CHOREA2022

The National Academic Theatre of Opera and Ballet in Lviv opened for the first time on October 4, 1900. The premiere of the opera Janek on the life of the Carpathian highlanders was attended by writer H. Sienkiewicz, composer J. Paderewski, and delegations of theatres from all over Europe. The intention was to build a large theatre of national importance in the west of Ukraine.

The first opera performance at the then Grand City Theatre took place in 1921 and it was Swan Lake by P.I. Tchaikovsky.

In 1939, the theatre was renamed the Lviv State Theatre of Opera and Ballet, and artists from the leading USSR art schools began to join its ranks. At that time, the repertoire of the theatre began to expand to include works by Ukrainian composers. The theatre continued to function even during World War II.

During the post-war period, the repertoire of the theatre grew also thanks to the works of domestic, Ukrainian composers like M. Lysenko, M. Verikivsky, B. Lyatoshynsky and others. The works of Russian composers such as e.g. P. Tchaikovsky or N. Rimsky-Korsakov also played an important role.

From 1956, the theatre name has featured Ivan Frank (renamed to commemorate the centenary of his birth). And since 1961, when it gained its academic status, the name of the theatre has been renamed. In 2000, when the theatre celebrated 100 years of its existence, it got the name of Lviv’s native and exceptional soprano Solomiya Krushelnytska, and after five years, the President of Ukraine awarded the theatre the title “national”. Over the past 20 years, the National Academy of Opera and Ballet has successfully performed in China, Spain, Mexico, Portugal, Switzerland, England, France, Austria, and Poland.

INNA KLYUCHNYK

She is a solo ballet dancer at the National Opera in Lviv.

She received her dance education at Kyiv National I.K. Karpenko-Kary theatre and she graduated from university as a director of classical ballet for cinema and television University

She danced various solo parts in world-famous ballets as Giselle (Mirtha, friends of Giselle), Don Quixote (street dancer, friends of Kitry, the queen of driads), Swan Lake (pas des trois, big swans, brides), La Bayadere (pas d’action, trio of shadows, Indian dance), Nutcracker (Spanish dance), Esmeralda (solo of gypsies, queen of the night), Le Corsair, and many others.

SERHIV VOLODYMYROVYCH KACHURA

He is a ballet artist, ballet solo dancer and Honoured Principal Dancer at the National Opera Lviv.

He studied at Kyiv State Choreographic College and received a bachelor’s degree at Lviv National University of Ivan Franko. Then he continued his studies at Luhansk National University of Taras Shevchenko, where he graduated with a master’s degree.

During his professional career he worked as a classical ballet teacher, he also choreographed for various artists and performed numerous solo roles in the world-famous ballets, as Swan Lake, Gizelle, Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Le Spectre de la rose, Esmeralda, Romeo and Juliet, Carmen-suite, Hamlet ” and many others.

The mission of the Compañía Nacional de Danza is to promote and divulge the art of dance and dance repertoire to a broad audience. This means consolidating a stable company, open to all dance styles, choreographic languages and different movement arts in general, embracing both Spanish and international creations. All this aims to draw in new audiences and to boost the company’s reach and scope at home and abroad. And it will be carried out within a framework of complete artistic and creative freedom.

All this is guided by the principles of quality service for citizens and professional excellence, involving interest-group participation and a drive to educate, while ensuring efficient use of resources. The approach is underlined by the onward preservation, dissemination and performance of this invaluable and intangible heritage that is dance.

Aleix Mañé is a dancer from Tarragona, where he began his studies at the official Artemi dance center. In 2001 he entered the Institut del Teatre de Barcelona. Then, in 2003, he was awarded a scholarship at the Roseta Mauri International Competition bringing him to move to the Royal Professional Conservatory of Dance in Madrid. In 2006 he joined the Compañía Nacional de Danza under the direction of Nacho Duato.

Brussels International Ballet, founded in 2005 by Anderson Santana in Brussels (Belgium) has become one of the most renowned ballet groups and schools in Europe, a well-known destination for some of the most talented students from Europe, America, Japan, Latin America, Canada, and Australia.

