Artists

Artists

Giuseppe Canale’s experiences, in Italy and abroad have allowed him to build a large network of dancers and artists in the field. GCDANCEVENTS offers artistic collaborations with international renowned dancers and professionals to help you reach your goal or create your desired event.

Dancers

Lucia Lacarra

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Spanish

Career

International Principal Dancer

Born in Spain she graduated from Victor Ullate Ballet School and immediately after joined the company and already from the start performed leading roles.

Soon after Lucia moved to France to start working as Principal Dancer with Roland Petit’s Ballet de Marseille where has been for years an inspirational muse for the choreographer, performing in most of his productions.

In 1997 decided to move overseas all the way to USA and start performing as Principal Dancer with San Francisco Ballet, enriching her repertoire with classical and neoclassical works from some of the most acclaimed choreographers.

In 2002, Lacarra moved to Munich becoming Principal Dancer with the Bavarian State Ballet, where for more than a decade has danced divinely the entire repertoire of the company, interpreting a large part of John Neumeier ballets.

Since 2016 kept performing internationally with some of the most prestigious theatres around the world and guested as principal ballet star in some of the finest dance events.

Lucia is an international acclaimed Principal Dancer awarded with some of the most prestigious prizes in the history such as:

-2002 Nijinsky Award

-2003 Prix Benois de la Danse

-2010,2011 and 2012 Dance Open Award

-2011 The Dancer of the Decade

Lucia has been our main ballet start at Bellini International Dance Gala in 2017 and we are honored and thrilled to being able to have her on stage in some of our future events.

Jurgita Dronina

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Russian

Career

International Principal Dancer

Born in Russia, Jurgita was raised in Lithuania and completed her training in Munich, Germany. She considers and calls Toronto her home.

Jurgita is the winner of numerous international ballet competitions including the International Ballet Competition in Helsinki and Moscow.

Prior to joining The National Ballet of Canada, Jurgita was a Principal Dancer with The Royal Swedish Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet and English National Ballet. She was a Guest Principal Dancer with The Royal Danish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Hong Kong Ballet, Opera del’Roma, Arena di Verona and Teatro San Carlo in Naples, to name a few.

Jurgita collaborates with GCDANCEVENTS and she is available for galas and guest performances.

Rachele Buriassi

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Currently Principal dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal.

Born in Sarzana (Italy), Rachele started dancing in Italy before being admitted, at the early age of 11, at the École De Danse de Rosella Hightower (Cannes,France). She then moved to Germany to attend the John Cranko School (Stuttgart, Germany) to complete her studies under the Vaganova Method.

Immediately after graduation, Rachele joined Stuttgart Ballet as corps de ballet but, in just a few years, her talent was recognized and she was promoted first to Second Soloist and then to First Soloist.

In 2015, She decided to move over to the other side of the world and join Boston Ballet (Boston USA) as First Soloist.

Since 2019, Rachele is a Principal Dancer at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens (Montreal Canada).

She has been collaborating with GCDancEvents from its very beginnings and we are thrilled to continue our work together for the many events to come.

Matthew Golding

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Canadian

Career

International Principal Dancer

He began his professional ballet training at 14, at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, then moved on to the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington DC, where he studied on a full scholarship for two years.

At 16, Golding won the prestigious Youth America Grand Prix in New York and Prix de Lausanne, which gave him the opportunity to study at The Royal Ballet School in London, where he graduated with honors.

He joined ABT’s Studio Company in September 2003 and the main company as an apprentice in April 2004.

In 2009 he joined Dutch National Ballet as a second soloist and was promoted to principal in 2010 and has been guesting with the Mariinsky Ballet, Vienna State Ballet, Berlin State Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Tokyo Ballet, English National Ballet and at the Nureyev Ballet Festival, the Japan International Ballet Festival and in Hong Kong.

He joined the Royal Ballet as a Principal Dancer in February 2014 but left the company in 2017. His repertory includes Solor, Romeo (Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet), Basilio (Alexei Ratmansky’s Don Quixote) and Prince (Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella and Peter Wright’s The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker).

Golding’s awards include the Zwaan Prize (2010), the Alexandra Radius Prize (2011) and nominations for the Benois de la danse Prize (2012 and 2013).

We are thrilled to have him on our team and can not wait to share his experience on our future events

Gioacchino Starace

Dancer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Born in Italy in 1994, he began his training at Centro Studi Evoluzione Danza under the direction of Maria Grazia Minopoli.

