from Romania, others are just as he is, foreigners, “adopted by Bucharest.”
When he has a little leisure time, he relaxes in nature, in one of the parks named above. When the weather does not allow that, it happens that many times he goes to a coffee shop in front of the National Opera, either by himself, in order to read, or to meet with friends. „I listen to music or I watch movies, in order to relax or to look for inspiration. I also work for personal projects that I conduct apart from the Opera,” specified Alexandre.
He takes friends visiting him from abroad to Cișmigiu Park or Crângași Park. Also, he takes them to the Old Center for dinner. He never misses showing them the Opera, which is a nice „office” to work in.
From Hip-Hop to Ballet
Alexandre Plesis loves dance forever, and before taking ballet classes, beginning at the age of 13, he received modern dance and hip-hop lessons. The first part of the preparation he made in his hometown, and at 17 he was accepted at “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse” in Paris (CNSMDP). Thus, for two years he studied in the Capital of France, and thereafter he moved to “Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse” in Lyon (CNSMDL), that he also graduated in 2015. At Bucharest he came in 2016, after he worked in two French ballet companies.
“Honestly, I do not quite know why I picked ballet. It was a need, the determination to serve this art, to express what you are not able in your own life, to touch and live something that is way above our human condition,” declared the young man.
Even though he is the product of the French School of Ballet, Alexandre Plesis developed professionally on the stage in Romania, where he grew up step by step. He is already demi-soloist of the National Opera in Bucharest, and this position allows him to make himself remarked both as a soloist, and in the corps de ballet.
“For the time being I dance both in soloist roles, and in the corps de ballet. This is a very good situation in order to evolve, since you are almost always on the stage. Also, there is a lot of work, and it necessitates discipline. My first ballet show on the stage of the National Opera in Bucharest was Don Quixote, where I played one of the dancers in Seguidilla. Subsequently, still in the Don Quixote Show I got the chance to work at my first soloist role in the company, Camacho,” declared to us the ballet dancer.
You can see Alexandre Plesis on the stage in various roles in “The Sleeping Beauty,” including in “Puss in Boots.” He also belongs to the “Carmina Burana” Choreography that Davide Bombana presented in May 2019 on the stage of The National Opera in Bucharest.
Author: Ștefania Enache
Photo: Corina Gheorghe
