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Jiří Bubeníček
Choreographer
Artistic director of
Bubeníček Ballet Masterclasses
and Les Ballets Bubeníček
Former Principal Dancer with Semperoper Ballet
and Hamburg Ballet
Master of Arts Dance Pedagogy Degree
at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden
EDUCATION
1986 - 1993 - Dance Conservatoire in Prague
2000 - 2023 - Master of Arts Dance Pedagogy Degree at the Paluccca University of Dance Dresden
CAREER
1993 - 2006 - Hamburg Ballet under John Neumeier
1997 - At the age of 22 promoted as Principal dancer
1999 - Choreographer (1st creations)
2006 - 2015 - Semperoper Ballet in Dresden
2006 - 2015 - Principal dancer
2015 - Choreographer and Freelance Artist
Internationally sought-after choreographer Jiří Bubeníček enjoyed enormous acclaim over his almost 25-year career as one of the world’s top ballet dancers. Musicality, athleticism, suppleness, an unparalleled technique and his instinctive sense of character turned him into an international star. During his time with the Hamburg Ballet, John Neumeier created numerous roles for him, the most legendary being “Nijinsky”. Following his engagement from 1993-2006 (from 1997 as principal), Jiří Bubeníček went to Dresden to take up the position of principal with the Semperoper Ballet. There he performed countless choreographies by Petipa, Fokine, Balanchine, McMillan, Cranko, Kylián, Inger, Forsythe, Dawson, Celis and the Dresden ballet director Aaron S. Watkin until his departure in 2015. Guest appearances took him around the world. Particularly memorable were his engagements at the Ballet de l’Opéra de Paris where he partnered the leading ballerinas of the age in the “Lady of the Camellias”. In 2002 he was awarded the “Benois de la Danse” for his interpretation of Armand. His many other prizes include the “Espèces” of the Prix de Lausanne or the Mary Wigman Prize bestowed by the Semperoper.
Jiří Bubeníček created his first choreographies back in 1999 in the midst of his dancing career. From short scenes to abstract pieces to full-length narrative ballets, his current oeuvre of over 65 works is impressively large.
In particular, Jiří Bubeníček has established an outstanding reputation as a choreographic storyteller: his successful productions include “Anita Berber – Goddess of the Night” (2016), “Doctor Zhivago” (2016), “The Piano” (2018), “The Trial” (2019), “Cinderella” (2019) or "Romeo and Juliet" (2022). Amongst his many honours, the choreographer was awarded the “Europa in Danza” for his version of “Carmen” (2019) or “Boris Papandopulo” award for „Romeo and Juliet“ for the best ballet performance in the 2021/22 season. His last creation was narrative full length ballet „Spartacus“, premiered January 27, 2023 for the Croatian National Ballet in Zagreb. And, of course, Jiří Bubeníček is a familiar face in the international media through TV and DVD productions of his choreographies as well as those featuring him as a dancer. In addition to founding a touring company “Les Ballets Bubeníček” to perform own choreographies, Jiří Bubeníček is also socially engaged, striving to build bridges between diverse cultures. For these efforts, he was awarded the “Silver Medal of the City of Prague” in 2017, a very special accolade from his home city.
He has choreographer for ballet companies such as:
San Francisco Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Teatro di Roma, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Tokyo City Ballet, New York City Ballet, State Vienna Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Semperoper Ballet in Dresden, Mariinsky Ballet Theater, National Ballet of China, North Carolina Dance Theatre in Charlotte in USA, for dancers from Opéra national de Paris, Zurich Ballet, Croatian National Ballet in Zagreb, for dancers from National Theatre in Prague, Croatian National Ballet Ivan pl. Zajc in Rijeka, Nuovo Balletto di Toscana in Florence, Badisches State Theater in Karlsruhe, Dortmund Ballet, State Ballet Nürnberg, Slovenia National Theatre Opera and Ballet in Ljubljana, Gauthier Dance, Košice State Theatre, Musiktheater im Revier Gelsenkirchen Ballet Company, Laterna Magika in Prague, Thüringer State Ballet in Gera, Copenhagen International Ballet, Palucca Dance High School, Hamburg ballet School, New York Choreographic Institute, Royal New Zealand School, he was a choreographer for The Vienna Philharmonic New Year's Concert 2016 and many other companies around the globe.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Jiří is currently in his final semester at Palucca Dance University in Dresden, pursuing a Master of Art degree in Dance Pedagogy. He has also conducted numerous workshops at various schools, including:
2021 - Palucca University of Dance Dresden
2021 - Prague Dance Conservatory
2017 - Architanz, Tokyo, Japan
Summer Ballet Schools:
2023 - Valencia Endanza
2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017 - Prague Ballet Intensive - Jiří Jelínek
2017 - Art Of Innovative Ballet Master Class & Art, Madrid, Spain
2009 - Balletsummer SchoolLeipzig
And Zoom Online Classe:
2020 - 2021 - Danzoom, Online platform for Ballet and Dance Education
2021 - OnDance - Roberto Bolle
2021 - Oklahoma Summer Intensive
2021 - DeCruz summer course
Former teacher and founder of DANZOOM, Online platform for Ballet and Dance Education
Léonore Baulac
ÉTOILE
OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS
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EDUCATION
2005 Léonor Baulac entered the Dance School of the Opéra National de Paris.
She performs in Variations de Don Giovanni (Maurice Béjart), Napoli (August Bournonville), Yondering (John Neumeier), Entre deux rondes (Serge Lifar) and Soir de Fête (Léo Staats).
