Dancing to leave.
Building a life to stay.
Episode 40 · 49min 53sec
At 14, Éric leaves Biarritz for the Paris Conservatoire. At 21, he arrives in Oslo on a three-month contract. Forty years later, Norway is still home.
Watch in your language. English audio and multilingual subtitles are available on YouTube. If needed, choose Settings → Audio track → English. Turn on captions under Subtitles/CC. The original audio podcast is in French.
In this conversation
What happens
behind the stage.
Dance gave him a way out of a difficult childhood and a chance to build a life abroad. From his first roles in Oslo to becoming a soloist, Éric talks about the joy of dancing, the competition and the doubts that come with a career on stage.
Then comes life after performing: retiring from the stage at 41, teaching in different cities for around ten years, and eventually finding a lasting collaboration in Amsterdam while keeping his home in Norway. He also tells us about Dina, his Danish wife, and their new plans.
You have always been a human being on stage.
A compliment Éric received, which he shares in this episode.
01 · Leaving
Dance as a way out.
From Biarritz to the Paris Conservatoire, then the Ballet du Rhin and Oslo: a journey that starts with the need to leave.
02 · On stage
The work behind the dream.
Discipline, roles, relationships between dancers, and learning to find your place in a company.
03 · Passing it on
Another way to dance.
After a career on stage, supporting students and sharing what experience has taught him.
Our guest
Éric Viudès
A dancer and later a teacher, Éric had lived in Norway for forty years when we recorded this conversation. He shares his journey with the Norwegian National Ballet and the life he has built in Oslo.