VR show whisks you away to fantastical world

IT IS hard not to rave about Le Bal De Paris (The Paris Ball), an immersive virtual-reality experience that can enchant even the most seasoned arts consumer. For 50 minutes, you’re whisked away to several dazzling locations, including a monumental palace, grand ballroom, large cabaret club and garden party, with a cast of over a thousand dressed in the chicest clothes. (Chanel is a sponsor and designer of the virtual costumes you get to wear.)  

At the centre of the musical is a love story involving a lovely young woman and the men pursuing her. But when you’re surrounded by mesmerising virtual scenery that is shifting every few seconds, the plot is almost beside the point. The technology allows you to walk around and explore the different spaces, making you the centre of this encounter, and every other character a secondary player.  

Unlike video games which you can experience alone, Le Bal De Paris is a participative and interactive group experience, in which the dancers and other guests come up to you and invite you to dance with them. This makes all the difference, because you actually feel the physical sensation of being with other human beings in the room. As their warm hands intertwine with yours during a dance, there is a tangible connection that’s missing in video game experiences.