Educational team

Paola Cantalupo

Artistic and Pedagogical Director

She trained at the Dance School of the Teatro alla Scala in Milan where she later began her career as a corps de ballet member. Winner of the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne in 1977, and of the Bronze medal in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson in 1979, she was hired by Maurice Béjart at the Ballet du XXe siècle, and then in 1980, by John Neumeier at the Hamburg Ballet. In 1984, she continued her career as a First Soloist at the National Ballet of Portugal where she performed the leading roles of the ballet repertoire including Gisèle, Swan Lake and La Bayadère. She joined the Ballets de Monte Carlo in 1988. The following year, she was appointed Principal Dancer at the Ballets de Monte Carlo by H.S.H the Princess of Hanover where she performed until 2009. Her eclectic repertoire included major roles from the Ballets Russes (Sheherazade, The Firebird, Les Sylphides), works by G. Balanchine, A. Tudor, J. Kylian, W. Forsythe, R. Petit, as well as flagship creations by Jean-Christophe Maillot (Romeo and Juliet, Nutcracker Circus, Cinderella, Beauty). The Italian critics awarded her the Léonide Massine Prize in Positano in 1991, the Danza e Danza Prize in Venice in 1993, and the Carrière Prize in 2001. She was appointed Knight of the Order of Cultural Merit of the Principality of Monaco in 2002. Holder of the Certificate of Aptitude for the Functions of Dance Teacher, awarded by the French Ministry of Culture, Paola Cantalupo is regularly invited as a teacher or jury member, and was involved, from 2004 to 2017, as a member of the Artistic Committee of the Prix de Lausanne. She is also Vice-President of the Dance Medicine Research Association (ADMR), and an honorary member of the International Association for Dance Medicine & Medicine (IADMS). The Artistic and Pedagogical Director of Rosella Hightower Higher School of Dance in Cannes-Mougins since 2009, she took on the same position for the National Higher School of Dance in Marseille as of 1st March 2012. That dual direction led to the creation of the Cannes – Mougins/ Marseille National Ballet for 2 years in 2017. It would soon become PNSD Rosella Hightower in 2019. On 5th December 2021, Brigitte Lefèvre, Artistic Director of the Cannes Dance festival, had the honour of presenting Paola Cantalupo with the distinction of Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters. That recognition bestowed by Roselyne Bachelot-Narquin, then Minister of Culture, celebrates a life dedicated to dance through an exceptional career.

Céline Galli

Contemporary dance teacher

Céline studies classical and contemporary dance at the Conservatoire à Rayonnement Régional in Nice under the direction of Janine Monin and continues her multidisciplinary professional training at the Off Jazz Dance School and then at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse in Paris. Her professional career spans twenty-two years as a choreographic artist in various companies, choreographic projects, as well as in several cabarets and musicals in France and abroad. She has worked with choreographers such as Gianin Loringett, Serge Alzetta, Stéphane Locci, Bruno Jacquin, Patrick Tridon, Jean Christophe Paré, Maryse Delente, Carolyn Carlson, Laurence Fanon, Kamel Ouali, Lucas Tommassini, Angelin Preljocaj, as well as directors like Alain Maratrat, Elie Chouraqui, Pierre Coulibeuf, Jorge Lavelli, and Laurent Boutonnat. In 2001, she joined the Centre Chorégraphique National d’Aix en Provence Ballet Preljocaj and danced in lead roles in many creations by choreographer Angelin Preljocaj around the world until 2012. Céline holds a state diploma as a contemporary and classical dance teacher. From 2013 to 2021, she was in charge of pedagogy at the CCN of Aix en Provence, leading choreographic workshops in schools, universities, higher education institutions, and conservatories, as well as in social, penitentiary, and hospital centers. She served as a répétitrice for GUID (Groupe Urbain d'Intervention Dansé) and for Ballet Preljocaj Junior. She transmitted repertoire from Angelin Preljocaj, including "4 Saisons" for Ballet Preljocaj Junior and Cannes Jeune Ballet, and "Annonciation" for the Albanian National Opera in Tirana. In 2022, she worked on the transmission-creation of "Le Lac" for the Conservatoire Toulon Provence Méditerranée. She assisted Angelin Preljocaj in the creation of "Soul Kitchen" with women inmates at the Baumettes Penitentiary and in the documentary film "Danser sa peine," directed by Valérie Müller. From 2021 to 2024, she was a classical dance teacher at the CRR of Aix en Provence and a contemporary dance teacher for apprentices at the PNSD Rosella Hightower of Cannes-Mougins and Ballet Preljocaj Junior. At the same time, she worked as a Pilates instructor, graduating in 2018 from the "Romana’s Pilates" method in New York, and as a myo-energetic Shiatsu practitioner, certified in 2008 by Master Hiroshi Iwaoka. Céline will join the teaching team of the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower Cannes-Mougins in September 2024.

