- Les Ballets de Monte Carlo
- Monaco Dance Forum
- Académie Princesse Grace
- SEASON 2023-2024
- BMC STREAM
- Group
Teachers
Teachers
Artistic Director
Luca MASALA
Artistic Director
In 1981, Luca Masala studied at the School of La Scala in Milan, then in 1986 at the School of American Ballet in New York and finally in 1988 at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance in Monaco.
At the age of 17, he joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders then headed by Robert Denvers, where he remained for three years. He performed roles in ballets by Balanchine, Béjart, Nureyev, Tudor, Violette Verdy, Flindt and others. Then he worked for a year with Pierre Lacotte at the Ballet National de Nancy where he played key roles in Lacotte’s choreographies and choreographies of Antonio Gades, José Limón, Jirí Kylián, Ulysses Dove, Balanchine...
In 1992, he moved to the Wiesbaden Staatstheater in Germany under the direction of Ben van Cauwenbergh where he was involved in several works such as Romeo and Juliet, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker and many abstract pieces. He also worked with Peter Schaufuss on his Sylphide. In 1995, he joined the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich under the direction of Konstanze Vernon as guest soloist dancer. A month later, he became a member of the company. His repertoire included choreography by Hans van Manen, Jirí Kylián, John Neumeier, William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Patrice Bart, Yuri Vamos... He took part in numerous creations and video recordings. He danced in prestigious theatres such as the Kirov, La Scala in Milan, the San Carlo in Naples and the Teatro Massimo in Palermo...
In 2000, he left the Bavarian company for Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse, under the direction of Nanette Glushak. There he performed most of the main roles of the classical and contemporary repertoire and was often invited to dance in foreign companies. He began choreographing ballets such as: Sang mêlé, La lamentation du Christ, Les Sept Péchés capitaux and Nougaro.
At the end of his career, he became Maître de ballet for the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse and assists many choreographers, such as Nanette Glushak, Michel Rahn, Jacopo Godani, Mauricio Wainrot, Davide Bombana , Patrick Delcroix and Twyla Tharp. He has been a guest teacher at the National Ballet of Canada, Stuttgart Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Ballet du Capitole and Vienna Ballet. He created a group of ten dancers of the Ballet du Capitole (the Capitol Soloists) for whom he organises dancing evenings in Spain, Italy and France. He was choreographer and assistant to the director Pet Halmen for the creation of the opera Faust at the Opéra National de Paris (2010).
In 2009, he was appointed Director of the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco.
Since then he has been a member of the jury of the Youth American Grand Prix in the USA, Japan, Italy, France, Mexico, Argentina and Brazil. He was member or jury (representing Monaco, in Varna Competition in 2014 and will be member of jury of Prix de Lausanne 2016. He was awarded the "Giuliana Penzi" prize for his career and the "Premio Roma 2011 Jia Ruskaja".
On 19 November 2011, he was appointed by HRH the Crown Prince to the rank of Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit.
Teachers
TEACHERS
Lisa JONES
Ballet & contemporary dance teacher
TRAINING
Born in Canada and passionate about dance from an early age, Lisa entered the National Ballet School of Canada at age 11.
THE DANCER
Once her studies were completed, the National Ballet of Canada offered her her first professional contract. She danced there for 3 years before coming to Europe.
It is with the Bayerisches Staatsballet that Lisa pursues her career. Her 6 years in Munich allowed her to expand her classical repertoire by interpreting main roles such as Marie in Neumeier's Nutcracker, Olga in Cranko's Onegin or Olympia in Kameliendame. Other highlights include the 1st and 3rd Shade variations in La Bayadère, Cygnettes, Peasant pas de deux in Giselle and Crazy Willi in Giselle by Mats EK.
After Munich, a new adventure awaits Lisa at Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot. Throughout her 10 years with the company, she had the opportunity to participate in many of Maillot's creations, such as Miniatures, Altro Canto, Les Noces and Shéhérazade among others, but also to interpret roles such as La Nourice in Romeo and Juliet, Helena in Le Songe or Une Soeur in Cendrillon. She participated in the creations of guest choreographers such as Godani, Alonzo King, or Fonte and danced the ballets of Kylian, Forsythe, Inger, Béjart and Balanchine.
THE TEACHER
After 19 years of professional career, Lisa left the stage to live her passion through teaching. With her national teaching diploma in classical dance in hand, she began teaching at A Corps Danse and joined the Princess Grace Academy team in January 2022.