CAREER
2008 She was hired at 18 years old in the “corps de ballet” of Paris Opera. 2013 Promoted to "Coryphée".
2014 AROP price
2015 Promoted "Sujet"
2016 Promoted "First dancer"
2017 Promoted Etoile
On Decembre 31st 2017, Léonore Baulac is made an Étoile following a performance of Swan Lake (Noureev) in which she performed the role of Odette / Odile.
Main roles during these years : Rain / Alex, Verklärte Nacht (Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker), Pas de deux / Amoveo ; Lyceion / Daphnis and Chloe (Benjamin Millepied), Olympia / The Lady of the Camellias, Couple 3rd movement / The Song of the Earth (John Neumeier), 2nd variation / Sleeping Beauty, Clara / Nutcracker, Juliet / Romeo and Juliet, (Rudolf Nureyev), title role / Paquita (Pierre Lacotte) Sonatine and Brahms-Schönberg Quartet (George Balanchine), In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Of Any if And (William Forsythe), Goldberg Variations (Jerome Robbins) Polyphonia (Christopher Wheeldon)
Creations with the Paris Opera Ballet: Clear, Loud, Bright, Forward (Benjamin Millepied - 2015), Alea Sands (Wayne McGregor - 2015 creation), La Nuit s'achève (Benjamin Millepied - 2016) Blake Works I (William Forsythe - 2016 creation) Body and Soul (Crystal Pite - 2019) Le Rouge et le Noir / Mathilde de la Môle (Pierre Lacotte - 2021)
Léonore Baulac was elected “Lead dancer” on December 31, 2016, after the representation of Swan Lake (Rudolf Nureyev) in which she performed the role of Odile / Odette for the first time.
Since then she has added to her repertoire: Jewels / Rubis and Emeralds, (George Balanchine), La Sylphide / title-role and Effie (Pierre Lacotte), En sol, Afternoon of a Faune, In the Night (Jerome Robbins), La Fille mal gardée / Lise (Frederick Ashton) ,The Rite of Spring / The Chosen one (Pina Bausch), Onéguine / Olga (John Cranko), Variations (Serge Lifar), La Dame aux Camélias / Marguerite Gautier (John Neumeier) , Don Quichotte / Kitri (Rudolf Noureev), Trois Gnossiennes (Hans Van Manen), Sleight of Hand (Sol León, Paul Lightfoot), Giselle / title-role (after Perraut and Coralli)
On Decembre 31st 2017, Léonore Baulac is made an Étoile following a performance of Swan Lake (Noureev) in which she performed the role of Odette / Odile.
Courtney Richardson
Principal Dancer
Master of Arts Dance Pedagogy Degree
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EDUCATION
Born in USA
The National Ballet School of Canada/Canada
AWARDS
Dance Europe »Outstanding Performance« (2015) for »Tristan+Isolde« (D. Dawson) and »Steptext« (W. Forsythe),
Dance Europe Critics’ Choice: »Outstanding Dancer of the Year« (2010),
Dance Europe Critics’ Choice: Bouquets and daggers: »Outstanding Female Dancer« (2008),
Erik Bruhn Award (2000),
Peter Dwyer Scholarship (1999)
CARRER
Semperoper Ballett (since 2013, Principal since 2015),
Royal Ballet of Flanders/Belgium (2006–2013),
Ballet British Columbia/Canada (2003–2006),
The National Ballet of Canada/Canada (2000–2003),
The Banff Center/Canada (2002)
István Simon
FREELANCE PRINCIPAL ARTIST
Ceo of Praetorian Non-Profit Art And Health Consulting
Lecturer and Doctoral Candidate at The Faculty of Business and Economics of Tu Dresden
Project Developer and Manager Of Chemnitz2025 Gmbh European Capital of Culture
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EDUCATION
Hungarian Ballet School
CAREER
2013 - 2018 Principal Dancer, Semperoper Ballet and
2013 - 2015 Principal Dancer, Hungarian National Ballet
2007 - 2013 Soloist, Semperoper Ballet
CAREER
István Simon is one of the most successful and sought-after internationally working Hungarian ballet dancers of our times.
