The Journal
On ballet, opera & the journey
Travel guides, work explainers and company stories — written by hand, to help you fall for a performance and plan the trip around it.
Travel guide · 7 min
A Ballet Weekend in Paris
How to plan two perfect days in the French capital around its greatest stage — the Palais Garnier — and make a true night of it.
Read →Work explainer · 6 min
Swan Lake, explained: a first-timer’s guide
The story, the score, and the famous white-and-black swan — everything a newcomer needs to fall for the most beloved ballet ever made.
Read →Work explainer · 6 min
Giselle, explained: love, betrayal and the Wilis
The Romantic ballet that turned heartbreak into something eternal — a peasant girl, a deceiving nobleman, and a moonlit army of jilted brides.
Read →Company story · 6 min
Inside The Royal Ballet: A Balletomane’s Guide to Covent Garden
Britain’s flagship classical company keeps house at the Royal Opera House. Here is what gives it its style, its stature, and why an evening there is a pilgrimage.
Read →Travel guide · 5 min
Your First Night at the Ballet: What to Expect
A newcomer’s guide to the evening — when to applaud, what to wear, how the curtain falls, and how to let the art simply wash over you.
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