A "King of Dance" to Train Up-and-Coming Québec Dancers
L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec is proud to announce the hiring of internationally renowned dancer and ballet master José Manuel Carreño as a professor. In addition to communicating his know-how to students in L’École supérieure’s professional program in performance, he will be teaching classical ballet to Montréal dancers intent on perfecting their technique.
Trained at the Cuban National Ballet School, José Manuel Carreño first distinguished himself at international competitions before joining the English National Ballet in 1990. Three years later, he went on to become principal dancer with London’s Royal Ballet, moving to the prestigious American Ballet Theatre, in that same capacity, in 1995. The New York Times’ dance critic Anna Kisselgoff has described his performance in some of the most demanding ballets as “faultless” and “of royal perfection”, a level of excellence he maintained until 2011 when he left the company. In 2010, he took part in the world tour of Kings of the Dance, which showcased the top principal dancers of major ballet companies, including Québec’s Guillaume Côté. José Manuel Carreño subsequently become artistic director of ballet companies and festivals in the US and Mexico.
During the course of his career, he shared the stage a number of times with the artistic director of L’École supérieure de ballet du Québec, Anik Bissonnette. The two also took part in galas of the stars in Montréal as well as in Athens, Thessalonica, and Budapest.
“I am convinced that the qualities that forged his reputation make him the ideal teacher for our students and have no doubt that he will inspire them to excel,” states L’École supérieure’s artistic director, Anik Bissonnette. “His extensive experience with the classical repertoire and his knowledge of the actors in the world of dance make him an invaluable asset for our establishment, which plays a leading role in Québec.”
Having recently settled in Montréal, José Manuel Carreño has already started taking French lessons. “I have fallen in love with Québec, its grandiose nature, its magnificent winter, and the warmth of its people. I am here to set down roots and contribute to the development of dance,” he asserts.