A ballet on a "Robert le Diable" theme was danced in Paris before Her Highness Mlle de Longueville in 1652. "The Ballet of the Nuns" however was something entirely new in concept to audiences on the ballet's opening night. Henri Duponchel, managing director of the Paris Opéra, was in charge of visual effects at the Opéra. He wanted to demonstrate the venue's recently installed gas lighting. Its reflectors produced a stronger, more keenly directed light than ever before. Working with him was Pierre Ciceri, chief scenery designer. Ciceri was inspired by either the Saint-Trophime cloister in Arles or the cloister of Monfort-l'Amaury for the ballet's moonlit setting.