The double life of a ballet dancer and Harley-Davidson enthusiast

On stage, Vanessa Feuillatte embodies the grace of ballet; off stage, she slips on a leather jacket and roars down the roads of Bordeaux on her Harley^®

Vanessa Feuillatte is a principal dancer with the Bordeaux National Opera. She is also a passionate motorcyclist – someone who has always chosen movement in every sphere of her life.

“I started dancing when I was four,” she says. The words seem simple, but they express everything: her vocation, her consistency, her unwavering dedication to her art.

At eight, she joined a sports study programme at the Salle Pleyel in Paris; at 11 she entered the Paris Opera – hers was a childhood marked by high expectations and competition, “It was tough psychologically: I already had a strong personality, a bit rock ’n’ roll. I didn’t always fit the mould.”

But Vanessa is the sort of person who keeps dancing, even into the wind. She auditioned for choreographer Benjamin Millepied and for the London Ballet. She was accepted, yet she chose to walk away from it all. “I no longer recognised myself in that world. I needed things to make sense again.”

At 17, she began studying art therapy and psychology, took a course in applied foreign languages and enrolled at the Cours Florent drama school, before the Bordeaux National Opera crossed her path.

“I seized my opportunity. And, 23 years later, I’m still there!”

Now a principal dancer, Vanessa is proud of how far she has come. She’s involved with the French League Against Cancer’s blood donation campaigns and movement expression workshops in a women’s prison. She brings a rare human dimension to her art.

“I put my art at the service of others. That’s what I love most. It’s also what develops my artistic sense.”

The siren call of a bike engine
If the stage taught her discipline, the open road gave her space to be free. “At 18, I wanted to get my motorbike licence. For me, a bike of my own meant absolute freedom!”

But life had other plans – studies, a career and its constraints, plus a Harley-obsessed husband, who, concerned for her safety, talked her out of getting her own bike. “He told me that it was too dangerous, given my profession,” explains Vanessa. “I found it frustrating, but I understood.”

Years later, a road trip to the US changed everything. “I couldn’t stand riding on the back any more, with no control. When we got back, I told my husband, ‘David, I’m getting my licence.’”

In just six months, fitting lessons in between rehearsals, Vanessa got the coveted licence. She tried several Harleys before falling for the Sport Glide^®. “I chose it for its balance. It’s low, with a perfect centre of gravity. I felt confident on it straight away, and I’ve completely customised it,” she beams.

What attracts Vanessa to Harley-Davidson is the aesthetics and symbolism. “I’ve always loved Harley. Since the very start, it has been the only bike for me. There’s something profoundly artistic about the brand: the finish, the lines, the balance between strength and subtlety. It’s rock ’n’ roll, but it’s also feminine.”

From the stage to the open road
The two worlds couldn’t seem further apart: on the one hand, the grace and delicacy of tutus, on the other, the power of metal. And yet Vanessa draws a clear connection: “Freedom, adrenaline, taking risks: it’s the same whether you’re about to go on stage or hit the road. You feel that rush, that tension, that extreme concentration.”

For her, dancing and riding are part of the same quest to find the right movement, the balance between discipline and letting go. “On stage, you’re free to do it your way, to express your personality. When I’m riding alone through the vineyards around Bordeaux, it’s the same. There’s no one there – just the wind, the light, the sound of the engine. Everything comes together – like choreography.”

Even so, she doesn’t abandon her dancer’s discipline. “I remain very vigilant,” she says. “I always ride with all the gear, including an airbag. I understand the concept of risk. I don’t touch my bike during performance season because I don’t want to compromise a role.”

Caution doesn’t diminish her passion, quite the reverse. It nourishes a sense of respect and an awareness of her body and movement.

The challenges of a rock ’n’ roll ballerina
“I’m quite petite, and people often don’t believe me when I say I ride a Harley!” she smiles. “People think it’s great but unusual. And that’s exactly what I love.”

She remembers her first big ride with her husband. “He took me to the Basque Country, Spain, all the way to San Sebastián and Guéthary, France. I’d never ridden on the motorway before – there were trucks everywhere, and I was terrified!”

“I pushed myself beyond my limits. I love confronting my fears and turning them into pleasure,” she says.“ By the end of the trip, I felt free. With my Sport Glide, I’ve really found the bike for me. I feel at one with it.”

In 2027, Vanessa’s chapter at the Bordeaux National Opera will close, but she’s preparing for it calmly. “I’ll have more time to ride, go on outings with the ladies, develop my work with schools and other organisations.” Her bike will certainly help her through this transition.

Before that, she is focusing on her upcoming performance in Romeo and Juliet throughout December 2025. “I adore this role. Juliet is all passion, drive and crazy love. And I love Prokofiev’s music!”

When asked what she would like to say to the H.O.G.^® community, she doesn’t hesitate: “We all feel the need to prove ourselves, to show who we are. But, above all, you have to dare. Anything is possible with passion and love.”

She adds: “And I’d like to say to young people, ‘Come! Harley is such an open brand, so ahead of its time. Be curious, come and discover this world before going anywhere else!’” Her message perfectly encapsulates the Harley spirit: look beyond appearances, listen to your instincts and forge your own path.

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