After a short period of study in New York and a year at Teatro San Carlo in Naples, he graduated from Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. In the same year he joined Teatro alla Scala di Milano as corps de ballet.

Among the interpreted roles, The Nutcracker by Nacho Duato ,The Garden of Lovers by Massimiliano Volpini (Don Giovanni), Le Sacre du Printemps by Glen Tetley ,Shéhérazade by Eugenio Scigliano (Shariar), La Valse (a couple), Symphony in C (George Balanchine), Progetto Händel (Mauro Bigonzetti), La Dame aux Camélias by John Neumeier (Gaston Rieux), Petite Mort by Jiří Kylián and Boléro by Maurice Béjart in the title role.

He is the winner of various awards such as the Danza&Danza Award as an Emerging Interpreter (2017), the Europa in Danza Merit Award as an emerging dancer of the corps de ballet of the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan (2018), the MADSS Award as Emerging Talent (2019), the Merit Award at the Capri Danza International Award (2020) and the Golden Ball National Award for Dance (2020).

Gioacchino collaborates closely with GCDANCEVENTS helping dancers create their audition portfolio in our branch in Milan and we are looking forward to share his talent during our events on stage with the public.

Roddy Doble

Principal Dancer
Nationality: American

Career

Currently Principal Dancer with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Born in Southbury (Connecticut, USA) his professional dance career began in 2006 with American Ballet Theatre’s Studio Company. He was promoted into their main company in 2007, and served as a corps de ballet member until 2013, when he joined Boston Ballet. Doble was promoted to second soloist there in 2014, and first soloist in 2017. In 2019, he joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens as a principal dancer.

Roddy’s repertoire includes a big part of the classical repertoire and creations of great choreographers, such as William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Wayne McGregor, Twyla Tharp and George Balanchine.

Alessio Scognamiglio

Dancer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Currently dancing with Les Ballets de Monte Carlo.

Alessio started dancing in Naples (Italy) , under the direction of Rosalba Cesare, and then completed his studies at Academie Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo where he graduated in 2013.

He joined West Australian Ballet immediately after graduation and became a demi-soloist soon after.

In 2018 moved to Montreal joining Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal where he had the chance to dance soloist roles like Albrecht in Giselle.

In 2019 he was welcomed by Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo under the direction of Jean Christophe Maillot, where he performs internationally with some of the best choreographers of our time.

Natascha Mair

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Austrian

Career

Currently Principal Dancer with English National Ballet.

Born in Vienna ( Austria) completed her dance studies at Vienna State Ballet School and immediately after graduation joined the Vienna State Ballet.

Right from the start Natascha has been dancing important roles in most of the company’s repertoire.

In 2018 she got promoted to Principal Dancer following the performance of Rudolf Nureyev’s Nutcracker.

Natascha has been guesting in a lot of prestigious dance events and galas around the world in Italy, Romania, Austria, Japan, Slovenia, Spain and many more.

She has been awarded with many recognized prizes such as:

-Prize of the jury at the International contest of Ballet Schools in Beijing (China)

-First prize at Premio Roma Danza ( Italy)

-Sponsorship Award at the ballet Club Wiener Staatsoper & Volksoper

 

We are very excited to have her on board of our team and looking forward to have her on our future events.

Rosario Guerra

Soloist Dancer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Rosario Guerra was born in Naples where he started dancing at Spazio Danza School directed by Annalisa Cernese.He then joined Scuola del Balletto di Toscana in Florence directed by Cristina Bozzolini and immediately after graduation, he became a member of Junior Balletto di Toscana and then joined Balletto Teatro di Torino as a soloist in 2009, under Loredana Furno’s direction.

From 2010 till 2019 Rosario becomes part of Gauthier Dance Company, where he danced choreographies by Eric Gauthier, Alejandro Cerrudo, Jiří Kylián, Mauro Bigonzetti, Paul Lightfoot & Sol León, Christian Spuck, Jirí Bubenícek, Itzik Galili, Marco Goecke, Cayetano Soto, Ohad Naharin, Hofesh Schechter and many others.

Rosario joined Staatsballett Hannover in 2019 as a soloist under the direction of Marco Goecke and since then he has been performing his works worldwide with the company and during international dance galas and festivals.