Valène Azy-Roux

Jazz pedagogy teacher

Choreographic artist, graduate of the Higher Education Cycle in Jazz Dance in Poitiers. Her solid and diverse training has allowed her to multiply experiences and adapt to various work contexts. She has worked as a dancer-performer and assistant for choreographers with a wide range of styles, including Babeth Angelvin-Pons, Patricia Karagozian, Raza Hammadi, Josette Baïz, Claude Aymon, and Kirsten Debrock. Her journey has been marked by jazz encounters and contemporary influences, which have left a lasting imprint on her artistic work. She is currently pursuing her professional career with Cie Item (young audiences) and in street theatre. A teacher of jazz dance and tap, she holds both the State Diploma (DE) and the Certificate of Aptitude (CA). She currently trains future DE dance teachers at PNSD Rosella Hightower, ESAL Lorraine, and PESMD Bordeaux. She is regularly invited as a guest artist in various institutions and training centers (ISDAT Toulouse, Le Pont Supérieur in Nantes, CNSMD Lyon, Cefedem Normandy…) to give technical classes or teach jazz repertoire. A jury member in dance pedagogy for conservatories and the French Dance Federation (FFD), she also specializes in Functional Analysis of the Body in Dance Movement (AFCMD). In 2017, she choreographed the set variations for the National Jazz Dance Competition organized by the French Dance Federation. In 2018, she created her first piece, Empreinte(s), for the Strasbourg Choreographic Center, which was later restaged twice—for the FFD's youth showcase and ISDAT Toulouse in the following year. In 2022 and 2023, she was the choreographer of the EAT jazz variation for the French Ministry of Culture. Driven by a deep commitment to both dance and pedagogy, she pursues these dual paths with dedication and integrity: her stage experience continuously informs her teaching, grounding it in a pedagogy that is dynamic and present. Valène Roux Azy proposes an organic and contrasted jazz dance, deeply rooted in the genre’s specificities. Around a strong center, the dancer develops fine, syncopated musicality to explore nuanced physical states. Rhythmicity, a cornerstone of jazz movement quality, becomes the driving force behind a responsive and expressive body. Her dance is free, nourished by multiple influences and steeped in the fundamentals of jazz dance.

Jérôme Bénezech

Classical pedagogy teacher

He completed his training at the Paris Opera Ballet school and graduated in choreographic studies. He then pursued a career at the Ballets de Monte Carlo covering various repertoires such as Kylian, Forsythe, Balanchine, Maillot, Armitage, Neumeier, Bournonville, Petit, Fokine, Massine, Lifar, Tudor, Scholz, etc. Graduated with Honours from the Certificate of Aptitude (CA), he has been working at the Nice Conservatory since 1996, overseeing senior years with adjusted schedules. He is regularly invited to higher education dance schools as a jury member for exams, entry competitions and teacher recruitment. He has designed the dance exams for the Ministry of Culture twice, provided pedagogical tutoring for CA candidates (CND Paris and CNSMD Lyon). Additionally, he has served on DE pedagogy juries, and taught technique and dance pedagogy at the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in the Bachelor’s programme until 2019. He is in charge of classical pedagogy within the teacher training programme (DE) at the PNSD Rosella Hightower, both for students’ initial education and within the framework of the 200-hour programme for choreographic artists.

