Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber Bring Dance Sensibility to Paris Opera’s ‘Satyagraha’
For choreographers Bobbi Jene Smith and Or Schraiber, transitioning from Maggie Gyllenhaal’s film, The Bride!, to Philip Glass’s opera Satyagraha, feels like a natural progression. The duo, known for their boundary-pushing work blending art forms, are making their Paris Opera debut with this new production, which opens April 10, 2026, at the Palais Garnier.
A Unique Approach to Opera
Smith and Schraiber’s involvement with Satyagraha began two years prior to its premiere, requiring them to deeply study Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King Jr., and the concept of nonviolent resistance. As noted in The New York Times, this is their first time directing an opera, a challenge they embraced by aiming for a unified language between choreography, dramaturgy, and all aspects of the production.
Collaboration and Creative Process
The choreographers emphasize the importance of collaboration, a philosophy honed through their work with diverse artists, including tap virtuoso Michelle Dorrance on The Bride!. They describe a process of building upon each other’s ideas, prioritizing the needs of the piece over individual contributions. Smith explains, “The piece is the magical thing that you are all taking care of. You have to let go of whose idea is better, because the best idea has to serve the piece.”
Their approach to working with performers, even those not traditionally trained in dance, involves revealing and supporting existing physicality. With Christian Bale and Jessie Buckley in The Bride!, they found inspiration in the actors’ physical presence and crafted movement to enhance their performances.
Satyagraha: A Timely Work
Satyagraha, with its Sanskrit libretto and themes of nonviolent resistance, is not a traditional biopic of Gandhi. Instead, it explores his political thought through the stories of those who influenced him – Leo Tolstoy, Rabindranath Tagore, and Martin Luther King Jr. The Paris Opera describes the work as “not simply a meditation on history, but a call to action and a forceful lesson that rings ever more true today.”
Performance Details
The production will run for eight performances from April 10 to May 3, 2026. The cast includes Anthony Roth Costanzo, Ilanah Lobel-Torres, Davóne Tines, Adriana Bignagni Lesca, Olivia Boen, Deepa Johnny, Amin Ahangaran, Nicky Spence, and Nicolas Cavallier. Ingo Metzmacher will conduct. Opera Online notes a youth preview will be held on April 7, 2026.
The duration of the opera is 3 hours and 20 minutes, with two intermissions, and will feature surtitles in French and English.
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