 Influential teachers of Platel were Pierre Lacotte, who worked with her in the Paris Opera School and Raymond Franchetti, who owned a studio where the budding dancer was able to watch professional artists taking class, among others soloists from the Paris Opera like Noëlla Pontois, or guest stars like Rudolf Nureyev.Élisabeth entered the corps de ballet of the Paris Opéra Ballet in 1976 as a "quadrille" at the age of 17.She advanced quickly to successive ranks of the company's hierarchy.