Joëlle Boulogne

Classical dance teacher

Born in Cannes, she studied dance at the International Dance Centre Rosella Hightower, where she was a student of Madame Hightower. In 1986, she joined the Jeune Ballet de France and the following year, she joined the Ballets de Monte Carlo, where she was appointed Soloist in 1991. In 1994, she joined the Hamburg Ballet under the direction of John Neumeier. Appointed as a Soloist in 1995 and promoted to Principal Dancer in 1998, she performed leading roles in La Dame aux Camélias, Sleeping Beauty, Illusions - comme le Lac des cygnes, Midsummer Night’s Dream, A Streetcar Named Desire, Gustav Mahler’s Symphonies, and Les Chaises by Maurice Béjart, alongside John Neumeier. She was invited to numerous companies and performed in Saint-Petersburg, Florence, Copenhagen, Dresden, Stuttgart, Berlin and Tokyo. In 2009, she took part in the Ballets Russes Centenary gala in Monte Carlo. Since 2012, Joëlle Boulogne has been a classical dance teacher initially at the Higher School of Dance (Ecole Supérieure de Danse - ESDC) in Cannes-Mougins, and later at the PNSD Rosella Hightower. She teaches in both the Preparatory and Higher Education cycles, and also serves as the coordinator of the Dance Studies cycle.

Karine Bruscoli

Classical dance teacher

Born in Cannes, the daughter of a dance teacher, she began dancing at a very young age and was admitted to the Nice Opera School at the age of 8. She later pursued her dance and academic education in the Dance Study section in the Conservatory of Nice. At the age of 19, she was hired by the Nice Opera as a Soloist, under the direction of Martine Parmain, where she danced a varied repertoire working with many choreographers including Pierre Darde, Bruno Jacquin, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Michel Descombey, Dennis Wayne, Eddy Toussaint, Flemming Flindt, to name but a few. She gradually devoted herself to teaching and joined the PNSD Rosella Hightower to accredit her prior knowledge and earn her State Diploma (DE) as a classical dance teacher. In 2017, she gained her certificate from the PNSD Rosella Hightower to teach dance to seniors. She is a teacher for children’s classes (initial cycle).

Jeanne Chossat

Contemporary dance teacher

Born in Valbonne, Jeanne Chossat studied dance at the International Dance Centre Rosella Hightower in Cannes, as well as the San Francisco Ballet School. After two years at Cannes Junior Ballet, she began her career by joining the Humaine company (Eric Oberdorff). Eight years later, Jeanne decided to broaden her artistic horizons and started collaborating with other companies including the Reveida Co. (Delphine Pouilly), the Trucmuche Co. (Michel Alibert), the Eugénie Andrin Co., the Antipode Co. (Lisie Philip) the BE Co. (Caroline Duval) and the Trans Co. (Laurence Marthouret). She simultaneously carried out several educational actions within the National Education system, as well as the National Conservatory of Nice. She joined the Contemporary Faculty at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in the fall of 2020, and teaches in the initial and preparatory cycles, as well as to students pursuing the State Diploma in Dance Education (DE).

Francesco Curci

Form teacher for DNSP1 and 3 (higher cycle 1 and 3) and Pedagogical Head of the Erasmus Programme

Born in Italy, Francesco Curci studied dance at the Progetto Danza Reggio Emilia, Zappalà Danza, Scuola del Balletto di Toscana and Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy. Throughout his professional career, he danced in different projects as a freelancer, as well as in various contemporary dance companies including MM Company and Astra Romma Ballet in Italy, as well as Station Zuid, Holland Dance Festival, Dance Works Rotterdam, Project Sally Maastricht and Conny Janssen in the Netherlands. In 2013, Francesco Curci was nominated for ‘The Swan 2013’, the prestigious Dutch dance award from the Theater and Concert Hall Management Association (VSCD), in the category of ‘Most Impressive Dancers’ for his performance in Conny Janssen Danst’s piece ‘How Long is Now’. He became a contemporary dance teacher at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes in 2014. Francesco is regularly invited as a guest teacher in Switzerland, the Netherlands and Italy. Additionally, he has been the artistic coordinator of the annual show for the PNSD Rosella Hightower since 2017. Francesco also works as an independent choreographer. He has created several pieces which have been staged in the Netherlands, France, Italy, Spain, Hong Kong and Japan. He has choreographed for Codarts Rotterdam Dance Academy, Conny Janssen Danst (the Netherlands), Dansateliers (the Netherlands), Agora Coaching Project Reggio Emilia, the National Higher Dance School in Marseille, the ISDS Stars of Tomorrow gala in Hong Kong, Valencia Dancing Forward (Spain), Dance Works Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Rome’s International Academy of Dance, Yokohama Ballet Festival 2017 (Japan), the Cannes Junior Ballet, and the PNSD Rosella Hightower (France). Francesco choreographed and performed his last solo ‘Life, Death and Love’ in 2020, in collaboration with musician Raminta Neverdauskaite. In May 2021, guided by his call to further devote himself to creation and choreographic research, Francesco founded the AMORPHOUS DANCE COMPANY. Alongside his career as a dancer, Francesco has earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social and Psychological Research through distance learning at the University of Sapienza in Rome (Department of Medicine and Psychology). He is currently the form teacher for DNSP1 and 3 (higher cycle 1 and 3) and Pedagogical Head of the Erasmus Programme.

