The Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin (BOnR) is a distinguished French ballet company with deep roots in the cultural heart of Alsace. Founded in 1972 as the Ballet du Rhin, it was established alongside the Opéra national du Rhin and quickly developed into a significant regional force. In 1985 it became one of France's Centres Chorégraphiques Nationaux (CCN) — a designation reflecting its importance to the national dance landscape — and has carried its current name since 1998.
The company is permanently based in Mulhouse and has been led by nine artistic directors over its five decades, including Jean Babilée, Denis Carey, Peter Van Dyk, and Ivan Cavallari. Since 2017, Bruno Bouché — a former principal dancer at the Paris Opéra Ballet trained under Brigitte Lefèvre and exposed to Nureyev, Forsythe, and Pina Bausch — has led the company with intellectual rigour and an expansive artistic vision.
BOnR is notable as the only CCN in France that forms an integral part of an opera house, giving it a unique dual identity as both a creative laboratory and a repertory company. Under Bouché, the company has built a programme of original creation alongside canonical works, collaborating with leading contemporary choreographers and artists. It performs across the Alsace region and tours internationally to major European festivals and theatres.