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Heritage classified

Key figures

Origin and history

The École nationale de danse de Marseille is part of the history of the National Ballet of Marseille (BNM), founded in 1972 by choreographer Roland Petit at the initiative of Mayor Gaston Defferre. The company, first named Ballets de Marseille, performed with prestigious collaborations (Pink Floyd, Yves Saint Laurent, Mikhail Baryshnikov) before becoming the National Ballet of Marseille in 1981. In 1992, she invested a building designed by architect Roland Simonet, specially dedicated to her activities and those of the École nationale supérieure de danse, marking a key step for vocational training in dance in France.

The building, located 20 boulevard de Gabès, has been protected under the Historic Monuments since 5 September 2024 for its architecture and role in choreographic history. The BNM, which became the Centre chorégraphique national (CCN) in 1984, was directed by major figures such as Marie-Claude Pietragalla or (LA)HORDE (since 2019), perpetuating its artistic influence. Today the school forms dancers in a context linked to contemporary creation, in the heart of the Henri Fabre park, between Prado and Saint-Giniez.

Roland Simonet's architecture, sober and functional, reflects the needs of a place dedicated to both pedagogy and creation. The site, owned by the city of Marseille, symbolizes the alliance between modern heritage and cultural dynamism, in a region, the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, historically open to artistic avant-gardes. Recent protection (2024) underlines its importance in the French choreographic heritage.

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