Rosario is represented by GCDANCEVENTS, and he is available for galas, performances, artistic interventions and contemporary repertoire masterclass.

AWARDS

 

  • Best Italian Dancer abroad by Danza&Danza in 2011
  • Best Dancer of the season by Dance for you Magazine in 2012
  • Male Dancer of the year by Jahrbuch Tanz in 2016
  • New Comer of the month by the German magazine “Tanz” in 2016
  • Best performer of the year by Danza&Danza in 2016
  • Best Young Dancer of the year by Dance for you Magazine in 2018
  • Best Male Dancer of the year by Dance for you Magazine in 2018
  • Nominated or DER FAUST 2018 with “Infant Spirit” by Marco Goecke
  • Best Italian Dancer Abroad by Premio Napoli in Danza in 2021

Yui Sugawara

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Japanese

Career

Currently Soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens.

Yui started dancing at age 4 and graduated from Ellison Ballet ( New York, USA) in 2014.

She worked with Hong Kong Ballet from 2014 to 2017, and has been dancing with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal ( Québec, Canada)  since 2017. And was then promoted to soloist in 2018.

Yui has been dancing soloist roles in many classical productions, such as Don Quixote, Serenade, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, Paquita, Carnival of the animals, Giselle, Coppélia, Pinocchio, as well as other neoclassical ballets and contemporary creations.

GCDancEvents is looking forward to share her talent with the public.

Mai Kono

Soloist
Nationality: Japanese

Career

Currently Soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens

Mai started dancing in Japan and then completed her studies at the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung Munich Ballet Academy (Munich, Germany) 

Second  place and the Audience Favorite Award at the Prix de Lausanne competition in 2007, she joined Bavarian State Ballet in Munich and in the same year got promoted to Soloist. 

She has performed as soloist in a large amount of roles, such as: Olga in Onegin, Helena in Midsummer Night’s Dream by John Neumeier, Gulnara in Le Corsaire by Ivan Liska after M.Petipa, Voice of Spring by Frederick Ashton and many more leading choreographers.

In 2017 joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal (Quebec, Canada) as a soloist, where she has had the opportunity to work with some of the best choreographers, under the direction of Ivan Cavallari.

Anya Nesvitaylo

Soloist
Nationality: Ukrainian

Career

Currently Soloist with Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal.

Born and raised in Kharkov (Ukraine), Anya completed her dance studies at the  Kharkov Choreography School. Immediately after graduation in 2001, Anya joined The Kharkov Theatre of Opera and Ballet n.Lysenko ( Kharkov, Ukraine) where she danced a big part of the classical repertoire.

After six years in Ukraine, she decided to move abroad and join The Cairo Opera House (Cairo, Egypt) as a first soloist.

She soon moved again and joined Atlantic Ballet Theatre of Canada ( New Brunswick, Canada)  as lead soloist where she had the chance to dance internationally with classical, neo-classical and contemporary creations.

Since 2015, Anya has worked at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal (Quebéc , Canada) as soloist and works with internationally renowned choreographers, under the direction of Ivan Cavallari.

GCDancEvents is looking forward to collaborating with her for upcoming events.

Boryana Petrova

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Bulgarian

Career

Boryana Petrova was born in Sofia and she started dancing at the National School of Dance Art, in the class of Rumyana Atanasova. Following her graduation, she attended a last year at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, in the class of Irina Sitnikova.

She then decided to return to Bulgaria and join Sofia Opera and Ballet as a soloist under the direction of Sarah Nora Kristeva. 

In 2018 she got promoted to Principal dancer and since then she has been dancing a large part of classical repertoire as a lead dancer. Her repertoire includes Nutcracker, Coppelia, Swan Lake, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, Le Corsaire, La Bayadere Anna Karenina, Don Quixote among others.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Boryana Petrova during performances, galas, and artistic interventions.

Emil Yordanov

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Bulgarian

Career

Emil Yordanov was born in Varna, and he graduated from the National School of Dance Art in Sofia in the class of Peter Koldamov.

In 2006, he joined the Sofia Opera and Ballet under the direction of Sarah Nora Kristeva and after just a few years he became a soloist dancer before being promoted in 2012 to principal dancer.

Emil has danced the leading roles in a large part of the existing classical repertoire by Yuri Grigorovich and Peter Lukanov: Swan lake, Coppelia, Giselle, The Sleeping beauty, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, Carmen, Don Quixote, Le Crsaire, The lady with the camelias, Zorba The Greek.