Carsten JUNG
Ballet teacher & Pas de Deux
TRAINING
Born in Germany, Carsten Jung began his training in the Palucca University of Dance in Dresden and continued his studies at School of the Hamburg Ballet (John Neumeier).
THE DANCER
After receiving his diplôme in 1994 John Neumeier ask him to join the company of the Hamburg Ballet. He was promoted to Soloist in 1998 and became a Principal Dancer in 2004. He danced with the Hamburg Ballet for 24 years until the end of his career. During his time in the Hamburg Ballet, he danced principal Roles in many mayor ballets from John Neumeier, such as A Midsummer Nights Dream, Kameliendame, The Nutcracker, Othello, Nijinsky, 3. Symphony Mahler… his ‘Signature Roles’ were Stanley Kowalsky in Streetcar named Desire, Lancelot in the Myth of Arthur, the Prince in The little Mermaid, Peer in Peer Gynt, Man in the Shadow in Illusion’s like Swan Lake...Neumeier created for him the title role in Liliom. For the interpretation of this role he won the “Benois de la Danse 2012 “. And the “Dancer of the Year 2012” by the Magazine "Tanz“.
His repertoire include works from other famous choreographer’s like Cranko (Onegin), Ek (She was black), Robbins (Dances at the gathering, the Concert), Ashton (La fille mal gardée), Balanchine (Diamonds), Duato (Remanso), Limon (The Unsung), Christopher Wheeldon created VIII for him… Among his many partners on stage were Ballerina’s like Alina Cojocaru, Alessandra Ferri, Olga Smirnova, Agnes Letestu. He was invited to dance in Stuttgart, Wien, London, Oslo, Buenos Aires, Moskau (Kremlin Gala), Tokio (Alina Cojocaru & friends), Tokio, Roberto Bolle & Alessandra Ferri & friends, Australia (Queensland Ballet).
THE TEACHER
He took part in the professional Teacher Training Program at Canada’s National Ballet School in 2019.
In 2021, he joined the Princess Grace Academy.
Thierry SETTE
Ballet teacher & Pas de Deux
TRAINING
Born in Monaco, Thierry Sette began studying dance at the Conservatoire of Menton where Marika Besobrasova was at the time the director of the dance department. He continued his studies in vocational training at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance.
THE DANCER
He was hired in 1978 by Stuttgart Ballet directed by Marcia Haydée. Promoted to soloist in 1989, he has since danced the classical roles of John Cranko: Onegin, The Taming of the Shrew, Poem of Ecstasy, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliet, Holberg, Bolshoi: Pas de deux, Card Games, Brouillards as well as the classical ballets: Giselle, La Dame aux Camellias (John Neumeier). During his career, he has worked with great choreographers such as Jiri Kilian, William Forsythe (in Love Songs, Orphéo) Maurice Béjart (Gaite Parisienne), Sir Kenneth MacMillan (Requiem, Gloria), Hans Van Manen, Glen Tetley (The Rite of Spring Voluntaries), David Bentley, Uwe Scholz, Heinz Spoerli and Robert North. He counts among its partners Marcia Haydée, Birgit Keil, Suzanne Hanke, Karen Kain and Natalia Makarova.
THE TEACHER
He obtained his State Diploma as a ballet teacher in 1998. In 1998, he was hired at the Princess Grace Academy of Classical Dance directed by Marika Besobrasova as Teacher and Director. He began his teaching career in particular by teaching classes for boys, repertoire and pas de deux classes.
In 2009 when Luca Masala took over the management of the Academy, he asked him to continue working with him. He is a visiting teacher in international dance training in Japan and Australia.
Roland VOGEL
Ballet teacher & Pas de Deux
TRAINING
Trained at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, Roland Vogel was awarded the State Diploma of classical dancer in 1986. In parallel he received professional music training and took part several times with great success in the "Jugend Musiziert" competition.
