Over the last 50 years, L’Occitane en Provence has crafted skincare, fragrances and home collections from botanical ingredients, forming a connection to nature that runs deep through every campaign and collaboration. As the Maison marks its milestone anniversary this year, it now reveals a new ballet project that tells the story of its culture from the soil to the soul.

Teaming up with French choreographer Angelin Preljocaj, who recently collaborated with Musée d’Orsay and Fondation Louis Vuitton, the project develops from his pioneering contemporary ballet portfolio. Preljocaj began by delving into the written work of L’Occitane en Provence founder Olivier Baussan. Touching on the Maison’s foundational gestures of sowing, cultivating and harvesting, these unseen excerpts – including The Subtle Alchemy of the Drip and The Metamorphosis of Matter – helped the choreographer understand its ethos and find similarities in ballet’s expressive movement.

“We share the same sensitivity to the subtle,” shared Baussan in a recent interview on the collaborative process behind the project. “He works with the movement of bodies; I work with plants and stories. Yet, deep down, we are both seeking to reveal something that isn’t immediately visible.”

The artistic dialogue between ballet and beauty evolved into a 20-minute dance piece titled D’un geste simple, translating to From a simple gesture. Set against the backdrop of lavender fields in Provence, France, the choreography interpreted the way L’Occitane en Provence harvests flowers and distills oils into products through bold moves.

Reflecting on the performance, Baussan went on to say, “Beauty often arises from slowness, from attention, and from repeated gestures. In an ever-accelerating world, this is an invitation to rediscover the rhythm of life. Here, language unfolds into body, light, and music, becoming a collective work. This is undoubtedly the most beautiful fate of a story: to no longer belong to the one who wrote it.”

Watch the full performance above or visit YouTube to go behind the scenes of the process.

Discover the Lavender Collection by heading to L’Occitane en Provence’s website or boutiques now. You can explore more about the Maison’s history on its dedicated page.