Emil has been invited to guest in Europe, Asia and South America and he has danced in numerous international dance galas.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Emil Iordanov during performances, galas, and artistic interventions.

Danilo Notaro

 Étoile
Nationality: Italian

Career

Danilo Notaro trained at the dance school of the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples under the direction of Anna Razzi, graduating in 2014; He immediately began his professional career in the Neapolitan Massimo Ballet, playing solo roles and as Principal Dancer in Roland Petit’s Proust ou les intermittences du coeur, Pas de trois in Ricardo Nuñez’s Swan Lake, Puck and Paris in Dream of A Midsummer Night by Paul Chalmer, Prince in The Nutcracker by Giuseppe Picone, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake by Rudolf Nureyev and in that of Patrice Bart.

Subsequently, he played the role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet by Mac Millan, In the middle somewhat elevated by William Forsythe, Jean De Brienne from the ballet Raymonda by Rudolf Nureyev, Serenade by George Balanchine.

In December 2022 he was named Étoile after the performance of Swan Lake by Patrice Bart.

He made his debut in 2023 with the Fondazione Arena di Verona at the Roman Theater playing the role of Manolios in Zorba the Greek by Theodorakis with choreography by Lorca Massine.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Danilo Notaro for galas, shows and artistic interventions around the world.

 

Potiomkin Oleksii

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Ukraine

Career

Graduated from the Kyiv Municipal Dance Academy and the International Slavic University,Oleksii is an honored Artist of Ukraine and Former Principal dancer  of the National Opera of Ukraine in Kiev.

Oleksii has worked with international renowned theaters worldwide such as National Opera of Ukraine, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Lviv National Opera, Statne Divadlo Kosice, Hamburg Kammer Ballet, Luxembourg Ballet among others.

Oleksii has danced a wide range of classical repertoire in La Bayadère, Le Corsair, Don Quixote, Giselle, Carmen, Swan Lake among other works of internationally renowned choreographers.

Mr. Potiomkin has been awarded international recognitions such as:

  • International Competition for Young Performers of Classical Dance Yuri Grigorievich “Fuete Artek” in 2001.
  • International Dance Competition Serge Lifar in 2006.
  •  International ballet competition “Thought Flow” in 2014.
  •  Korean International Ballet Competition in 2016
  •  “Premio Interprete internazionale” in 2023

GCDANCEVENTS represents Oleksii Potiomkin worldwide for guest opportunities during performances, galas and artistic interventions.

Luisa Ieluzzi

Étoile
Nationality: Italian

Career

Luisa Ieluzzi graduated from Scuola di Ballo del Teatro di San Carlo under the direction of Anna Razzi. She began her professional career at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, also taking part in the tour at the Bolshoi Theater in Moscow. She subsequently joined Teatro San Carlo di Napoli, where she played, among other roles, Clara and the Sugar Plum Fairy in The Nutcracker (Panzavolta), Myrtha in Giselle by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot, Marius Petipa; Swanilda in Coppélia by Roland Petit with the supervision of Luigi Bonino.

Luisa Ieluzzi is named Étoile of the Teatro San Carlo in Naples after the performance of Romeo and Juliet by Kenneth MacMillan in 2022.

She has participated in various international festivals and galas, including DANSENCORE in Trois Rivières in Quebec with the artistic coordination of GCDANCEVENTS and choreography by Garrett Smith.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Luisa Ieluzzi for shows, galas, and artistic interventions all over the world.

Filipa de Castro

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Portuguese

Career

Filipa de Castro was born in Lisbon. She trained at the National Conservatory of Lisbon until she joined the National Ballet of Portugal.

She danced with the Royal Ballet of Flandres under the direction of Robert Denvers. After some time, she decided to come back to Portugal where she now stands as Principal Dancer.

Filipa danced the leading roles in Giselle, D. Quijote, Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, La Bayadère, Coppélia, Romeo and Juliet, The Nutcracker, La Sylphide, The Firebird, Paquita and The Rite of Spring (V. Nijinsky), her repertoire also includes main roles in Apollo, Agon, Who Cares? and Serenade from G. Balanchine,among others.

In 2016,she was the recipient of the Positano / Léonide Massine Award for Dancer of the Year on the International Scene.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Felipa de Castro worldwide for guest opportunities during performances, galas and artistic interventions.

