Star choregrapher Benjamin Millepied said Thursday he was quitting Paris Opera Ballet after little over a year in charge of one of the world's grandest ensembles.

The former dancer -- who is married to Hollywood actress Natalie Portman -- had faced stiff resistence to his plans to radically reform the institution, a bastion of classical ballet tradition.

"I have decided to end my time as director of dance," he said in a statement, adding that he wanted to "concentrate 100 percent on creating" rather than on administration.