Leonid Jacobson Ballet Company

A unique ballet company that celebrates the diverse heritage of Leonid Yacobson, a prominent choreographer of the 20th century. The ballet master's choreography is passed on to every new generation of dancers with all of the nuances preserved and every facet of his original artistic concepts fully developed thanks to the theatre's teachers and tutors who once had the honour of performing under Yacobson's guidance. Since 2011, the theatre has been managed by Andrian Fadeev, Honoured Artist of the Russian Federation. He believes that his main tasks are to ensure that Leonid Yacobson's unique heritage is carefully preserved, to sustain the traditions of classical ballet and to expand the theatre's repertoire by supporting young modern choreographers. Today, the theatre’s repertoire consists not only of Leonid Yacobson's masterpieces, such as Rodin, The Bedbug, The Wedding Cortège, Spartacus, lyrical miniatures and genre scenes, but also of world-famous classical ballets, such as Giselle, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker; and modern works of young St. Petersburg choreographers, such as Facets of Modern Choreography, Stone Shore, Romeo and Juliet, Rehearsal. The ballet company performs at the city's top venues, takes part in international festivals and often shares the stage with world-class ballet stars. Productions of the Leonid Yacobson Ballet Theatre are familiar to audiences all over the world, including Japan, China, the USA, Canada, Mexico, France, Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Spain, Estonia and Croatia. The company has been honoured with the Golden Soffit Theatre Award for the restoration of The Bedbug and choreography scenes of Leonid Yacobson and the Golden Mask National Theatre Award for the restoration of The Wedding Cortège. The leading ballet dancers with the company are prize-winners of various international competitions and awards. The company has been particularly proud of the prestigious Taglioni European Ballet Award that they received for the Best Production. The professional jury of the Award that was established by the Malakhov Foundation, chose Leonid Yacobson's Classical Miniatures over the other nominees.

Complexions is more than dance: it is language itself.

We have created in Complexions an institution that embodies its historical moment, a sanctuary where those passionate about dance can celebrate its past while simultaneously building its future. In the 16 years since its inception, the company has born witness to a world that is becoming more fluid, more changeable, and more culturally interconnected than ever before — in other words, a world that is becoming more and more like Complexions itself.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet

Complexions Contemporary Ballet — is a new daring vision to plasticity and dance in general. Its founders are Dwight Rhoden, one of the most important choreographers in the world, and dancer Desmond Richardson titled «great» and «legendary». Complexions Ballet is not trying to deal with issues of the modern age or to be philosophical on stage. The main thing for them is dance as art of the body movement. The choreographers and dancers indulge in elegance, grace and virtuosity of movements exploring them at different angles and in variable musical environment: from classical music to modern pop-music. Setting the pace of striving for innovation, mixing and combining different cultures, creating daring and vanguard performances, Complexions remain loyal to their creative credo — showing diversity and multiplicity of the world. In 2014 the company celebrates its 20th anniversary (it was founded back in 1994). The company participated in DANCE OPEN 2014 with the programme Innervisions.

The Polish National Ballet has made an impressive forward stride, firmly establishing the company's credentials in European ballet.

The dancers are attractive, agile, limber and fully equipped for contemporary ballet’s technical demands.

On aimerait avoir plus souvent en France un tel sujet d’enthousiasme.

On aimerait avoir plus souvent en France un tel sujet d’enthousiasme.

The first thing I can say about the company is that the dancers are all outstanding: strong, limber, well trained.

Polish National Ballet

The Polish National Ballet is the leading ballet company in Poland, with a host of nearly 90 Polish and foreign dancers guaranteeing the highest standard for every performance. Its aim is to reflect the nature, energy and aspirations of the Polish people. Its rich traditions date back to the 17th century when a lot of prominent dancers of the epoch performed at the court of Polish king in Kraków and then in Warsaw. In the 18th century the troupe of His Majesty’s Dancers was born by the will of King Stanislaus Augustus. In 1766, even the great Jean-Georges Noverre applied for the position of ballet-master in Warsaw, though unsuccessfully. He dedicated and sent his famous reformatory work Théorie et pratique de la danse to King Stanislaus Augustus. The work has survived to this day, and is housed in the Warsaw University Library’s Picture Collection. The Polish National Ballet works and performs in the most prestigious opera house in Poland: the Teatr Wielki – the Polish National Opera. In 2009 Krzysztof Pastor took the position of the company’s artistic leader. For decades he has been a resident choreographer with the Dutch National Ballet. Both critics and spectators agree that Pastor’s influence has changed a lot the trace of the Polish National Ballet’s development. It tends to take the higher and higher place in European ballet ratings. The repertoire of the Polish National Ballet includes outstanding versions of some of the greatest classical ballets: Natalia Makarova’s La Bayadère, Yuri Grigorivich’s The Sleeping Beauty, Alexei Fadeyechev’s Don Quixote, Wayne Eagling’s and Toer van Schayk’s The Nutcracker. The company also presents some of the greatest ballets of the 20th century, ranging from the reconstruction of Vaslav Nijinsky’s Rite of Spring and Kurt Jooss’ The Green Table to ballets by Frederick Ashton, George Balanchine, Maurice Béjart, John Cranko, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, John Neumeier and Krzysztof Pastor. Another important side of the Polish National Ballet’s philosophy is to give an opportunity to the company’s emerging young choreographers, allowing them to create pieces within the annual workshops. Polish National Ballet has performed recently in such countries as The United States of America, Russia, China, Spain, Norway, Finland and Lithuania.

Pretty fairies, rat kings, wizards, brave princes, sleeping beauties and small swans — it is a fragile piece of poetry, an hour and a half long reflection of master Thierry Malandain about the magic of dance.

Imaginative play and the universal body language incorporatesthe classical movement and the fun freedom of dance.

Malandain Ballet Biarritz

Malandain Ballet Biarritz — is a renown neoclassical ballet company that constantly performsat the largest theater festivals in France and worldwide. The Malandain Ballet is one of the few French ballet companies, which has the status of a national ballet company. Created in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture of France and the city of Biarritz, the company immediately got its undisputable leader, Thierry Malandain, who quickly turned Malandain Ballet Biarritzinto one of the most successful companies in France. Today Malandain Ballet Biarritz is one of the most popular European ballet companies giving about 400 performances around the world annually. In their home city of Biarritz over 10 000 spectators are eagerly waiting for their performances every year. Malandain Ballet Biarritz produces one premiere a year, but each of the productions withstands over 100 performances. Educational activities play a significant role in the life of the company, which includes 20 dancers. Through public events dedicated to ballet, open choreographic laboratories, international ballet projects, Malandain Ballet Biarritz contributes not only to the development of modern dance, but also promotes intercultural relations in Europe.