THE DANCER
Hired at the end of his studies by the Stuttgart Ballet under the direction of Marcia Haydee, he has remained faithful to the company until the end of his career. Appointed soloist in 1994, he was promoted to first soloist with the new director Reid Anderson in 1997. During his career he danced the title roles in classical ballets such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Giselle, The Nutcracker, La Bayadere and Paquita. He interpreted the major roles of John Cranko, such as Romeo and Juliet, Onegin (nominated for this role in 1999 for the Prix Benois de la Danse), The Taming of the Shrew, The Lady and the Fool, not to mention his abstract pieces Aus Holberg's Zeiten, Legend, Salad, L'estro armonico, Brouillards, Card Game. He also danced leading roles in ballets of the major choreographers of this century, Balanchine, Ashton, McMillan, Béjart, Kylián, Forsythe, Neumeier, van Manen, Scholz. Choreographers such as Neumeier, Scholz, Bintley, Bigonzetti, O'Day and Oliviera created compositions for him. Invited in 1998 to the opening of the Olympic Games in Nagano, he danced Le Jeune Homme, a Pas de Deux by Uwe Scholz, with the first soloist of the Leipzig Ballet Kiyoko Kimura. His partners on stage have been stars like Alessandra Ferri, Marcia Haydée, Margaret Illmann, Polina Seminiova and Sue Jin Kang. During his career he has been invited to dance at the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Prague, Tokyo, Deutsche Oper Berlin and the Ballet Company of Hanover.
THE TEACHER
Between 1999 and 2001, he studied and obtained a degree in dance teaching at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, within the Württemberg Staatstheater. At the end of his dance career, he turned immediately to his new goal, teaching, when Marika Besobrasova, Director of the Princess Grace Academy of Dance in Monaco, asked him to join her teaching staff. He worked closely with her until 2009. In 2009, Luca Masala, appointed Director of the Princess Grace Academy, asked him to continue working in his team. He choreographed many pieces for performances of the Academy, including the Firebird with the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo and « Augenblick ». He taught as guest teacher for Europa Dance or the École Supérieure de Danse de Cannes Rosella Hightower, and in many international schools and companies like the Beijing dance Academy for five years, where he choreographed « Lieben Sie Bach ? ». From 1999 to 2008 he was a member of the jury of NBA Ballet in Tokyo. From 2004 to 2008 he was a member of the jury of the YAGP competition in New York, in 2015, he was jury for the semi-finals in Paris. Since 2006, he has been in constant contact with the National Ballet of China in Beijing and was invited by Zhao Ruheng (Director NBC) to teach the principal roles in Cranko's Onegin, The Seventh Symphony of Scholz and Swan Lake by Makarova.
He was engaged as Ballet Master by the IBCC (Zhao Ruheng). He participated as Ballet Master for the Diana Vishneva production, with Marrinsky dancers. Since 2014, he was invited by « The Association of Jappanese Ballet » as Teacher of Master classes as coach to supervise 2 productions : Lac des Cygnes and Giselle with the « Tokyo City Ballet ». For the Trainingswoche Oktober 2016, he was invited as Teacher of Master Classes at the (taZ) Tanz Akademie Zürich.
Olivier LUCEA
Ballet & contemporary dance teacher
TRAINING
Born in Bayonne in 1972, Olivier Lucea began his training with Nicole Carporzen in Pau and with Rudy Bryans in Montpellier and continued it at the School of the Hamburg Ballet.
THE DANCER
From 1991, he was hired as soloist by the Düsseldorf Opernhaus, Zurich Opernhaus, Munich Staatsballett ballet companies and La Compania Nacional de Danza in Madrid, before joining Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo in 2001 where he danced until 2011. Jean-Christophe Maillot gives him roles in his creations: a Prince’s friend in Cendrillon, Mercutio and a Friend in Roméo et Juliette, Puck in Le Songe, Œil pour Œil, Miniatures, Men's dance, Vers un Pays Sage, Opus 40. He also danced The Four Temperaments by George Balanchine, The Second Detail, In the Middle…somewhat elevated, Enemy in the Figure by William Forsythe, Signing off de Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, No More Play de Jiri Kylian, In Memoriam and Mea Culpa by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Boléro by Maurice Béjart.
THE TEACHER
In 2011, he assisted Catherine Allard in the context of the Monaco Dance Forum, then Luca Masala invited him to the Princess Grace Academy as Guest Professor. He earned a State degree as Professor of Dance and became a permanent member of the Academy’s teaching staff in September 2011.
He is also Guest Professor in many international companies: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, Hanover Ballet, Universal Ballet (South Korea), Northern Ballet (Leeds, UK).
He participates in several teaching programmes abroad with major schools, including the Northern Ballet School (Leeds), Sunhwa Arts School and Korean Sport University, etc.
He is a regular guest in juries for international dance competitions.
Gioia MASALA
Ballet & contemporary dance teacher
TRAINING
At the age of 7 years, Gioia Masala started dancing and then entered the School of the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan at the age of 10. She completed her training at the School of American Ballet.
