The project
With twenty-four dancers currently on permanent contracts, the Ballet Preljocaj monitors the professional careers of its choreographic artists. The Ballet is heavily involved in preparing dancers for their career transition, and is also committed to the professional integration of young dancers who have graduated from conservatoires and higher national schools in France and abroad.
The professionalization unit, renamed Ballet Preljocaj Junior in 2017, is a new project in the field of dance. It is modeled on systems already in place in the theater (JTN) and music (Jeunes Orchestres) sectors.
After supporting the Rencontres des Ballets Juniors Européens in March 2024, the Francis Kurkdjian Endowment Fund is supporting the Ballet Preljocaj Junior in this scheme. The aim of the scheme is to help young artists integrate into professional life and offer them in-depth technical training.
The programme is built around an eleven-month period of professionalization as part of a graduate apprenticeship contract (Master 2) or a final year of training for the DNSPD (Diplôme National Supérieur Professionnel de Danseur) in France, or a final year of training in European schools.
The class of 2024/2025 comprises 12 dancers, 6 girls and 6 boys, who were selected by audition in February 2024.
A leading figure on the contemporary scene since the creation of his company in 1985, Angelin Preljocaj has choreographed nearly 60 works and regularly teams up with other artists: musicians, designers, fashion creators and illustrators. He alternates abstract and radical projects with narrative ballets such as Snow White and Swan Lake. He also makes films and was recently elected to the Académie des Beaux-Arts.