François Alu, from the jury of "Dancing with the stars" to star dancer

François Alu is now in the Olympus of French dance.

The dancer of the Paris Opera, known as much for his virtuosity as his atypical side and former member of the jury of

, obtained the title of star on Saturday evening.

In accordance with tradition, the director of the Opera, Alexander Neef, accompanied by Aurélie Dupont, went on stage after a performance of

, where François Alu played the main male role, to announce this appointment.

“I invite you to attend now an exceptional and emotional moment in the life of our theatre”.

"On the proposal of Aurélie Dupont, director of dance, I have the great pleasure of appointing Mr. François Alu star dancer", he announced, to applause.

For his fans, he is "Alu-cinant"

The dancer, very moved, was given a long standing ovation by the public, his fellow dancers and the musicians of the orchestra.

"It's stellar!"

“, he reacted backstage at the Opéra Bastille.

“I don't realize, I think I should put my ideas back in place a bit;

there are a lot of mixed emotions”.

A favorite of the Ballet de l'Opéra audience who nicknamed him "Alu-cinant", François Alu, 28, joined the company in 2010 and, in four years, has experienced a meteoric rise, rising to the rank of "first dancer". (preceding the star title).

Since 2014, his fans have been indignant at not seeing him reach the supreme title and at being poorly distributed, some even launching a hashtag #AluEtoile on social networks.

If the dancers of the Opera are recognizable by their slender silhouette, François Alu is more athletic, and impresses with his pirouettes and his turns in the air.

"I have fairly developed thighs, I saw from the start that I didn't have my friends' legs," he confided in 2018.

A dance teacher mother

Originally from Fussy, near Bourges, he was encouraged at the age of three by his mother, a dance teacher, to take a class, although ballet did not initially attract him.

The love at first sight occurs at 10 years old, when he sees the star of the 1980s Patrick Dupond "jumping in all directions", in a documentary.

He also does not hide his rebellious side, refusing to be a "simple performer" of classic roles.

In September, he took a six-month leave from the Opera to join the

team and stage his first solo performance.

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