Vittorio Galloro

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Ascending from soloist to principal dancer, he showcased his talent in esteemed ballet companies worldwide. His repertoire includes leading roles in iconic ballets like “Don Quixote” and “The Nutcracker,” earning him recognition at international festivals and galas. He graced renowned venues such as the Budapest Opera House and participated in prestigious events in Italy, Germany, Russia, Bulgaria, and Dubai.

Invited as the first soloist at the esteemed Hong Kong Ballet, he received critical acclaim for his performance in the world premiere of “Pinocchio” and continued to captivate audiences with leading roles in ballets like “Coppelia” and “Swan Lake.” Additionally, he ventured into choreography, notably with the production “Tribute to Tchaikovsky,” earning him accolades such as the Capri International Award and the Domenico Modugno Award.

Throughout his career, he participated in numerous international ballet competitions, winning silver and bronze medals and receiving special jury prizes. His journey reflects a dedication to excellence and a commitment to leaving a lasting impact on the world of ballet.

GCDANCEVENTS is proud to represent Vittorio worldwide during galas, performances and artistic interventions.

Arianne Lafita Gonzàlvez

Principal Dancer
Nationality: Cuban

Career

Born in Matanzas, Cuba, Arianne commenced her formal dance training at the Escuela Nacional de Arte (ENA) in Havana under the direction of Fernando Alonso. After graduating as a professional dancer and coach, she was inducted as a member of the International Dance Council (CID UNESCO) in Athens from 2010 onward.

Throughout her renowned career, Arianne has garnered numerous recognitions, securing gold, silver, and bronze medals at the International Ballet Competitions in Havana during the late 1990s and early 2000s.

She embarked on her professional journey with the Ballet Nacional de Cuba under the guidance of Alicia Alonso, subsequently joining “Ballet de Cuba” led by Laura Alonso. Later, she joined the “Victor Ullate Comunidad de Madrid” in Spain.

Arianne boasts an extensive repertoire, showcasing her versatility in both classical and contemporary ballets. Notable performances include leading roles in “Swan Lake,” “Don Quixote,” “Dracula,” and various pas de deux from renowned creations.

Her career has been adorned with invitations to prestigious gala performances worldwide, including the “Thanks Rudy” gala in Milan and the Valencia International Ballet Gala in Spain. She has also been honored with international recognitions such as the Capri International Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Loano Festival.

As a principal dancer, Arianne has performed on stages of esteemed theaters and opera houses across Europe, including the Bucharest Opera, Perm Opera, and Sofia Opera. Her contributions to the world of ballet extend beyond performance, as she continues to inspire audiences with her remarkable talent and unwavering dedication.

GCDANCEVENTS is proud to represent Arianne worldwide during galas, performances and artistic interventions.

 

Choreographers

Garrett Smith

Choreographer
Nationality: American

Career

Garrett Smith was born in Salt Lake City (Utah, USA)  where he began training with the Utah Regional Ballet.

Garrett was named a Presidential Scholar in the Arts, and was honored to meet George W. Bush at the White House where he was presented with and award by Mikhail Baryshnikov. He later studied at the Houston Ballet Academy and created five works for Houston Ballet II’s repertoire.

Garrett joined Houston Ballet and danced works by Stanton Welch, Jorma Elo, Nicolo Fonte, Christopher Bruce, Christopher Wheeldon, and Ben Stevenson.

Garrett choreographed his first work on Houston Ballet as an apprentice, through an award presented by Peter Martins from the New York Choreographic Institute Fellowship.

Mr. Smith later joined Norwegian National Ballet where he worked personally with choreographers Jiři Kylían, Nacho Duato, Alexander Ekman, and danced other works by William Forsythe and John Cranko. Garrett was commissioned by Houston Ballet to create new works in the 2013, and 2015 seasons.

Other recent commissions include The Mariinsky Ballet, Les Grands Ballets De Montréal, Bolshoi Ballet (Faces Project), Norwegian National Ballet, Ballet West, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet National de Bordeaux, Tulsa Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Milwaukee Ballet, Texas Ballet Theater, and Salt Contemporary Dance. Mr. Smith was a selected choreographer to make a new work for the National Choreographers Initiative 2014.