The company’s mission is to provide the very finest dance education to serious, talented ballet students, and to offer them every opportunity to explore and discover their greatest individual artistic potential in the preparation for a professional career. A passion for dance is something they put a great deal of emphasis on strengthening and developing. The group wishes to transmit to the dancers the passion, the enthusiasm, the pride, and the professionalism.

Brussels International Ballet has been organising the largest international Summer Intensive Programs in Brussels since 2013. BIB also hosted and coordinated the semi-finals of YAGP and VKIBC in 2013 and 2015.

The company has been staging great ballet productions (The Nutcracker, Giselle, Swan Lake) since the creation of the Professional Training Program of the company (2013), where students have the unique opportunity to work together with renowned guest soloists from different countries, gaining an invaluable experience that will help grow their confidence and improve their team-working skills.

ANDERSON SANTANA

Born in Rio de Janeiro in Brazil, he began his professional career with the Ballet Municipal de Campinas in Brazil, and danced as soloist in Don Quichotte, Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo & Juliette.

Following the invitation of Maurice Béjart, he travelled to Europe where he worked with the Scala Theatre in Switzerland, then joined the European tour of “West Side Story” and “Jesus Christ Superstar” with the Broadway Musical Company from New York. In the following years he worked with The Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium, dancing classical and neo-classical repertoires such as Don Quichotte, La Sylphides, Swan Lake, works of Jiří Kylián, and others. He also worked with the Ballet du Nord and the Royal Ballet of Wallonia.

He worked as a classical ballet teacher in Boston and studied the Maria Fay method in New York. From 1999, he made various creations for professional academies and solos for dancers, and in 2005 he created the choreographies for Praga Khan’s “The Next Dimension”.

In 2005, driven by his enthusiasm, energy, and desire to convey his passion for dance, he founded Brussels International Ballet (BIB) in Brussels, Belgium.

He is regularly invited to various international dance competitions in Europe, in the United States and in Asia as member of juries.

CLÉMENT GUILLAUME

He began his dance studies at the Christian Conte Martine Chaumet Choreographic Center. He is a graduate of the Dutch National Ballet Academy, where he studied under dance masters such as Grigory Chicherin, Rinat Gizatulin, Olivier Wecxsteen, Jean-Yves Esquerre.

He is a finalist in the Perm Ballet Competition Arabesque and the holder of the gold medal of the Valentina Kozlova International Ballet. He was also awarded at a ballet competition in New York with the role of Dancing Peasant pas de deux variation, Satanella,

In the years 2017 – 2021 he worked as the first soloist of the Columbia Classical Ballet, USA.

Since December 2021 he has been working in the Brussels International Ballet under the direction of Anderson Santana.

IRENE ESTÉVEZ HERNÁNDEZ

She graduated from the Malaga Conservatory, where she studied classical ballet. She is a graduate of the College of Performing Arts in Málaga, where she studied classical and modern ballet as well as jazz. She also studied at the Royal Academy of Dance and at the Dance Centre in Torremolinos. She also completed a number of shorter dance courses under the guidance of many important dance masters.

In the years 2018-2020 she graduated from the Ballet Academy of the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow under the direction of Vera Nikolaevna Kulikova and Maya Evgenievna Ivanova.

She is a semi-finalist of the Youth America Grand Prix 2017 (Paris). She won the European Ballet Grand Prix in Vienna. She is a finalist in contemporary dance at the European Ballet Grand Prix and in 2017 she was a semi-finalist of the Václav Nižinskij competition. She won two awards at the EVITA Madonna Gala.

He has been working in the Brussels International Ballet since 2021.

GUSTAVO PEDRO

He studied at the Alice Arj Dance School. In the years 2018-2021 he graduated from the Cia de Ballet to Rio de Janeiro. He completed a ballet course at the Ballet School in Miami.

In his dance repertoire we can find classical ballets such as Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Don Quixote, or The Nutcracker, as well as several productions of modern ballet.

He has been working in the Brussels International Ballet since 2022.

The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is a contemporary dance ensemble of the highest standard under the artistic direction of choreographer Jacopo Godani. The company develops, presents and communicates dance with the goal of connecting people, inspiring them and increasing their enthusiasm for dance. It is the company-in-residence at two performance venues, HELLERAU – European Centre for the Arts in Dresden and Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt am Main. As an internationally celebrated ensemble, it also gives guest performances around the world.