Leandro d'Andrea

Ballet teacher for the initial cycle

Born in Civitavecchia (Province of Rome), he found his yearning for dance in classes at a private school before joining the National Academy of Dance in Rome. Engaged at the Rome Opera ballet, under the direction of Maya Plissetskaïa, he discovered the great works of the ballet repertoire such as Raymonda, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Don Quixote, Phaedra, Petrouchka, Spartacus. In 1988, hired by Roland Petit at the Ballet de Marseille, he danced in the choreographer’s major pieces including Carmen, L’Arlésienne, Les Intermittences du Cœur, Notre Dame de Paris, L’Ange Bleu, Coppélia, Les Quatre Saisons, Cyrano de Bergerac, Le Chat Botté, and Ma Pavlova. He joined the Ballets de Monte-Carlo where he performed the ballets of the Ballets Russes repertoire such as Sheherazade, The Firebird, The Dances of Prince Igor, Gaîté Parisienne, alongside ballets by choreographer George Balanchine and contemporary choreographers including Jean-Christophe Maillot – director of the Ballets –, Angelin Preljocaj, and Bertrand D’At. In 1997, he continued his career at the Ballet of the National Opera in Lyon. He is a certified Pilates instructor. Since 2004, he has been teaching at the Rosella Hightower Higher Dance School (ESDC) in Cannes-Mougins and later at the PNSD Rosella Hightower as a ballet teacher for the initial cycle.

Joëlle Donati

Contemporary dance teacher for the preparatory and higher education cycle. Homeroom teacher for DNSP2

Trained at the International Dance Centre Rosella Hightower in Cannes and at the school of the Nice Opera, she was hired at age 16 to perform in the corps de ballet at the Nice Opera. From 1980 to 1983, she continued her training in Paris and collaborated in various projects that definitely shaped her interest in contemporary dance and the opportunities it offered. From 1984 to 1994, Joëlle worked with Patrick Tridon, a former Soloist at the Ballet du XXème Siècle with whom she founded the ETAT DE RUE company in 1995. In the company, she set in motion artists from a wide range of backgrounds (Dance, Drama, Music, Circus) and, as a dancer, confronted herself with the universe of performance and improvisation linked to street performance. In 2001, she joined the Système Castafiore Company directed by Karl Biscuit and Marcia Barcellos as a performing dancer. As early as 1995, Joëlle Donati began teaching contemporary dance in training institutions as well as professional companies. She trained in the Feldenkrais Method, for which she became a certified practitioner in June 2009. Regularly invited by the school, she eventually joined the permanent teaching staff in 2010 at Rosella Hightower Higher Dance School (ESDC) in Cannes-Mougins, and later on at the PNSD Rosella Hightower, as a contemporary dance teacher for both the preparatory and higher education cycle. She is also the homeroom teacher for DNSP2 students (higher education cycle 2).

Maurizio Drudi

Ballet teacher, repetiteur for the Cannes Jeune Ballet & deputy artistic director

He began his professional career in 1988 in the Classical Ballets company Cosi-Stefanescu (Italy) where he soon performed solo roles from the ballet repertoire including Giselle, Coppelia, and Don Quixote. In 1992, he joined the Aterballetto company under the direction of Amedeo Amodio, where he gained an opportunity to enrich his experience and dance choreographies by Jiri Kylian, Alvin Ailey, Massimo Morricone, Glen Tetley and Donald Byrd. In 1994 the choreographer-director entrusted him with the lead role of Don Jose in his version of Carmen. Additionally, he was invited many times to perform in creations at Rovigo Theatre (Italy) by choreographer George Iancu. In December 1995, he was engaged at the Ballets de Monte Carlo under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot who cast him in the role of Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet the following year. In 1998, he was appointed Soloist and performed major roles from the company’s repertoire, including ballets by Nacho Duato, Twyla Tharp, Jiri Kylian, George Balanchine et William Forsythe. In 2009, he was invited as an assistant to choreographer Michele Merola by The Therazije Theatre in Belgrade (Serbia) and later to the Mittel-Festival de Cividale del Friuli Dance Festival (Italy). Additionally, he served as a guest teacher for the Mmcompany company (Italy) and a teacher-repetiteur for the Agora Coach Project (Italy) – a professional training project. Since 2015, he has been a permanent ballet teacher at the Higher Dance School Rosella Hightower (ESDC) in Cannes-Mougins, and later at the PNSD Rosella Hightower. In 2017 he became a repetiteur for the Cannes Junior Ballet. He teaches in the higher education cycle and has been a Deputy Artistic Director since 2021.

