London - Natalie Portman is moving to Paris.
The Thor beauty's husband Benjamin Millipied has been appointed the new director of dance at the Paris Opera Ballet, starting in September 2014, and he confirmed Natalie and their son Aleph, 18 months, will move to Paris with him when he starts the job.
Speaking about his surprise appointment, Benjamin told the New York Times: “I certainly knew about the position, but I also knew that there were candidates from within the company. I was surprised, but I felt very quickly that the artistic dialogue between us was an exciting one. After a while I did feel there was a really good chance I might get the position. Which made my head spin.”
While Benjamin admitted the decision to hire him over someone from within the company was unusual, he is confident he is the right man for the job.
He added: “I am not entirely a foreigner. I did grow up in France, and even though I didn’t go to the school or dance with the Paris Opera Ballet, I absorbed similar ideas in my training. I understand the scale of a big company. I danced for one for almost 20 years. I think it’s an asset that I have absorbed other traditions and had other experiences in the United States, which I can bring to the dancers here. But of course I have a lot to learn about this company and its very remarkable and specific qualities.” - Bang Showbiz