The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company’s distinctive style uniquely combines venerable traditions and contemporary ideas. Its repertoire consists largely of choreographies by Jacopo Godani, although renowned guest artists such as Marco Goecke and Rafael Bonachela regularly create works for the company. Milestones of contemporary ballet, such as those by William Forsythe, are also preserved and performed.

The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company views itself as an artistic, social and cultural platform for contemporary ballet. It collaborates with educational institutions and prestigious national and international cultural organizations. It also engages in a wide range of educational and outreach activities, including workshops, talks and digital offerings, which provide cultural and aesthetic experiences to everyone regardless of heritage, social background, education, age or physical condition.

In 2015, the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company was formed from the independent ensemble The Forsythe Company. Founded by William Forsythe in 2005 as a successor to Ballet Frankfurt, The Forsythe Company became one of the world’s most renowned dance ensembles. Ten years later, as of the 2015/2016 season, Jacopo Godani was appointed Artistic Director and since then the group has performed as the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. The name is an expression and acknowledgment of the unique cross-state support the company receives – from the State Capital of Dresden and the Free State of Saxony, and from the City of Frankfurt am Main and the State of Hessen.

The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company adheres to the values-based Code of Conduct published on October 28, 2021 by the Deutsche Bühnenverein, Germany’s national theater and orchestra association. The aim of the code is to promote a culture of free and respectful interactions at artistic organizations.

JACOPO GODANI

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER

Internationally acclaimed choreographer Jacopo Godani was born in La Spezia, Italy, where he began studying classical ballet and modern dance techniques in 1984 at the Centro studi Danza under the direction of Loredana Rovagna. He also pursued studies in visual arts at the Academy of Art in Carrara, and continued his studies at Maurice Béjart’s international dance centre Mudra in Brussels.

Godani made his professional debut in 1988 performing with several Paris-based contemporary dance companies. In 1990, Godani formed his own Brussels-based company and began his choreographic career. From 1991 to 2000, Godani has been a leading soloist with William Forsythe’s Ballet Frankfurt and has collaborated with Forsythe on the choreographic creation of many of Ballet Frankfurt’s most representative pieces.

Godani developed his career as a choreographer creating original works for a vast range of international companies such as Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Nederlands Dans Theater, Royal Danish Ballet, Semperoper Ballett, Sydney Dance Company, “The Project” Israeli Opera & Susanna Dellal Centre, Het Nationale Ballet, Aterballette, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballett.

Jacopo Godani has been appointed as Artistic Director and Choreographer of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company beginning with the 2015/2016 season.

Godani’s work is sophisticated while remaining highly physical and raw. He uses the collective working as one organism in a highly articulated way. Godani conceives all stages of work from the initial choreography through to designing the spaces, objects, environments and stage settings where his actions take place, writes text and concepts for his dramaturgical work, styles the image of interpreters conceiving costumes, engineers and develops innovative ways of using lighting, video and projections, and creates/edits music for some of his pieces. Godani formed a team of like-minded professionals to collaborate on the development of original ideas applied to all fields that require a creative and innovative concept to reflect the progressive perspective of our contemporary world.

BARBORA KUBÁTOVÁ

Born in Trnava, Slovakia. She studied at the dance conservatory of Eva Teplá-Jaczová in Bratislava, graduating in 2006. In the following years she danced at the Slovak National Theatre and became a soloist there. She has participated in summer dance workshops in Wolfsegg am Hausruck and in Berlin. From 2013-2015 she was a member of the Finnish National Ballet. During her career, she has had the opportunity to perform in ballets and choreographies by George Balanchine, Marius Petipa, John Cranko, Uwe Scholz, Jiří Kylián, Patrice Bart, Heinz Spoerli and Jerome Robbins. She has also worked with choreographers such as Vladimir Malakhov, James Kudelka, Lukas Timulak, Giorgio Madia, Paul Lightfoot, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo and Jacopo Godani. She joined the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company in summer 2015.