Stéphane Fléchet

Contemporary dance teacher, in charge of contemporary dance education

Trained by Maurice Béjart and at the Limon Centre in New York, Stéphane Fléchet has danced in several German companies. Holder of the C.A. in contemporary dance, for over fifteen years she taught in schools in Germany, including the National Conservatory in Frankfurt am Main under the direction of William Forsythe, the National Higher School in Göteborg and the National Higher Dance School John Cranko at Stuttgart Ballet. She is regularly invited to teach in the dance companies of Giessen, Kaiserslautern, Frankfurt, Osnabrück and Schwerin theatres. Additionally, she had the opportunity to create several pieces in the companies and schools she has worked with. Since 2000, she has been a permanent contemporary dance teacher at the Higher Dance School Rosella Hightower (ESDC) in Cannes-Mougins, and later at the PNSD Rosella Hightower for both the initial and higher education cycles (DE). She is also in charge of contemporary dance education within the curriculum of the State Diploma in Dance Education .

Dominique Lainé

Teacher for the children’s classes and initial cycle

She began learning ballet at the age of 6 in Toulon before joining the International Dance Centre Rosella Hightower in Cannes at age 14. At age 17, she was admitted to Lyon’s National Opera Ballet where she performed for over 20 years. As a soloist, she collaborated in worldwide creations and reprises with numerous choreographers, including Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Maguy Marin, Hans Van Manen, Bill T Jones, Louis Falco, Ohad Naharin, Angelin Preljocaj, Dominique Bagouet and many more. In 2000, she worked with German choreographer Joachim Schlömer as both a dancer and assistant. In November 2009, she earned her Certificate of Aptitude as a classical dance teacher. Since 2010, she has been a permanent teacher for the children’s classes and initial cycle at the Higher Dance School Rosella Hightower in Cannes-Mougins, and later at the PNSD Rosella Hightower.

Dominique Larin

Contemporary dance teacher for the children’s classes and initial cycle & DE

Trained at the Conservatoire de Nice by Janine Monin, Dominique joined the MUDRA International School in Brussels under the direction of Maurice Béjart, then continued her training at the Rambert Ballet School in London. She then became a performer in Patrick Tridon's company in Antibes for three years before joining Bruno Jacquin’s Danse Concept company in Cannes. For ten years, she contributed to the development of the company as a dancer, administrator, and rehearsal director. She also restaged productions for the National Ballet of Split (Croatia) and the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse. Later, she joined the EuregioDans Company (Netherlands) as a performer. Throughout her career, she has been an artist-in-residence in schools, passionately devoted to transmission and various fields of body expression. She enriched her pedagogical approach by working with professionals, mainly for Bruno Jacquin’s company and the Système Castafiore company, directed by Marcia Barcellos and Karl Biscuit. She developed her teaching within training institutions such as the École Supérieure de Danse de Cannes, the Académie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monte-Carlo under the direction of Marika Besobrasova, the Centre de Formation des Musiciens Intervenants in Aix-en-Provence, and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis as part of the Dance License. She also works with amateur audiences for the Fédération Française de Danse. Dominique obtained her State Diploma as a contemporary dance teacher in 2007. She is a permanent professor at the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower, teaching Awakening & Initiation 1 classes and the initial Dance-Studies cycle. As an educational coordinator for the D.E. dance teacher training, she also prepares students for the E.A.T. exams. She is also involved in the D.E. training program for choreographic artists, delivering 200 hours of instruction for dancers from the Opéra de Nice Côte d’Azur and the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. From 2007 to 2009, she simultaneously held the position of Coordinator of Artistic Studies under the successive directions of Monique Loudières and Paola Cantalupo. In 2009, alongside her teaching commitments, she joined the Compagnie Humaine, directed by choreographer Éric Oberdorff, as an administrator and cultural program manager. Since then, she has actively contributed to the company's national and international development. Regularly invited as a jury member for E.A.T., D.E., Baccalaureate exams, and Dance Certification assessments, she also participates in dance training programs for teachers of the French National Education system. Since 2022, she has been involved in continuing education at the Pont Supérieur – Performing Arts Higher Education Center in Brittany – Pays de la Loire, within the "Choreographing for Children" module. In 2023, she obtained the University Diploma in Dance, Health, and Aging.