THE DANCER
In 1989 she joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium, where she was to return in 1999 as a soloist, and then the Staattheater Wiesbaden in Germany also as a soloist. She interprets the great ballets in the classical repertoire but her curiosity also encourages her to try to more modern works. At the age of 24 she performed in Wiesbaden in particular the role of Anita in West Side Story by Jerome Robbins. In 2000, she joined the Ballets de Monte-Carlo directed by Jean-Christophe Maillot as soloist and danced leading roles in pieces by him: The Mother in Romeo & Juliet, The Octopus in Oeil pour Œil, The Stepmother in Cinderella, The Queen in La Belle, The Dream, Miniatures, Towards a wise country. At the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, she also performed ballets by William Forsythe (In the Middle, somewhat elevated, Second Detail, Artifact Suite), Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui (In memoriam, Mea Culpa), Jiri Kylian (The Wedding), Nijinsky (The Rite of Spring), Chris Haring (Sacre - The Rite Thing) and Maurice Béjart (The Rite of Spring).
THE TEACHER
In 2008, she revived In Memoriam by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for students at the Paris Conservatoire. In 2010 she revived the same ballet at the dance school in Antwerp and for Introdanse, then in 2011 for the company "At Danza" in Barcelona. In the same year she revived Opus 40 by Jean-Christophe Maillot at the Princess Grace Academy and Romeo and Juliet of Jean-Christophe Maillot for the "Korea National Ballet" in Seoul. In 2012, she graduated from her training with Swissbody Pilates Level 1 in Geneva and was awarded the State Diploma for dance teacher at the Centre National de la Danse in Paris. She has also completed a specialist course in the study of feet at Swissbody Pilates in Geneva. Since September 2012 she has taught ballet, contemporary and Pilates at the Princess Grace Academy. In 2014, she revived Mea Culpa and In Memoriam by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for Natalia Ossipova and Ivan Vassiliev, in California. In 2014 and 2015, she was invited by the Southland Ballet Academy in California, for the short intensive summer courses. In 2016, she revived In Memoriam by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui for the company Introdanse in Arnhem (Netherlands).
Pianists
PIANISTS
Massimiliano GRECO
Main pianist & responsible of the music department
TRAINING
Piano: Piano Diploma with highest honours and congratulations from the jury at the Music Conservatoire "N. PICCINNI" in Bari under the aegis of Maestro H. Pell.
Composition with Maestro O. De Lillo
Piano learning with T. Aprea, A. Lonquich, M. Golia, C. Giudici and the Accademia Chigiana of Siena with M. Campanella and A. Weissemberg.
Advanced composition with T. Procaccini
Conductor training with N. Samale
Advanced computer music with the teachers of the CRM Centre de Recherches Musicales in Rome.
THE COMPOSER
"Divertissements" - Cinque danze per pianoforte - produced at the IX Festival Internazionale in Bardolino, "Suite per pianoforte" for the lyrical drama "Le Cascate" of Margherita Sergardi, poet and playwright of Siena, "Preces" - three prayers for choir and string orchestra, played in the Basilica of San Nicola in Bari during the First World Festival.
He is the author of a vast repertoire of compositions for classical and contemporary dance lessons. They are available in a discography collection. He composed pure songs/musics used several times for choreographies.
He composed all the music for the character dance programme of D.A.I.-DANCE ARTS INTERNATIONAL in London, Ente di Diffusione internazionale della Danza, Londra.
THE TEACHER
Author of a refresher course for dance piano accompanists.
Author of a project on the "knowledge and application of music in dance".
A.N.L.I.D. - Associazione Nazionale di danza Liberi Insegnanti Modena - invited him as guest teacher of "Musical theory and forms applied to dance," during the course exam preparation for teachers of the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome.
In 2007 he was invited to give a refresher course for "Maestro Collaboratore per la danza" reserved for graduate pianists, organised by the Fondazione del Teatro Comunale in Bolzano and the European Community. In 2014, invited by the Tokyo Ballet, he given an advanced course for pianist accompanists.
THE MUSICIAN
He is the winner of numerous piano competitions, including: 1st prize at the 15th Rassegna Internazionale "F. Liszt" in Lucca, 1st prize at the European Competition in Ostuni, 1st prize at the Concorso Nazionale di Città pianistico Mignano Montelungo, 1st prize at the Concorso Nazionale "Città di Valentino" and 1st prize at the Concorso Nazionale "Città di Sorrento".
