The Colombian-French dancer shines in the Paris Opera Dance School's training program.

At 17 years old, Colombian-French dancer Susanna Emanuelle Fuquene Legendre was accepted a few weeks ago into the Paris Opera's National Dance School's summer training program at the advanced professional level. This achievement sets a precedent for dance in the country and represents a significant training opportunity at one of the most prestigious institutions in classical ballet.

Fuquene, born on May 27, 2008, is currently in her final year of pre-professional ballet training at Unicab University. At age 8, she began her training at the Atelier DancEstudio in La Calera. During her learning process, she has participated in intensive international courses in France, Chile, and the United States, allowing her to strengthen her technique and stage experience.

Among her most notable studies are her time at the Centre du Marais (2019), the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago (2022), So Dança In Motion, Ballet On, Latinoamérica Baila, the Municipal School of Santiago de Chile and her previous participations at the Paris Opera, at the advanced (2025) and higher (2024) levels.

EL TIEMPO spoke with the Colombian-French dancer about her experience in dance and her learning process.

Dance, for me, has always been a passion, a beautiful path from the very beginning. My true inspiration was my mother, a dancer, teacher, choreographer, and director of our school, Atelier DancEstudio. She has trained me since I was very young because she noticed a passion for dance in me. I started dancing for fun when I was 2 or 3, and then, starting when I was 7 or 8, I began to realize that this was my passion. Since then, I took dance more seriously and became more disciplined. I train from Monday to Saturday, with great rigor and perseverance, and every day I strive to improve myself to achieve my goals as a dancer.

To be honest, my family's support has come primarily from my mother. As I mentioned before, she's the one who pushes me to continually improve and advance in this discipline of dance. She knows the commitment required daily, so she supports me, gives me advice, and corrects me accordingly so I can progress every day.

I was accepted into the Paris National Opera's intensive summer workshop, at the advanced professional level. This workshop, which will take place from June 30th to July 12th, aims to perfect the steps one learns in dance. It's a way to complement the knowledge one has acquired.

Being able to participate in this workshop has been the result of many years of work. You have to be persistent and always improve. The training I receive at our school, where my mother teaches us using a 100 percent French technique, has also been fundamental. That training has given me the foundation to access these types of workshops. My preparation has come, above all, from perseverance, discipline, and the awareness that I have to improve every day.

I've been to France and Chile; this year I was in Chile, and last year I was at the Paris Opera for the summer workshop. One of the workshops that left the most impact on me was the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago workshop, which I attended in Medellín in 2022. There, guest teachers came from the United States to teach the workshop. Also, of course, was the summer workshop at the Paris National Opera, where I was able to learn directly from renowned French teachers, including ballet stars like Mademoiselle Élisabeth Platel, a very important international figure. This year, in Chile, I also had classes with dancers from the Paris National Opera, thanks to an agreement with the Municipal School of Santiago. I also attended the Centre de Danse du Marais in 2019. But the experiences that have most marked me professionally have been those in France and Chile.

There are many artists who inspire me, both in music and dance. In terms of music, I find classical and baroque composers like Jean-Baptiste Lully, who was the official composer to King Louis XIV (creator of classical ballet). I find his compositions beautiful and powerful. I'm also inspired by Chopin, Claude Debussy, Jean-Sébastien Bach, among others. I love listening to them, and they inspire me greatly to dance.

As for dance, I mainly love French dancers. The first one who inspired me was my mother, but then I discovered many others, like Sylvie Guillem, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Aurélie Dupont, all from the Paris National Opera, and, of course, Élisabeth Platel. Watching them dance inspires me so much. They are artists who allow me to dream big as a person and as a dancer in training.

As a Colombian-French woman, the best way for me to represent the country is by giving my best and always mentioning where I come from.

What this entails is continuing to overcome challenges. I'm at the advanced pro level, meaning the last level in this summer workshop, so I'll be facing great demands. My commitment is to constantly improve myself, as I already do in my classes.

The hardest part is learning to manage frustrations in the face of expectations we have as dancers. Despite that, you always have to give your best, constantly move forward and improve, not in comparison with others, but with yourself.

The summer workshop at the Paris National Opera School is a great opportunity to advance as a dancer. My future goals are to become a professional dancer and, later, to develop as a professional dancer in France.

ANGIE RODRÍGUEZ - LIFE TODAY EDITORIAL - @ANGS0614