TARS VANDEBEEK

Tars Vandebeek was born in Ghent, Belgium. He was trained at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp and joined the Cannes Jeune Ballet in 2011 and in the same season the Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart. From 2013 until 2018 Tars was a member of Ballett Zürich. Tanz magazine featured him as “newcomer” in the November 2014 issue for his performance as Lewin in Anna Karenina, this main role was created on him by Christian Spuck. Throughout his career he performed in works by John Cranko, George Balanchine, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, León&Lightfoot, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Wayne McGregor, Mauro Bigonzetti, among others. He also danced in new creations by Aleksei Ratmansky, Marco Goecke, Douglas Lee, Edward Clug, Jiří Bubeníček, Cayetano Soto, Filipe Portugal and Juliano Nunes. In August 2018 Tars started working as a freelance dancer where he performed as a guest with Hong Kong Ballet amongst others. Since June 2019 he is a member of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company.

FELIX BERNING

Born in Datteln, Germany. He began his dance training at the Gymnasium Essen-Werden. In 2014, Felix enrolled at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, where he studied classical, contemporary and improvisational dance techniques. During his time in Dresden he appeared in works by Jiří Kylián, Andreas Heise and Felix Landerer, among others. In 2017 Felix completed his studies, receiving his Bachlor of Arts in Dance. He joined the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company in August 2016.

The Oper Graz is the second biggest opera house in Austria. Designed by Ferdinand Fellner and Herman Helmer in the neo-baroque style. The ballet of the Oper Graz which currently has 18 members and under the direction of Beate Vollack since season 2018/19 is usually creating four ballet productions per season.

One of the important directors of the ballet was for example Waclaw Orlikowsky, who worked in Graz from the seventies to 1990, he has gained special importance for the cultural life of the Styrian capital Graz, but also national and international recognition.

Over the years the ballet worked with international guest choreographers together as Heinz Spoerli, Peter Schaufuss, Edward Clug and many more.

The company stands artistically for variety and new creations specially made for the dancers.

Lucie Horná was born in Czech Republic, where she started her ballet education. From 2006 she continued her education at the Vienna Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera, where she graduated in 2016. From the next season on she joined the Junior Company of the Vienna State Opera where she was able to support the company of the Vienna State Opera in various performances. Her second engagement took her to the south bohemian ballet where she performed her first solo roles. From the season 2018/19 she is member of the Ballet of Oper Graz. In those four seasons she has been seen in various debuts as a principal such as: Cinderella, Clara in „Sandmann“ or the Maidon „The Death and the maidon“.

Christoph Schaller was Born in Vienna, Austria, where he attended the ballett academy of Vienna Staatsoper. He graduated in 2015 and joined the junior company. A year later he started working at the Bavarian Junior Ballett in Munich where he danced various ballets such as; Spartacus, Alice in wonderland, Corsair, allegro brillante and more.

After his stay in Munich he was a one season in the South bohemian Ballet before he joined the Ballett of Oper Graz where he performed in the productions, such as Cinderella as Prince Philipp and Undine as Parlemon.

Paulio Sovari has now been dancing for 2 decades, across the world from New York (The Juilliard School) to Berlin (StaatsballetBerlin). He is currently dancing with Oper Graz in his 4th season under the direction of Beate Vollack.

As well as being a dancer, Paul takes photographs for the company (head shots, annual seasonal book images, ballet school highlights) and has had his work published in magazine articles, has been interviewed online for numerous publications in Russia, USA, Spain and Germany, and had his inaugural photography exhibition with a Vernissage in the heart of Brussels in 2018.

Budapest Dance Theatre – founded in 1991 by the Harangozó- and Jeszenszky-award winning choreographer and dance artist, Béla Földi, who is also a receiver of the Republic of Hungary’s Knight Cross of Merit and the winner of the Best Creator of the Season in 2017, as well as being a ‘For the Art of Dance Award’ winning dance educator – is one of the most prominent companies of Hungary’s contemporary dance scene.

Since 2017 the artistic director of the company has been Alexandra Sághy, who in 2018, received the Best Creator of the Season Award from the Association of Hungarian Dance Artists for her piece titled Three Sisters, choreographed for Budapest Dance Theatre.

The company has been receiving government subsidies towards its running costs since 1997. Since 2016 it has been regarded as an outstanding category dance company.

Every year it averages 50 performances; children’s-, youth-introduction to dance theatre pieces and adult performances organized by the National Dance Theatre.