The Transylvanian-born dancer earlier on was the principal dancer in the Dresden Semperoper, the Hungarian National Ballet, and the Dortmund Opera. As a guest artist, he has danced in 21 countries at 43 different theatres. Amongst them, at the Paris Opera, New York City Center, Naples Teatro San Carlo, the Moscow Kremlin, the Saitama Theatre in Tokyo, at the Antwerp DeSingel, Paris Théâtre de la Ville, and Theatre Champs-Elysées, and many other renowned venues.
István Simon is a versatile dancer with a wide range of repertoire which stretches from classical through post-modern, until contemporary. He has danced all the major male lead roles in the classical ballet repertoire, but he also had the opportunity to work with the most decisive choreographers of the international dance world, such as Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Alexander Ekman, Alexei Ratmansky, Jiří Bubeníček, David Dawson, Andreas Helse, Goyo Montero.
Among other world-class ballerinas, his partners in recent years have been: Alina Cojocaru, Léonore Bualac, Dorothee Gilbert, Myriam Ould Braham, Evgenia Obraztsova, Nina Kaptsova, Anna Tikhomirova, Sarah Lamb, Yolanda Correa, Anna Tsygankova, Lucia Lacarra, Laurretta Summerscales, Courtney Richardson.
EDUCATION
Mr. Simon is the head of science, research and university projects at Chemnitz2025 European Capital of Cultural GmbH, the artistic advisor and cultural manager of the Budapest Operetta Theater, the founder of the German non-profit organization, Praetorian Art and Health Consulting, whose basic mission is to protect the health of the performing artist and help the positive transformation processes of theaters to become a safer working environment, and in the mean time he is a doctoral candidate at the faculty of Business and Economics at the Dresden University of Technology.
As an agent Mr. Simon represents the choreographers Valentina Turcu, Andreas Heise and Jiří Bubeníček, the well-being manager and health consultant Boglárka Simon-Hatala as well as The Journey Productions.
Eugénie Drion
DANCER AT THE OPERA NATIONAL DE PARIS
AND BALLET TEACHER
French State Diploma of Dance Teacher 2019
Founded of INDEPENDANS 2018
Community Leader for DoinGud, an NFT ecosystem 2021
Creator of indé.studio 2023
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EDUCATION
After a full course of study at the Paris Opera Dance School, received in 2014 the Prix Jeunes Espoirs following the entrance exam to the corps de ballet, which she entered first, as a Quadrille, and the obtaining of her Literary Baccalaureate with 19 average.
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
She holds the French State Diploma of Dance Teacher since 2019.
CARRER
She participated in the great classics (Bayadère, Swan Lake), but also in world creations (Blake Works I by Forsythe, Le Rouge et le Noir by Lacotte), and danced as a soloist, notably during the Young Dancers 2021 evening in the pas-de-deux of L'Oiseau Bleu.
Besides her activities at the Opera, Eugénie founded in 2018 the association INDEPENDANSE, of which she is the co-artistic director, a collective of artists whose ambition is to promote classical and contemporary dance among young people and populations far from this art. Organizing galas and workshops in France and abroad, the first project will take place in Egypt in 2019, in partnership with the Cairo Opera and with the support of the French Institute. The collaboration with diverse artists from the partner country promotes interculturality, in connection with contemporary artistic expressions.
Since 2021, she is also a Community Leader for DoinGud, an NFT ecosystem that aims to inspire positive social impact through creativity. They encourage individuals, communities and brands to create, organize, collaborate and connect with each other to generate positive impact in the world, through next-generation web3 tools.
As a freelancer, Eugénie Drion collaborates with artists and brands for various projects, the book Danse by Sylvie Lancrenon as a model-dancer and coordinator, silhouette and understudy of Astrid Bergès-Frisbey in the film L'Autre by Charlotte Dauphin, as a juror for the Prix de l'Héroïne Madame Figaro in 2018, as a model for Vogue Portugal, as a poetic consultant for the Théâtre de la Ville or as a teacher of Barre Aquatique.
She is invited to dance as a soloist in various prestigious galas, such as the Yvette Chauviré Gala in Kyoto, the gala evening of the European Association of Saint Vladimir at the Russian Embassy etc.
Eugenie Drion is very interested in innovation in the artistic field, and is constantly looking for new ideas to embody in impactful projects, which she is actively working on.
The NFTs are an opportunity to create, collaborate, and evolve, in the DNA of all projects undertaken by Eugénie.
She created indé.studio with Albane Drion in 2023, a branch of the association INDEPENDANSE, to create digital projects around movement. Their first collection NFT, in collaboration with Worakls, is released on April 13, 2023 following a residency on one of the Ponant ships, with which the duo has a long term partnership, which announces a new project per year.
The drop will be on Pianity in a unique format, they aim to generate projects at the crossroads of art, travel and constant innovation.