His choreography “Mortal Form” took 1st place at the 2015 Genesis International Choreographic Competition. Smith’s choreography “Solace” was recently seen in a new premiere in Deauville (France) as part of the Festival de L’Art Russe, as well as a U.S. premiere of his work “Imitations” with Norwegian National Ballet, for the 2018 Dance Salad Festival.

Garrett co-choreographed a new Swan Lake production on ice at the Dynamo Stadium in Moscow, combining figure skaters, acrobats, and ballet dancers, with Olympic Gold Medalist, Evgeni Plushenko and prima ballerina Olga Smirnova.

You can see Garrett’s choreography next season on Netflix for the original new series “Tiny Pretty Things”

GCDANCEVENTS represents Garrett Smith worldwide in the diffusion of his creations to all those interested in his works and his artistic line.

Vanes G.R Montoya

Choreographer
Nationality: Spanish

Career

Vanesa G.R Montoya, originally from Spain, is an international choreographer actively working on the Canadian territory.

Mrs.Montoya started her dancing career in Spain at Compańia Nacional de Danza under the Direction of Nacho Duato before moving to Ballet du Rhin in France and later to Les Grands Ballets Canadiens under the direction of Ivan Cavallari, where is currently working as principal dancer.

Mrs.Montoya has created different works for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and a full-length production in 2022.

In 2022 Vanesa has also created a new production for Canada National Ballet in Toronto at the Four Seasons Centre.

Mrs.Montoya has been invited by the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur to create a solo piece on the musical composition of F.H. Leclair, in collaboration with the Metropolitan Orchestra of Montreal.

She actively works with Ecole Superieure de Ballet du Quebec and its graduates for choreographic lab projects and performances.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Vanesa G.R Montoya worldwide by offering her works to those interested in bringing her creation on stage for full-length performances, gala and artistic interventions.

Mauro de Candia

Choreographer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Born in 1981, Mauro de Candia began his dance studies at the age of nine in his hometown in South of Italy, Barletta. After completing his professional training at the Académie de danse classique Princesse Grace in Monte Carlo with Marika Besobrasova, in 2001 he moved to Germany, where he joined the Staatsballett Hanover under the direction of Stephan Thoss.

During his career as a dancer, de Candia had the opportunity to dance in works by Balanchine, Béjart,Thoss, Forsythe, Kylián, Ek, Naharin, Goecke. De Candia was attracted to choreography from a very young age. After his first trials in Monte Carlo and several creations in Hanover, he did concentrate full-time on that since 2008, choreographing for Introdans, Royal Ballet of Flanders,Washington Ballet, Maggio Danza di Firenze, Staatsballett Berlin, among others.

He has also been commissioned and produced by international festivals such as Venice Dance Biennale, Dance Open in St. Petersburg, Biarritz’s Le Temps d’Aimer, Belgrade Dance Festival, Maracaibo Dance Festival or Beijing Dance Festival.

From 2012 until 2021, he was the artistic director and house choreographer of the Dance Company Theater Osnabrück in Germany.

After nine successful seasons, he decided to leave the direction, to be able to devote himself to new artistic challenges. Although he has lived abroad for years, de Candia has always kept a strong connection to his homeland. In Barletta, in 1997, he founded Arte&BallettO, a non-profit organization that initiated the projects such as ApuliArteFestival, International Award ApuliArte, the educational dance program FormAzioneTersicore and his own company Pneuma Dance Theater.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Mauro de Candia in the diffusion of his creations to all those interested in his works and his artistic line.

Ken Ossola

Choreographer
Nationality: Swiss

Career

Ken Ossola started dancing at the early age of 16 and he was accepted at l’École de Danse de Genève and eventually joined the Ballet Junior de Genève.

In 1989, under the leadership of Gerald Tibbs and the Artistic direction of Jiri Kylian, Ken was invited to join Nederlands Dans Theater 2. For the next two years he developed himself as an artist working and creating with leading choreographers such as Hans Van Manen, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Martino Muller, Paul Lightfoot, Nacho Duato, Johan Inger and Jiri Kylian. 

This led him to join NDT 1. Collaborating with Jiri Kylian on a great number of creations including One of a Kind, Blackbird, Tiger Lily, Wings of Wax and Bella Figura, he became one of NDT’s most recognized dancers.

Mr.Ossola worked very closely with Jiri Kylian and started developing his interest for choreography and in 1999 decided to stop dancing to pursue his career as a choreographer. 