The company regularly performs in the most prestigious theatres of Budapest and other cities (for example, MÜPA, Várkert Bazár, National Theatre of Pécs), as well as participating at the most prominent dance festivals in the country, acquiring numerous professional acknowledgements.

Since December 2011, the company has had its own studio in Budapest, the DEPO Studio.

The constant team building at the company ensures that it is not just an experimental workshop project, but also a company with ample repertoire, which has been operating at the highest artistic standards in Hungary’s professional dance world for more than 30 years.

The high professional standards of the company are evident through their cooperation with several Hungarian and international choreographers, as well as their regular guest performances abroad, at highly regarded venues and festivals all across Europe and overseas, representing Hungary’s and Budapest’s reputable, rich and colourful cultural heritage.

Budapest Dance Theatre also provides significant educational work. The versatile training includes classical ballet, modern, contact, release and contemporary techniques. The company’s dance artists are trained by Béla Földi, the company’s director, improving the dancers’ physical stamina and technical ability day by day.World-renowned dance teachers and artists also work with the company in course and workshop settings.

The Company’s repertoire includes several adult-, youth-, and children’s performances, putting great emphasis on educating young people, so they can become culture loving and understanding audiences in the future. For the performances, the great classics of the music world are often used in order to promote classical music too.

Alexandra Sághy (HU)Artistic director

2006 – Dancer with Budapest Dance Theatre

2017 – Artistic Director for Budapest Dance Theatre

Education

Semmelweis university, faculty in physical Education and sports science – Full time teacher training under graduate course in health education 2008

Hungarian National Dance academy – Dance Teacher 2007

Awards, Scholarships

2013 Best Female Dance Artist of the season Award

2016 Viktor Fülöp, dance artist award

2017 Viktor Fülöp, dance artist award

2018/19 Hungarian National Dance Academy – Young Artisit Scholarship

2019 Best Choreographer Award of the season, for her piece; Three Sisters

2022 Best Choreographer Award of the season, for her piece; See You In The Air!

Damien Ledenon (FR)

2020 – Dancer with Budapest Dance Theatre

Education

2018-2020 University of Toulouse –Jean Jaurès, Bachelor of Arts in dance, pedagogy and interpretation

2016-2020 Centre Ismael Aboudou, Jazz Dance Teacher Diploma

Centre Chorégraphique James CARLES, Institut Supérieur des arts de Toulouse

2012-2016 Studio 72 (Reunion Island), Jazz Dance Class

This year, the Bucharest National Opera is celebrating 100 years since its institutionalization.

In its 100 years of existence, the Bucharest National Opera has become an essential component of cultural and musical life and is a benchmark of the general level of art reception, even more now as the late 20th and early 21st centuries facilitate public access not only to performances, but also to sound recordings. and online broadcasts of major shows.

The Bucharest National Opera can only exist in close contact with the public, with requirements characteristic of each era. Through this dialogue, values were sorted within 100 years, priorities and repertoire performances were defined with discoveries, memories and fidelity, with a love for tradition and the public.

The opera continues to exist and attracts people, whether through a mirage of music, poetic or dramatic interpretations, or vocal expressions.

GIGEL UNGUREANU

He graduated from the Choreography High School in Cluj – Napoca in 1995. He has won numerous prizes, including the first prize at the National Ballet Competition in 1994 and the Silver Medal in the International Ballet Competition “Oleg Danovski” in 1997. he continued his studies within the University of Sciences and Arts “Gheorghe Cristea” – Choreography Section.

In 1997 he becomes first – soloist of the “Oleg Danovski” Ballet Theater in Constanța, where he works until 2006. During this period he dances in the shows: Mozartissimo, Requiem (Verdi), Steps (Steve Crosby and Barry Upton) – choreography: Gigi Căciuleanu; Seasons, Storm – choreography Sergiu Anghel; Carmen, The Miraculous Mandarin,Swan Lake,Sleeping Beauty – choreography Oleg Danovski.

In 2006 he joins the ballet company of the Bucharest National Opera as a first soloist and dances in the main roles in the shows: Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, “Cinderella”, “Corsair”, “Don Quixote”, “Giselle”, “Casanova”, “Anna Karenina”, “Women”, “Serenade”, “Tango. Radio and Juliet ”and the Fantastic Symphony (Gigi Căciuleanu).

