Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo are celebrating their 40th anniversary, marking four decades of history rich in shows and artistic creations. The adventure began in 1985. The company was created on the initiative of H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover, with the aim of restoring Monaco's prestige in the world of dance.
Today, the legacy of these 40 years is an undeniable success. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo continue to write their history, establishing themselves as a major institution in international dance, offering performances that continue to thrill their audiences.
Forty years already! Is that really possible? The years seem to have flown by faster than a grand jeté. I remember as if it were yesterday my first creation for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. It was in December 1986 and was called Les Adieux. [...] A few years later, H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover performed the miracle of bringing these two paths together. The season we are presenting to you can be summed up in one word: Thank you!
That's why we wanted it to be generous, diverse and full of gifts that we can't wait to open with you. I'll leave you to discover them and wish you, as always, an excellent season with our Company.
Jean-Christophe Maillot, Chorégraphe-Directeur des Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Les Ballets: its beginnings
Anchoring dance in Monaco: Les Ballets Russes, in 1909, marked the beginning of a strong presence for the art of choreography in Monaco. Serge de Diaghilev presented his Ballets Russes for the first time in Paris. They settled in Monte-Carlo, which became their creative workshop for two decades. Diaghilev and his collaborators reformed the ballet of their time in all its forms. On his death in 1929, the company was dissolved. Several personalities and choreographers revived it under different names, but it disappeared for good in 1951.
The birth of today's Compagnie des Ballets de Monte-Carlo
In 1985, the Compagnie des Ballets de Monte-Carlo was created thanks to the wishes of H.R.H. the Princess of Hanover, who wanted to continue the tradition of dance in Monaco. The new company was directed by Ghislaine Thesmar and Pierre Lacotte, then by Jean-Yves Esquerre.
The growth of the Company
In 1993, H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover appointed Jean-Christophe Maillot as director of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. With his experience as a dancer with Rosella Hightower and John Neumeier, and as choreographer-director of the Centre Chorégraphique National de Tours, Jean-Christophe Maillot turned the company around. He created more than 30 ballets for the company, several of which entered the repertoires of major international companies. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo are now in demand the world over thanks to Jean-Christophe Maillot's emblematic works such as Vers un pays sage (1995), Roméo et Juliette (1996), Cendrillon (1999) La Belle (2001), Le Songe (2005), Altro Canto (2006), Faust (2007) and LAC(2011).
Jean-Christophe Maillot also enriches the company's repertoire by inviting major contemporary choreographers to work with him, as well as enabling emerging choreographers to work with the exceptional 50 dancers of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo. Guest choreographers have included Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Shen Wei, Alonzo King, Emio Greco, Chris Haring, Marco Goecke, Lucinda Childs, William Forsythe, Jiri Kylian, Karole Armitage, Maurice Béjart and Marie Chouinard. In 2000, Jean-Christophe Maillot created the Monaco Dance Forum, an international showcase for dance that presents an eclectic mix of performances, exhibitions, workshops and conferences. The company regularly takes part in this festival, as does the Académie Princesse Grace.
The future of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
In 2011, under the Presidency of H.R.H. The Princess of Hanover, a new structure will bring these three institutions together: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo now brings together the excellence of an international company, the assets of a multifaceted festival and the potential of a top-level school. Creation, training and distribution are now brought together in Monaco to serve the art of choreography in a way that is unprecedented in the world of dance.