Agnès Lascombes

Ballet teacher, tutor at the Apprenticeship Training Centre

After completing her training at Avignon’s Conservatory, Agnès Lascombes joined Avignon’s Opera Ballet under the direction of Michel Bruel where she furthered her skills with the arrival of Loipa Araujo. There, she performed great classical ballets including Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, and Giselle. In 1990, she was engaged by Roland Petit at the National Ballet in Marseille, and performed solo roles from its director’s repertoire for over eight years. During that period, she worked with many choreographers such as R. Franchetti, V. Verdi, F. Adret and D. Allen. From 1998 on, under the direction of M.C. Pietragalla, Agnès Lascombes was cast in ballets by P. Taylor, M.Delante, R. Wherlock, R.Van Dantzig, G.Balanchine, M.C.Pietragalla, and W.Forsythe. In 2005, F. Flamand took on the direction of the National Ballet in Marseille and cast Agnès Lascombes in all three pieces of his trilogy. She also performed in ballets by G. Balanchine, P. Touzeau, D. Dawson, M. Fokine, S. Petronio, J. Lestel, and M. Kelemenis. In 2007, she was chosen to interpret the pas de deux in W. Forsythe’s Herman Sherman. Since then, she has featured in creations by Lucinda Childs, Thierry Malandain, Annabel Lopez Ochoa, Olivia Grandville and Michelle Noiret. Agnès Lascombes has also participated in sensitising schoolchildren to dance as part of the National Education curriculum. She has been invited by the Higher Conservatory in Lyon to teach classes and workshops on the different choreographers she has worked with. She has been invited as a jury member in various exams at both regional and national schools and is a teacher at the National Dance School in Marseille. She serves as a classical teacher for apprentices in their senior year within the DNSP curriculum and as a tutor at the Apprenticeship Training Centre (CFA).

Alessio Passaquindici

Ballet teacher

He began his dance education at Rome's Opera Dance School, where he was taught by Pablo Moret and Ofelia Gonzales – Principal Dancers from Cuba’s National Ballet – before graduating as a professional classical dancer. Later on, he joined the corps de ballet at the Rome Opera under the direction of Carla Fracci. In 2010, he joined the ballet at the Nice Opera under the direction of Eric-Vu An, and was promoted to Soloist a few months later. Throughout his career, he has danced the greatest roles in the classical repertoire, alongside modern and contemporary roles. Invited to participate in several international galas worldwide, he was awarded the Ballet 2000 prize in 2016 at the Palais des Festivals in Cannes, as well as Positano’s Léonide Massine Prize as Dancer of the Year on the International Stage. In 2019, he obtained the state diploma of dance teacher at the PNSD Rosella Hightower and has been working there since 2022 as a classical dance teacher, teaching both the initial and advanced levels. Since July 2023, he has been undergoing training for the Certificate of Aptitude for Dance Teachers at the CNSMD in Lyon.

Carole Pastorel

Ballet teacher for the higher education cycle

Graduated in 1993 from Paris Opera Dance School, she studied classical dance, contemporary dance, pas de deux, character dance, classical repertoire as well as music, dance history and anatomy. She began her career at Nice Ballet performing ballets by Marius Petipa, Michel Fokine, Léonide Massine, Vittorio Biagi, Françoise Adret and Milko Sparemblek. She joined the Ballets de Monte Carlo where she was promoted to Soloist. There, she performed in ballets by artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot, including Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, La Belle, Opus 40, Vers un Paysage, and Dov’é la Luna. She danced the main roles of Georges Balanchine’s repertoire as well as ballets by William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Jacopo Godani, John Neumeier, Twyla Tharp, Lucinda Childs, Uwe Scholz, Kevin O’ Day and Itzik Galili among others. At the same time, she developed her call for teaching. In Rome she taught at the House of Dance as well as the Dance Department on Cinecittà Campus. Additionally, she delivered Master Classes in Spain and Italy. In 2011, she joined the teaching staff at Princess Grace Academy under Luca Masala, within the Ballets de Monte Carlo. There she taught classical dance, the variations of the classical repertoire, contemporary dance and the repertoire of the artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot. In 2019, she earned an exemption from the State Diploma in Dance Education based on her confirmed teaching experience, and in 2022 she joined the teaching staff of the PNSD Rosella Hightower as a classical dance teacher for the higher education cycle.