As a first soloist he has collaborated with prestigious institutions such as the “Oleg Danovski” Ballet Theater in Constanta, the Iasi National Opera in the shows: “The Nutcracker”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “La Fille mal gardée”, the National Opera Cluj-Napoca, Timişoara National Opera, Brasov National Opera and “Radu Stanca” National Theater in Sibiu.

From 2016 to 2020 he held the position of Ballet Director of the Bucharest National Opera.

JULIA BARO CLAVERIA

Julia Baro Claveria, born in Barcelona (Spain), started her dance training at the age of 4.

In 2014 she joined the English National Ballet School in London with Samira Saidi and Tamara Rojo as artistic directors.

Whilst training at ENBS she worked with the English National Ballet on their production of ‘The Nutcracker’ (2016) and the Birmingham Royal Ballet on their national tour performing in David Bintley’s ‘Cinderella’ (2017).

She graduated in 2017 to join the Bucharest National Opera House as a demi-soloist member, under the Direction of Renato Zanella, and her repertoire includes Odalisque in ‘Le Corsaire’, White Cat and Generosity Fairy in ‘The Sleeping Beauty’ (Vasily Medvedev); Flower Girl in ‘Don Quixote’, 6 Girlfriends, Mona and Zulma in ‘Giselle’, Solo D’Jampe (Mihai Babushka); Spanish Bride in ‘Swan Lake (George Iancu); Spanish Dance in ‘The Nutcracker’ (Oleg Danovsky), Blue couples in ‘Opus 73’ (Renato Zanella), Solveig in ‘Peer Gynt (Davide Bombana) among others.

Her most recent leading roles are,

‘Mercedes’ in Don Quixote

‘Juliet’ in Romeo and Juliet

‘Evil Queen’ in Snow White

‘Empress Alexandra’ in Rasputin by Yuka Oishi

‘Blind Tango’ By Edward Clugg

Since joining ONB, she has also danced with Polunin Ink as a soloist in ‘Fraudulent Smile’ and as ‘Cindy’ in ‘Little Red and the Wolf’ by Ross Freddie Ray ‘Pas de Quatre’ in Romeo & Juliet by Johan Kobborg at The Royal Albert Hall and the Arena Di Verona.

She also danced the lead role alongside Sergei Polunin in the ballet ‘Satori’.

The Balletto di Roma Company has always promoted the production and diffusion of the Italian “auteur” dance in Europe and in the world, with a repertoire focused nowadays on innovation and research, though maintaining a strong attention to the history and tradition that have made it well-known.

Balletto di Roma was founded in 1960, from an artistic partnership between two icons of Italian dance: Franca Bartolomei and Walter Zappolini. During the course of its 62-year existence, Balletto di Roma has witnessed many prestigious collaborations and many creative souls, so that the productive activity has increased both in terms of quantity and quality of the staged works during the seasons, with a growing consensus of audience. Over the years, the company has built a highly technically and interpretatively skilled ensemble, producing repertoire of significant artistic value while hosting numerous choreographers, including many young developing artists. The current artistic profile is a product of the executive vision of Luciano Carratoni who has directed the company since the early 2000’s. As the group expanded, a fruitful synergy developed between 2001 and 2007 with artistic director Cristina Bozzolini. New choreographies, developed by acclaimed contemporary artists, forged a path that culminated with the 2012 inauguration of a new headquarters where the production expertise of the Company and the educational activities of the School of Balletto di Roma directed by Paola Jorio were combined. In 2015, Balletto di Roma entrusted itself to the guidance of contemporary dance festival director and international project curator Roberto Casarotto. Between 2018-2020 the general manager Luciano Carratoni enacted a significant generational turnover at the top of the organization by nominating Francesca Magnini for the position of artistic director. The new appointment consolidated past work and expanded the company’s internationalization goals by involving many institutions active in an important process of growth that has allowed to conjugate at its best tradition with innovation and to develop the presence of the Company in Europe and in the world. Among the strongest collaborations is one with the Department of History, Anthropoly, Religion, Art and Performing Arts of the University of Rome “La Sapienza”, which still aims to foster projects that unite the elements of dance and theatre training to produce live performances. Among the recently successful closed European projects: “UP2Dance_updating professional profiles towards contemporary dance” (Erasmus+, 2019–2021) and “CLASH! When classic and contemporary dance collide and new forms emerge” (Creative Europe, 2018-2020), a network of selected partners with the goal of sharing ideas and artists in Europe, creating audience development strategies and new culture-driven business models.

