10th International Junior Ballet Encounters

American Ballet Theatre Studio Company, New-York
Led by ABT Studio Company Artistic Director Sascha Radetsky, the central mission of ABT Studio Company is to prepare its pre-professional dancers – currently ages 16-21 – for careers at American Ballet Theatre or other leading ballet companies worldwide. 85% of current American Ballet Theatre dancers are alumni of ABT Studio Company, including 15 Principal Dancers and 8 Soloists. Each season, ABT Studio Company commissions new works from emerging and established choreographers and engages the broadest possible ballet audience by performing varied repertory in a range of venues around the globe.

Ballet National de Marseille
The Ballet National de Marseille is a creation of our contemporary era, a place of emergence that has carried a unique aura since its inception. The result of an exception, this institution breaks free from the French centrality of its time. Roland Petit inaugurates this story, whose various adventures and successes outline a history of dance. The intrinsic vitality of the Ballet finds in the direction of (LA)HORDE a regenerative form that once again imprints the identity of an ecstatic creative community.
In 1972, choreographer Roland Petit founded the Ballets de Marseille. Having lost its plural, the Ballet National de Marseille became a National Choreographic Center in 1984. The creation and dissemination of performances by the Ballet and invited artists are at the heart of its mission. Deeply rooted in its time, curious and open to the world, the BNM is also a significant landmark in Marseille's architectural heritage, located near the Borély Park.

Under the direction of Martin Harriague since September 2024, the Ballet of the Opéra Grand Avignon continues the transformation initiated by Emilio Calcagno, embracing choreographic works that are decidedly contemporary.
Performing a virtuosic and demanding dance, the twelve dancers of the Ballet embody an expression that engages with the challenges of our time and reveals new talents. They nurture a constantly evolving repertoire where the creators of tomorrow engage in dialogue with the icons of dance. Firmly rooted in its territory, the Ballet passionately transmits a physical and jubilant dance, while also serving as an ambassador for the City of the Popes both in France and internationally.

At Canada’s National Ballet School (NBS), programming excellence, access and inclusion fuel our belief in sharing the transformative power of dance to change lives for the better. This is what drives our commitment to making dance a part of all Canadians’ lives—from the Olympic-calibre dancer training for a professional ballet career on the world stage to the young child or older adult who may be embracing the joy of dance for the first time.

Established in 1959, NBS is one of the world’s foremost training institutions for aspiring young dancers and teachers. Attracting students from across Canada and around the world, NBS’ progressive curriculum, with its emphasis on the physical and emotional well-being of the student, has put the School at the forefront of dance training internationally.

Since 2015, the Ballet Preljocaj has been involved in the professional integration of young dancers. Every year, six to twelve dancers aged 18 to 21, from partner higher education institutions, join the activities of the National Choreographic Center. They perform repertory pieces by Angelin Preljocaj, participate in tours, and take part in the company’s special projects.

Angelin Preljocaj
A leading figure in the contemporary dance scene, Angelin Preljocaj has choreographed 61 works, ranging from duets to large-scale pieces, alternating between abstract and radical projects and major narrative ballets such as Snow White and Swan Lake. He also directs films and was recently elected to the French Academy of Fine Arts. His repertoire is performed worldwide, with an average of 120 performances per year.

The Cannes Jeune Ballet Rosella Hightower is one of the educational tools of the Rosella Hightower PNSD (National Dance Development Center), allowing dance students to develop their stage experience in real conditions. Created by Rosella Hightower in the early 1980s, this junior ballet brings together students in their final year of training in the pre-professional higher education cycle. During this year, as they prepare for their Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel (DNSP) in dance, the students face the realities of the choreographic artist's profession while developing their personal commitment to this career path.
The repertoire of the Cannes Jeune Ballet Rosella Hightower evolves every year, featuring a mix of classical ballets, works by young choreographers, as well as restagings or creations by more renowned choreographers.

The Pôle National Supérieur Danse Rosella Hightower
The Pôle National Supérieur Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes-Mougins is part of the Ministry of Culture’s networks of higher education centers and major dance schools internationally.
Under the artistic and educational direction of Paola Cantalupo, it has been offering for 62 years a multidisciplinary education to students from over 21 nationalities, based on a dual classical/contemporary culture, in order to train versatile dancers, as well as providing a range of continuing education programs.

The La Scala Academy offers an in-depth and comprehensive training for performing arts professionals through its four departments: Music, Dance, Scenography, and Management. The highest level of education is provided by professionals from the Teatro alla Scala, renowned performers, and experts recognized in the field of performing arts.
The teaching method is based on the philosophy of learning through practice, preparing students for their future careers through daily, intense exposure to the performing arts in a real professional context.
Since 2003, the Dance Department has been led by Frédéric Olivieri, former director of the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company. The heart of the Department is the Dance School of the La Scala Academy, founded in 1813, which has trained artists such as Carla Fracci, Liliana Cosi, Luciana Savignano, Oriella Dorella, Roberto Fascilla, Paola Cantalupo, Roberto Bolle, Massimo Murru, and Nicoletta Manni.