Ken Ossola has choreographed for more than twenty years for international renowned dance companies and organizations such as Grand Théâtre de Genève, Grand Ballet Canadiens, Shanghai Ballet, Boston Ballet, Bavarian State Theater , Tanz Luzerner Theater among others.

Mr.Ossola passion and key to choreography has been observing dancers and allowing himself to be swept away by their movements, suggesting, re-formulating a step, as if painting on a canvas.

As well as choreographing, Ken enjoys working in the studio as ballet master. He has worked in that capacity for NDT during their 2004/05 season and has assisted Kylian during the creation of Zugvögel at the Bavarian State Theater in Munich, as well as staging his work and Hans van Manen pieces worldwide.

GCDANCEVENTS is honored to represent Ken Ossola worldwide, sharing his talent to those interested in his creations and work.

Andrea Crescenzi

Choreographer
Nationality: Italian

Career

Born in Potenza in 1996, Andrea Crescenzi began nurturing his passion for dance from a young age. In 2006, at the tender age of 10, he was admitted to the renowned ballet school of Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he obtained his diploma in 2015.

That same year, he joined the corps de ballet of Teatro alla Scala, delving into his calling for choreography. In 2019, he brought to life “Spectra,” a creation designed for six dancers, successfully presented during the dance season at Teatro Comunale di Cesenatico.

Subsequently, Andrea had the opportunity to collaborate with renowned international artists in creating performances and artistic interventions, and he was commissioned to create a show for the opening ceremony of Milan Design Week.

Currently, he is working with Teatro alla Scala in Milan on “Luce,” an engaging pas de trois set to debut in the Dance Gala dedicated to Carla Fracci, scheduled for April 19, 2024, in Milan.

GCDANCEVENTS represents Andrea Crescenzi in Italy and worldwide, promoting his creations and his fresh and innovative choreographic style.

Team

Antonio Pio Rosato

Marketing & Communication
Nationality: Italian

Career

Artistic and creative director with over 10 years of experience in advertising and marketing. Rosato has worked with numerous international renowned fashion houses and make-up brands, including brands such as Valentino, Canali 1934, Pupa, and more, which he directed media and advertising campaigns.

AVENUE, creative communication agency privileging artists, selects international dancers for possible advertising and branded content works for renowned fashion and makeup brands.

AVENUE collaborates with GCDANCEVENTS by working on advertising and marketing compaigns. 

Lucas Labrador

Audition Recruiter and South America Representative

Nationality: Argentinian

Career

Lucas Labrador is an Argentinian dancer and business owner whose experience in South America and abroad have allowed him to strengthen important partnerships in the dance world.

Lucas studied at Julio Bocca Foundation and graduated at Rock School for Dance Education in the United States of America.

He has worked with The Argentinian National Ballet and Atlanta Ballet, and he has guested with Indianapolis Ballet, Sierra Nevada Ballet, Ballet Fantastique, Georgia Dance Theater and many others.

Lucas is also Founder & Director of @balletworldconnected , social media page counting nearly 300k followers helping spread dance news and content.

Lucas joins GCDANCEVENTS as audition recruiter and Latin America representative, working closely with the Argentinian dance community providing the right tools to dancers and professionals looking for professional placement worldwide.

Guy De Bock

Dance Professor
Nationality: Belgian

Career

Graduated from the prestigious Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp, he continues refining his skills at Centre International de Dance Rossella Hightower in Cannes.

Immediately after finishing his studies, Mr. De Bock starts working with Ballet du Wallonie in Belgium before joining as soloist Staatstheater Augsburg, Chemnitzer Opernhaus and Europa Ballet.

Guy De Bock has subsequently worked as freelancer with international renowned choreographer Misha Van Hoecke at Teatro Comunale di Firenze.

After terminating his career as professional dancer, Mr. De Bock is passionate about teaching and starts sharing his international knowledge to the young generation of dancers.

Since more than twenty years, Guy De Bock is an international guest teacher around the world as judge, professor and repetiteur.

GCDANCEVENTS and Mr.De Bock collaborate together preparing dancers for their auditions and assisting them during the process.

Gianni Goffredo

Audition Coordinator

Nationality: Italian

Career

Gianni Goffredo ,originally from Italy,began his training at Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan. He then continued his education at the Ballett-Akademie Hochschule fur Musik und Theater in Munich, Germany and graduated in 2012.