Paolo Barbonaglia

Born in Robbio in 1997, Paolo Barbonaglia began his dance studies in his hometown and since 2011 at the “Artedanza Training Center” of Novara, directed by Barbara Gatto, studying classical, modern and contemporary technique. During his specialization, he trained in classical dance with Alexandru Frunza, Bella Ratchinskaya, Elisabetta Terabust, Carla Fracci, Raffaele Paganini; in contemporary technique with Barbara Gatto, Francesca Frassinelli, Mauro Astolfi, Lukas Timulak, Emanuele Soavi. He won the international competitions “YAGP PARIS 2017”, “Rieti Danza Festival” and “Città di Spoleto”. Then he has some television experiences, such as “Amici di Maria De Filippi 15” and as a professional dancer in the program “Stasera Casa Mika”. He was also selected as a model for a “Levi’s 501” fashion show in Milan. Among his experiences he danced at the Pinacoteca Di Brera in Milan, in June 2017, in the choreographies of Matteo Bittante; he has done several workshops with European companies such as “Malandain Ballet Biarritz”, “Ballet Junior de Genève (BJG)” and “Delattre Dance Company (DDC)”. In 2018 he joined the Company of Balletto di Roma, where he has interpreted many important roles, such as Romeo in “Giulietta e Romeo” by Fabrizio Monteverde (2018), Iago in “Othello” by F. Monteverde (2018) and joined productions such as “Arcaico” by Davide Bombana (2018), “Io, Don Chisciotte” by F. Monteverde (2019), “L’Albero dei Sogni” by Valerio Longo (2019), “Premiére” by Andrea Costanzo Martini (2020) and “Astor, one century of Tango” by Valerio Longo (2021).

Francesco Moro

Born in Ceglie Messapica (Brindisi), he began his studies at the dance school directed by Luisa Sardelli. In 2013 he received a scholarship for the School of Balletto di Toscana, where he studied with Frédéric Oliveri, Paola Vismara, Francesca Caroti, Rafael Darder, Monica Caturegli, Cristiana Sciabordi, Francesco Nappa, Giuseppe Spota, Oliver Lucea, Stefania Di Cosmo, Eugenio Scigliano, Sabrina Vitangeli. He dances the role of Mercutio in the production “Romeo and Juliet” choreography by Davide Bombana and in “Giselle” by Eugenio Scigliano with the Junior Balletto di Toscana Company. He later plays the role of Narcissus in Davide Bombana’s “Galatea’s Myths” for Dance Cyprus. In 2016 he joined the DCE Company directed by Daniele Cipriani, where he danced the main and solo roles for three seasons in all major productions. In 2017 he participates in the “Notte della Taranta”, in Melpignano, where he interprets the choreography of Luciano Cannito. In 2018 he received the “Europa in Danza” Award for the interpretation of the main role in “Mediterranea” by Mauro Bigonzetti, DCE production. In 2018 he works in Germany at Theater Nordhausen. In the 2019/2020 season he joined the company of Balletto di Roma dancing in full evening productions such as “Arcaico” by Davide Bombana (2018), “Premiére” by Andrea Costanzo Martini (2020) and “Astor, one century of Tango” by Valerio Longo (2021).

In 1947, Dame Ninette de Valois, the founder of the British Royal Ballet was officially invited to Turkey with the aim of establishing the Turkish Ballet. In 1948, she established the first official academic based ballet school in Istanbul, which was moved to Ankara in 1950 and created a division in the State Conservatory. In 1949, the State Theatres was established by law, covering the arts of theatre, opera and ballet. In 1970, the State Opera and Ballet was independently established by virtue of its “Inauguration Law” as the cultural reflection of the new contemporary Turkish society born in 1923.