At the invitation of RAI and RADIO VATICAN, he recorded a series of broadcasts of a musicological character on the least known part of the work of Franz Liszt.
In May 1990 he received from the Ministry of Culture in Rome the diploma for Artistic Distinction of the Centro Internazionale ICAS-CLUB UNESCO.
In 1998, he was invited to the Spoleto Festival by HUBBARD SREET DANCE COMPANY of Chicago as chief pianist.
DANCE
He has collaborated with most great Ballet Masters, dancers and choreographers in the world of the ballet and the contemporary dance.
He was invited, as chief pianist and musical assistant, to the IX Corso di Formazione Professionale per Giovani Danzatori ATERBALLETTO in Reggio Emilia. On this occasion, he played for Vittoria Ottolenghi for his "lezioni spettacolo".
He was President of the Associazione Regionale Puglia Danza-FNASD/Federdanza: AGIS-Ente Regionale for the promotion of dance.
He was Musical Head of the Accademia Internazionale di Alto Coreutica Ente Perfezionamanto nelle Arti della Danza in Florence.
In 2003, his work for the accompaniment of dance classes was used in the TV programme AMICI DI MARIA DE FIPLIPPI Mediaset by R.Brescia, teacher of classical dance in this edition.
In September 2001, he was chosen as the only Italian pianist to accompany the MASTER DE DANZA CLASSICA led V.VASILIEV at the Concorso Internazionale di Danza III "MICHELE ABBATE" in Caltanissetta, as well as in subsequent editions directed successively by E. Terabust and A.Molin.He was the Italian pianist invited to Palermo for the Outreach Programme of the Royal Ballet School. He was also invited by the School of Ballet of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. It was master accompanist at the School of Ballet of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples.
It was master accompanist and Musical Assistant of the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse.
Since September 2010, he has been Chief Pianist and Head of Music at the Princess Grace Academy in Monaco.
Antonio PUNTILLO
Piano accompanist
TRAINING
October 2011 University Degree in piano at the Conservatory of music "S. Giacomantonio" Cosenza with M° Roberto Russo.
October 2008 - June 2009: he attended “Attività Musicale Autonoma e Imprenditoriale” course (Musical Activity and Cultural Management), La Scala Academy in Milan.
October 2006 University degree - Doctor in Disciplines of the Arts, Music and Show University of Calabria; Thesis: “Il grillo del focolare” of Riccardo Zandonai.
FORMATIVE EXPERIENCES
April-July 2012: “Specializing Course for Ballet Pianist” at Académie Princesse Grace with M° Massimiliano Greco. He also played for the ballet classes during the Summer Ballet Course of the Académie.
July 2008: he attended a course for Ballet Pianist Organized in Florence by Accademia Internazionale Coreutica. He studied with Massiliano Greco and Elisabeth Hertel (director of the Accademia).
June 2007-July 2007: he attended a specializing High Artistic Formation Course for ballet pianist organized by the theatre of Bolzano and the European Community. Teachers: Massimiliano Greco, Elisabeth Hertel, Cristina Amodio, Chiara Tanesini, Giorgio Madia and other pianist from “Arena di Verona”.
September 2011 Summer Plan Course held by the Teachers Roberto Russo and Edith Murano (Florence).
August 2009 “Friends of the Music” Association "Fedele Fenaroli" - Internal International Seminar of Orchestral Formation "XXXVIII Edition” Estate Musicale Frentana.
September-October 2007: he attended Course of High artistic formation “stage and lights Director" Preparation and Tour de "La Bohème" of G. Puccini Teatri of Treviso, Jesi and Fermo.
March 2006: he attended the 4° meeting of study of Musica Analysis promoted by the G.A.T.M. - Institute of High Artistic and Musical Formation "F. Fenaroli" Rimini.
WORKING EXPERIENCES
February 2014: Ballet Pianist International Stage “Promo Danza” – Battipaglia Italy. Teacher : Roland Vogel, Académie Princesse Grace.
From season 2014: pianist for “Bel Canto Association” of Menton (Francia) playing for important singers of Opera.
From saison 2012: ballet Pianist at Académie Princesse Grace playing ballet classes for: Luca Masala (Director), T. Sette, M. Rahn, R. Vogel, C. Pastorel, O. Lucea, G. Masala, M. Ribaud, Y. Ichino, W. Burmann (with Company of Ballet of Montecarlo), Y. Boquin, musical assistant for the performances of the Académie.
Jahye EUH
Piano accompanist
Guests