Karine Seneca

Teacher for the initial cycle

Born in Cannes, Karine studied at Rosella Hightower International Dance Centre where she obtained the Baccalaureate in 1989, as well as the First Prize in Dance and the First Prize in Drama at the Conservatory. The same year, Karine joined the corps de ballet at Basel’s company in Switzerland under the direction of Heinz Spoerli, and later at the Deutschen Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf in Germany as a soloist. In 1996, Heinz Spoerli took over the artistic direction of the Zurich Ballett in Switzerland and invited Karine to join the company, appointing her as a Principal Dancer. In 2004, Karine decided to leave Europe to pursue a new challenge and expand her artistic skills. Mikko Nissinen engaged her as a Principal Dancer in his company at the Boston Ballet in the USA. There, she interpreted leading roles in ballets such as Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, and Giselle. She had the joy of dancing the choreographies of the greatest : George Balanchine, Auguste Bournonville, Nijinska, Fokine, Antony Tudor, and John Cranko. In addition to her engagements, Karine participated in the creation of the M&Company company alongside Mateo Klemmayer, as a dancer, assistant and choreographer. In December 2012, Karine obtained an exemption for the State Diploma in Dance Education on the grounds of her « particular renown », and she began teaching as an international teacher. She was also a guest teacher at the Conservatory of Toulon, and became a classical dance teacher for the children’s classes at the PNSD Rosella Hightower. In September 2015, Karine and her associate Matteo Klemmayer decided to create a dance school. She became a dance teacher and General Director at Karine Seneca Dance School, alongside her commitment to teach at the PNSD Rosella Hightower in the initial cycle.

Mikhail Soloviev

Classical dance teacher

Mikhail was born in Moscow, Russia, in 1981. He was admitted to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy at the age of 10. At 16, he joined his teacher Petr Pestovand at the John Cranko Ballet Academy in Stuttgart, Germany, to continue his studies. After graduating, he was offered a position at the Stuttgart Ballet, under the direction of Reid Anderson. For the next 13 years he performed pieces from the great ballet repertoire and danced in John Cranko’s choreographies such as Romeo and Juliet, The Taming of the Shrew, Oneguine, as well as creations by Marco Goecke such as Blushing, Vicious Wishes and Orlando. In 2012, Mikhail arrived in France and joined the Nice Ballet Méditerranée, under the artistic direction of Eric Wu-An. He continued his career as a dancer until 2018, and in 2019, he completed his studies and earned the State Diploma as a ballet teacher. Since then, he has worked as a ballet master, teacher, choreographer and dancer in France, Germany and Italy. In 2021, Mikhail joined the PNSD Rosella Hightower as a classical dance teacher, where he teaches both the preparatory and higher education cycles.

Fabrizio Prestipino

Music education teacher for classes in the Dance Study cycle

Fabrizio Prestipino was born in Turin, Italy where he studied and earned a degree in piano, musical composition and music education. Additionally, he pursued a degree in Literature, with a focus on music at the University of Turin. He has performed as a solo pianist with the philharmonic orchestras of Turin, Milan and Ivrea, the Symphonic Orchestra of Quebec, the Augusta Orchestra and the Baroque Ensemble of Turin, and collaborated with the RAI National Symphony Orchestra. He continues his career as a performer with the Arche Piano Duo in Italy and internationally. He has received numerous prizes in Italy and worldwide. He has simultaneously developed his career as an accompanying pianist for dance and has collaborated with the Royal Academy of Dance in London, as well as the National Higher School of Dance in Marseille. He further honed his skills under Laurent Choukroun at the Dance School of the Paris Opera. He is a music education trainer, works as a music teacher, and has directed orchestras and choirs in schools. Among other things, he has supervised the open rehearsals of the RAI National Symphony Orchestra, accompanying more than 2,000 young participants in their discovery of music. He has joined the PNSD Rosella Hightower as an accompanying pianist, music teacher and instructor for the music component of the State Diploma (DE). He teaches music education to classes in the Dance Study cycle, and in the higher DE and DNSP cycle.