Following graduation Gianni moved to New York City were he started his professional career with DeMa Dance Company, Peridance Contemporary Dance Company and later joined “Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo” with whom he toured nationally and internationally receiving mentions by major newspapers like “The New York Times”, “Danceurope Magazine”, “The Times” and “The Financial Times” to mention a few.

Gianni collaborates with GCDANCEVENTS recruiting dancers on the US territory and he guides them in their audition process through our agency’s services.

James Lyttle

Audition Coordinator

Nationality: Australian

Career

James Lyttle began his training in Ballarat, Victoria following the Cecchetti method.

He received “Most promising Dancer” award at the Cecchetti International Ballet Competition in Canada in 2008 and then He continued his training at The Australian Ballet School, graduating in 2011.

Mr.Lyttle joined the Bavarian State Ballet in Germany in 2013 where he got the chance to perform classical and modern repertoire by John Cranko, John Neumeier, William Forsyth, George Balanchine, Jiri Kylian, Yui Grigorovich and many more.

In 2017 he was invited by Artistic Director Ivan Cavallari to join Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal.

Since then, James has had the chance to work with world renowned choreographers such as Marcia Haydee, Edward Clug, Mauro Bigonzetti, Annabelle Ochoa Lopez, Étienne Béchard and many others.

James’ experiences abroad have enabled him to teach internationally having taught at Munich.

International Ballet School, Japan Cultural Centre (Tokyo) and Japanese Cultural Centre (Montreal) and Melbourne Ballet Company.

James is our Audition coordinator on the Australian territory, helping and guiding Australian dancers to find the right placement into the professional dance industry through GCDANCEVENTS’ services.

Stefano Russiello

Dance Professor
Nationality: Italian

Career

Graduated from Teatro dell’Opera di Roma, he starts his professional career first at Teatro dell’Opera di Roma then continues with Teatro San Carlo di Napoli and Teatro Massimo di Palermo.

Mr.Russiello joins The Israel Ballet where he dances classical and contemporary repertoire by accalimed international choreographers.

He then moves to Perth and  joins West Australian Ballet, where he dances soloist roles in Nutcracker and Peter Pan production by Russell Kerr.

Mr. Russiello then joins Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, under the direction of Ivan Cavallari.

Mr. Russiello now joined GCDANCEVENTS team sharing his knowledge and expertise with those looking to step into the professional dance world.

Carlotta Silvagni

Production Manager

Nationality: Italian

Career

Carlotta Silvagni is an international choreographer, dance critic and competition jury member of various renowned events in Italy and abroad. She has worked for DUBAI EXPO 2020, bringing together more than 50 international dancers with the choreography of Stacey Tookey. 

Carlotta founded +PLUS EVENTS AGENCY and she organizes dance events on the italian territory since more than twenty years. 

Carlotta also works with BALLETTO2000, italian dance magazine since 1980, as sponsor manager.

GCDANCEVENTS actively works with Mrs.Silvagni in the sale of galas, performances, productions and artistic interventions worldwide.

Mikiko Arai

Japanese Coordinator

Nationality: Japanese

Career

Mikio Arai began her dance journey in Japan, later winning acclaim at the Japan National Ballet Competition. She pursued a professional career in Germany and the Netherlands, dancing diverse roles in classical and contemporary ballet. After retiring from dancing, she transitioned to assisting choreographers and coaching young dancers globally.

Mimiko collaborates closely with GCDANCEVENTS and their Japanese clients, providing support for relocation, managing registrations, assisting with the visa process, and offering daily guidance in Japanese while they’re abroad.

Lina Ishii

Japanese Coordinator

Nationality: Japanese

Career

Originally from Japan, Lina Ishii received formal training with Ballet Manila, where she danced for 7 years. Her journey led her to Rigas Horeografijas Vidusskola in Latvia, where she honed her teaching style.
Subsequently, she continued her teacher training at the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia.

She is also the owner of Dance by Lina Dancewear, a dance-wear brand that strives to use mostly refurbished fabrics to contribute to environmental sustainability. Lina

Ishii collaborates with GCDANCEVENTS at assisting Japanese clients during their audition and enrollment process.

GCDANCEVENTS - Napoli - Italy - VAT: 09946921211

Photo credits goes to: Federica Capo, Sasha Onyshchenko, Erik Berg, Amitava Sarkar, Alexander Iziliaev and James Williams

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