Today, Directorate General of State Opera and Ballet looks like a huge art factory through the activities of Opera and Ballet Directorates properly funded and coordinated under its roof in six different cities of Ankara, İstanbul, İzmir, Mersin, Antalya and Samsun and through the organization of international events aiming at both introducing the universal level of opera and ballet performances being held in our country to the foreigners and presenting the universal representatives of these arts to the Turkish people. Almost all of the great creations of Classical Opera and Ballet repertoire have been staged and most of the pieces belong to Turkish composers have been performed and recorded by Turkish State Opera and Ballet.

At the present day, Directorate General of the State Opera and Ballet is one of the most important art institutions rising in the world, as to its structure, dimension and domain and swiftly approaching to the eventual goal of constituting the Turkish National Opera and Ballet.

MUGE BAYRAMOGLU

Muge Bayramoglu studied at the classical ballet department of Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory. After graduation, she joined Istanbul State Ballet in 2008 and soon became a soloist and a principal dancer. During this time she had the opportunity to work with several nationally and internationally acclaimed choreographers and danced the lead in many of of ballet productions. After eight years of classical ballet experience, she decided to move into the modern-contemporary field. She moved to New York and worked with Peridance Contemporary Dance Company. Upon returning to Turkey, she joined Istanbul State Opera & Ballet’s “Modern Dance Theatre Istanbul” in 2017.

MERT ÖZTEKIN

Between 1991 and 2001, he danced in various Caucasian Folk Dance Companies. He figured in Sultan Hurrem (dancer) in 2002-2003, Night of the Sultans (dancer) between 2004 and 2007) and became the member of Contemporary Ballet Company (soloist dancer / repetiteur) between 2007 and 2016, Zeynep Tanbay Dance Project (dancer) between 2009 and 2012, Motto Dance Collective (dancer) between 2012 and 2014, and has been working at MDT Istanbul (dancer, repetiteur, master, assistant director) since 2012. Starting from 2009, he worked with many choreographers both from Turkey and abroad at Akbank Arts Beyoglu and prepared the choreographies. In his pilates saloon b.a.s.i.c (body and soul integrity center) established in 2010, he became a pilates trainer and started making studies on human bodies. Between the years of 2013 and 2015, he worked with Öykü Sahne (Tam Pansiyon Rezalet – a Full-board Scandal / choreographer, Hiç Zamanı Değil – Now is not the Time / choreographer) and with Oyun Atölyesi (Dolu Düşün Boş Konuş – Kvetch / assistant choreographer, trainer for body awareness). In 2019, he took place in Alice Musical as repetiteur, master and dancer. He prepared Michael Popper’s Alice Under the Stars for the stage in 2018 in MDT Istanbul where he still continues to work. He made the idea and design of the project Yeni Hayat – New Life, which started being staged in 2021. He still works as a dancer, master, assistant director and repetiteur at MDT Istanbul, and continues to work as an independent instructor and his studies on the designs in the motion.

EBRU CANSİZ

She was born in İstanbul. She Graduated from Mimar Sinan Fine Arts University State Conservatory Classical Ballet in 2000.After her graduation she started dancing as a soloist dancer in İstanbul State Opera and Ballet Company. Ebru Cansız danced some of these choreographer’s pieceses Christopher D’amboise, William Forsyhte, Jose Martinez, Patrick de Bana, Uve Scholz ,Beyhan Murphy,Mehmet Balkan,Ugur Seyrek, Young Soon Hue,Alessandro Sciarroni etc.She continues creating her works on dance and choreography since 2008. Cansız has also worked with actors and actress and make choreography of theater plays. Her works in performance order are as follows: Conjaction, Turbulance, Unexceptional, Anima, Pendulum, Less /More, Six Nineteen, Vortex etc.

She has been invited dancer& choreographer as an independent artist at the following Festivals: Fabbrica Europa ‘Dialogue ‘(Firenze, 2008), Kaay Fecc ‘Dialogue’ (Senegal, 2009) , Biennale Danza ‘Untiled_Death in Venice Version’ (Venice, 2013).Also her choreography ‘Unexceptional’ was staged in Nimbus Dancework Company/ Offline Series and Your Move Dance Festival in New York (2016) Her piece is ‘Six Nineteen’ after the premiere at İstanbul Modern Dance Company , was performed at SzoloDuo Fest in Budapest 2018.

Ebru Cansız is an artist at Istanbul State Opera and Ballet and she continues her career as a choreographer and teacher in Turkey and around the world.