Chloé Saumade

Anatomy, physiology, health prevention teacher

Trained in classical dance at the Jeune Ballet de l’Arc Alpin, she pursued Osteopathy and earned a Master’s Degree at the International Centre of Osteopathy. Wishing to add her expertise to her passion for dance , she has specialised in the therapeutic care of dancers. As an osteopath, she also supervises the coordination of the Dance Health Centre team, a structure providing health support for dancers within the PNSD Rosella Hightower in Cannes-Mougins. She is the Secretary-General of the Dance Medicine Research Association. Today, she teaches anatomy and physiology at PNSD Rosella Hightower, as well as health prevention, across all cycles, from the initial cycle through higher DNSP and DE cycles.

Peter Lewton-Brain

Health team manager, scientific advisor for Dance and Health

Born in London, he began his studies in dance and kinesiology in New York, at the School of American Ballet by George Balanchine. He then studied the Cecchetti method under the direction of Margaret Craske in New York. He danced in the USA with the Los Angeles Ballet, the Chicago City Ballet and the Pennsylvania Ballet, before being engaged as a principal dancer at the National Ballet Company of Portugal, then at the Ballets de Monte Carlo, where he stayed for ten years, performing the leading roles of the repertoire. Meanwhile, he worked as a dance teacher, first as a guest, then as a permanent instructor at the Princess Grace Academy of Ballet in Monte Carlo, as well as the PNSD Rosella Hightower where he has been teaching since 2000. He holds several degrees in the fields or arts and sciences, including a Bachelor of Arts from New York University, a Master’s Degree in Performing Arts from Université Côte-d’Azur, a diploma in Osteopathy from the Altman Institute in Sophia-Antipolis, a D.O.E from the International Society of Osteopathy in Geneva, and a Doctorate in Dance Science from City University, London, UK. He is the President of the Dance Medicine research Association in Monaco as well as in France, and has served as the President of the International Association of Dance Medicine & Sciences (IADMS). In 2015, he established the Health Centre at PNSD Rosella Hightower, an innovation in the field. Drawing upon his experience as a dancer, osteopath and academic in disseminating knowledge about dance and health, he earned a Doctorate in Applied Biological Sciences from City University, London (United Kingdom) in 2023. He currently leads the Health and Performance Team at Ballets de Monte Carlo and serves as a scientific advisor for Dance and Health at the PNSD Rosella Hightower.

Barbara Elia

Dance History and Choreographic Culture teacher, coordinator of the DE cycle and a pedagogical supervisor for the vocational TSI degree

Barbara Elia, of Franco-Italian origin and a former student of ESDC Rosella Hightower, earned her Doctorate of Philosophy at the University of Nice, followed by another at Genoa University, where she subsequently worked as an assistant in the Aesthetics Department. From 1997 onwards, she collaborated on several courses with the University of Nice, including dance pedagogy and aesthetics. Her first publication regarding the philosophy of dance dates back to 1992. In 1999 she obtained the State Diploma in Dance Education, with a focus on contemporary dance. She then specialised in teaching and cultural mediation programmes. She collaborates with the University of Toulon to effectively support DNSP students throughout their Bachelor’s degree. Today, she teaches Dance History and Choreographic Culture at the PNSD Rosella Hightower, from the initial cycle to the higher DNSP and DE cycle. She is also the coordinator of the DE cycle and a pedagogical supervisor for the vocational TSI degree.

Franck Renucci

Lecturer in Information and Communication Sciences. In charge of the CIMPN specialisation within the IC Master’s Degree, TSI specialisation as well as INTERMEDIA specialisation within the Vocational Bachelor’s Degree – DNSP2

Franck Renucci is an honorary director at the Ingémédia Institute, the Department of Information and Communication Sciences, and a former elected member of the Board at Toulon University. In the 1990s, he directed numerous videos with the National Theatre of Dance and Image in Châteauvallon. In 2003, he authored a thesis entitled « The Ruptures in Interactive Films : its continuity, its history, the rhythm, its enunciation, and the harmony of its composition ». At a moment when human boundaries with technology, nature and animals are blurred, he has been questioning human communication through the figures of the body, alterity and creation.