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| École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower | |
|---|---|
| Name | École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower |
| Established | 1961 |
| Type | Conservatory |
| City | Cannes |
| Country | France |
| Founder | Rosella Hightower |
École supérieure de danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower is a premier ballet and contemporary dance conservatory founded in 1961 by Rosella Hightower in Cannes, France. The school became a nexus for classical and contemporary pedagogy, attracting students and teachers from across Europe and North America and linking to major companies, festivals, and competitions.
The institution was founded by Rosella Hightower, whose career connected her with Ballets Russes, Paris Opera Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, New York City Ballet, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Margot Fonteyn, and Rudolf Nureyev. Early patronage and partnerships involved figures and organizations such as Serge Lifar, Roland Petit, Nicolas Le Riche, Léonide Massine, Maurice Béjart, Alvin Ailey, George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Oleg Vinogradov and festivals like Festival de Cannes, Festival d'Avignon, Jacques Offenbach Festival. Over decades the school interacted with institutions including Conservatoire de Paris, École Normale de Musique de Paris, Royal Ballet School, Vaganova Academy, La Scala Theatre Ballet School, and initiatives tied to UNESCO cultural programs. Directors and artistic advisors over the years included collaborators connected to Société des Auteurs Compositeurs Dramatiques, Comédie-Française, Opéra-Comique, Théâtre du Châtelet and international competitions such as Prix de Lausanne and Varna International Ballet Competition.
The Cannes campus sits near landmarks like La Croisette, Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Mougins, Le Suquet, and facilities have hosted masterclasses from artists affiliated with Royal Opera House, Metropolitan Opera, Bolshoi Theatre, Mariinsky Theatre, Teatro alla Scala, Staatsballett Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin and companies such as San Francisco Ballet, Boston Ballet, Houston Ballet, National Ballet of Canada. Onsite resources include studios equipped in the style of Labanotation practitioners and spaces used by choreographers connected to Pina Bausch, William Forsythe, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Crystal Pite, Sasha Waltz, Akram Khan, Maurice Béjart and scenic collaboration with partners from Cannes Film Festival production teams. The school maintains rehearsal halls, performance theaters, physiotherapy suites influenced by protocols from Royal Academy of Dance, Pilates, and medical alliances with hospitals like Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Nice.
Programs span pre-professional training, higher education diplomas, and vocational certifications aligned with frameworks used by Ministry of Culture (France), Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel, and European higher education accords comparable to Bologna Process. Curricula combine techniques drawn from lineages such as Vaganova Method, Cecchetti Method, Balanchine technique, Royal Academy of Dance syllabus, and contemporary practices inspired by Graham technique, Horton technique, Release technique, and research centers like CND (Centre National de la Danse). Cross-disciplinary modules include choreography tied to festivals such as Festival d'Automne à Paris and exchange programs with conservatories like Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon, Codarts Rotterdam, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, Juilliard School, Boston Conservatory, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and university collaborations with Université Côte d'Azur.
Faculty rosters historically featured teachers and choreographers associated with Rosella Hightower's network and international figures like Maurice Béjart, Roland Petit, Mats Ek, John Neumeier, Alonzo King, Twyla Tharp, Kader Belarbi, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jirí Kylián, Wayne McGregor, William Forsythe, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Nathalie Béasse, Jean-Pierre Bonnefoux and répétiteurs from Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet School. Administrative leadership engaged with cultural policymakers and artistic directors from institutions such as Direction régionale des affaires culturelles, Institut Français, Théâtre National de Chaillot and advisory ties to companies like Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.
Graduates have gone on to principal and soloist positions at companies including Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet, New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Bolshoi Ballet, Mariinsky Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet, La Scala Theatre Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Australian Ballet and choreographers who collaborated with Cannes Film Festival, Festival de Cannes, Opéra de Nice, Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, Théâtre du Capitole, Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Alumni have also appeared in productions at Palais Garnier, Théâtre des Champs-Élysées, Lincoln Center, Royal Albert Hall, Sydney Opera House, Teatro Colón.
The school presented seasons and galas in venues such as Palais des Festivals et des Congrès, Palais des Congrès de Paris, Opéra de Nice, Grand Théâtre de Provence, Théâtre de la Ville, and participated in international festivals including Festival de Cannes, Festival d'Avignon, Avignon Off, Biennale de la Danse de Lyon, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Festival d'Automne à Paris, Jacques Offenbach Festival, Varna International Ballet Competition showcases. Collaborative projects involved choreography exchanges with Béjart Ballet Lausanne, Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Nederlands Dans Theater, Rosas, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Rudolf Nureyev Foundation, Princess Grace Foundation, orchestral partnerships with Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte-Carlo, Orchestre National de France, and multidisciplinary work with filmmakers from Cannes Film Festival juries.
Admission pathways reflect auditions, merit scholarships, and international recruitment drawing applicants from regions served by consulates such as Consulate General of the United States in Marseille, British Council, Centre culturel britannique, and exchange frameworks with Erasmus Programme, Erasmus+. Student life integrates conservatory routines with healthcare services referencing Fédération Française de Danse protocols, career support linked to Association pour le Rayonnement de l'Opéra National de Paris networks, and alumni mentorship connecting to agencies like Opéra National de Paris, Aterballetto, Jobsite Theater, Agence for the Performing Arts.
Category:Conservatoires in France Category:Ballet schools Category:Dance in France