BALLET DU CAPITOLE DE TOULOUSE

Biography

For more than two centuries, the Ballet de l’Opéra national du Capitole was devoted primarily to opera: its dancers performed the divertissements within operas staged at the Théâtre du Capitole. It was not until 1949 that evenings entirely dedicated to dance were introduced, on the initiative of Louis Orlandi, ballet master and choreographer.
However, it was only with the appointments of Nanette Glushak (1994–2012) and Kader Belarbi (2012–2023) as directors of the Capitole Ballet that the Toulouse company truly became a fully fledged ballet ensemble, with a repertoire including works by some of the most prestigious choreographers: Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, Serge Lifar, Maurice Béjart, Roland Petit, John Cranko, John Neumeier, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Uwe Scholz, Rudolf Nureyev, Nacho Duato, Carolyn Carlson, Thierry Malandain, David Dawson, among others.
The artistic project and ambition of the Opéra national du Capitole aim to equip the Ballet with a broad classical and neoclassical repertoire while opening it to the diversity of contemporary aesthetics. At the same time, the company seeks to expand its audience, strengthen its regional roots, and extend its influence internationally.
A love of beauty, boldness, and modernity summarize the vocation of the Ballet de l’Opéra national du Capitole.
With 35 dancers representing 14 different nationalities, the company is an ensemble open to the world, whose high artistic level is recognized and appreciated each season by both audiences and critics.
In June 2023, Beate Vollack was appointed Director of Dance of the Opéra national du Capitole. While committed to preserving the academic identity of the company, she also works to maintain and enrich its repertoire and to further develop the excellence of both the ensemble and its individual dancers, encouraging collaboration with guest choreographers from diverse artistic backgrounds.
Under her direction, the Ballet de l’Opéra national du Capitole received the Award for Best Choreographic Company of the 2024–2025 season. This distinction, awarded by the Syndicat national de la Critique, crowned an exceptional season for the Toulouse Ballet, once again demonstrating the breadth and diversity of its repertoire: from classical ballet with the new production of Coppélia by Jean-Guillaume Bart, to contemporary works by the British choreographer Morgann Runacre Temple (Barbara) and the Italian Mauro Bigonzetti (Cantata), as well as demanding Balanchine pieces such as Thème et variations, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, and Who Cares?, and contemporary neoclassical creations by Edward Clug (Don Juan) and Angel Rodriguez (Sémiramis).