Paris Opera ballet Étoile Guillaume Diop starring at the Royal Swedish Opera

24-year-old Guillaume Diop from Paris is considered the fresh new face of French classical arts, that he embodies with charisma, elegance and modernity. After joining the Opéra National de Paris in 2018,  he made a quick ascent in the company’s hierarchy as he proved himself by replacing his elders on short notice in major roles of the classical repertoire, such as Romeo & Juliet, Don Quixote and La Bayadère. In 2023 he was finally appointed Principal dancer (Étoile) and since has had great success on stage as Drosselmeyer (The Nutcracker), Prince Siegfried (Swan Lake) or Albrecht (Giselle). This summer, he also participated in the opening ceremony of the Olympics in Paris.

For the first time, Swedish ballet audiences this autumn will have the chance to see Guillaume Diop on stage, starring in the leading role Gustav Badin in the new ballet Gustavia, with choreography created by Pär Isberg, recently awarded the Litteris et Artibus medal by the King, and script by Amir Chamdin, film director and musician known from the band Infinite Mass.

«I am very honored and excited to take my first steps on the Swedish stage with the magnificent Royal Swedish Ballet. The life of Gustav Badin is fascinating and I am very happy and grateful to be part of Gustavia and to help putting his story in the spotlight for the largest audience possible to discover it», says Guillaume Diop.

Gustavia tells the story of Gustav Badin, the unknown prince of Sweden, who was enslaved in the West Indies, at first arrived at the Swedish court as a gift and finally grew up together with the future King Gustav III. Gustavia will have its world premiere at the Royal Swedish Opera on October 18.