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| Companhia Nacional de Bailado | |
|---|---|
| Name | Companhia Nacional de Bailado |
| Founded | 1977 |
| Founder | Ministry of Culture (Portugal); Magda Bizarro; Santiago Beltrán |
| Venue | Teatro Nacional de São Carlos; Teatro Rivoli; Centro Cultural de Belém |
| Location | Lisbon; Portugal |
| Genre | Ballet |
Companhia Nacional de Bailado is the national ballet company of Portugal, established to develop professional ballet performance, production and training. The company presents a repertoire spanning classical works, neoclassical pieces and contemporary choreography, engaging with institutions, festivals and conservatoires across Europe. It has toured to venues and events such as Teatro La Fenice, La Scala, Sadler's Wells, Festival d'Avignon and Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The company was created in 1977 under auspices of the Ministry of Culture (Portugal) and artistic initiatives linked to Lisbon cultural planners, following precedents set by ensembles such as Ballets Russes and national troupes like the Ballet Nacional de Cuba. Early seasons included works by masters associated with Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, Michel Fokine and pieces staged with assistance from figures who had worked at Ballets de Monte-Carlo and English National Ballet. Directors and advisors over decades have included professionals with ties to Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and Stuttgart Ballet, shaping policy that connected the company to Portuguese institutions like Conservatório Nacional and venues such as Teatro Nacional de São Carlos.
The repertoire mixes full-length classics—adaptations of productions associated with Swan Lake, Giselle, The Nutcracker—with neoclassical ballets by creators linked to George Balanchine and contemporary premieres influenced by choreographers from Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, John Neumeier and Mats Ek. The company has mounted works derived from scores by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Ludwig van Beethoven, Igor Stravinsky and Maurice Ravel, while commissioning new music from composers connected to Centro Cultural de Belém residencies and collaborations with ensembles like Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa and choirs linked to Casa da Música. Co-productions have involved partnerships with Teatro Nacional São João, Teatro Nacional D. Maria II and international houses such as Teatro alla Scala, Opéra Garnier and Komische Oper Berlin.
Company rosters have featured principal dancers trained at institutions like Royal Ballet School, Bolshoi Ballet Academy, Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, School of American Ballet and the Russian Imperial Ballet School alumni networks. Notable principals and soloists have had previous engagements with Bayerisches Staatsballett, Dutch National Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Boston Ballet and Het Nationale Ballet. Artistic staff, répétiteurs and coaches often include veterans from Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Maurice Béjart associates, and guest instructors connected to Juilliard School, Codarts Rotterdam and Conservatoire de Paris.
The company has commissioned works by choreographers with careers linked to George Balanchine, Maurice Béjart, Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Akram Khan, Alonzo King, Ohad Naharin and Mats Ek. Collaborative projects have been realized with directors and designers from Peter Brook, Robert Wilson, Toni Morrison-related theatrical initiatives, and scenographers associated with Es Devlin, Julieta Rada and studios that worked for National Theatre (London). Cross-disciplinary exchanges involved musicians and conductors affiliated with Gustavo Dudamel, Sir Simon Rattle, Daniel Barenboim and choreographic residencies linked to Dansateliers and Jerwood Programme.
Educational activity includes partnerships with the Conservatório Nacional, community projects with Câmara Municipal de Lisboa, youth programmes modeled on initiatives by Royal Opera House outreach and summer intensives comparable to Prix de Lausanne affiliates. Residency and masterclass offerings have been run with guest teachers from Vaganova Academy, Royal Ballet School and Kirov Ballet traditions, and tied into public engagement at cultural sites like Centro Cultural de Belém, Casa da Música and municipal theaters across Porto, Coimbra and Faro.
Touring has taken the company to European capitals and festivals including Paris Opera Ballet seasons, appearances at Sadler's Wells, La Scala, Teatro La Fenice, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), Helsinki Festival and exchange seasons with Teatro Real, Palais Garnier and the Vienna State Opera. Festival invitations have included Festival d'Avignon, Edinburgh International Festival, Berlin International Film Festival crossover events and performances at venues associated with European Capital of Culture designations. Touring ensembles have collaborated with orchestras such as Camerata Salzburg, Orchestre de Paris and conductors drawn from Philharmonia Orchestra and Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin rosters.
The company and its members have received national and international recognitions comparable to awards given by institutions like Prémio Autores (Portuguese Society of Authors), Benois de la Danse nominations, distinctions from Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian and accolades accorded by municipal cultural prizes in Lisbon and Porto. Individual dancers and choreographers linked to the company have been shortlisted for Prix Benois de la Danse, Premio Positano and fellowships granted by Jerwood Arts and Guggenheim Fellowship-affiliated programmes.
Category:Ballet companies Category:Culture in Lisbon Category:Performing arts in Portugal