Muriel Valtat

Born in Paris, Muriel Valtat received her training by Mrs Yvonne Cartier. She not only received the Solo Seal Award from the Royal Academy of Dance (highest distinction) but also international awards such as the Phyliss Bedells bursary (1982), bronze at the Adeline Genee (1982 and 1983), and the professional prize at Prix de Lausanne (1984). She graduated from the Royal Ballet School in 1985 and joined the company after obtaining her diploma. She has also danced with the Scottish Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada. In 1993, she was promoted to first soloist of the Royal Ballet and performed leading roles in Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, Nutcracker, Cinderella, amongst others. She interpreted both lyrical and dramatic works by Sir Kenneth MacMillan and Sir Frederic Ashton, but also a wide variety of repertory from Fokine, Bournonville, Tudor, Balanchine, Robbins, and Forsythe. Muriel Valtat had the opportunity to work with legendary ballerinas Natalia Makarova and Sylvie Guillem, and was chosen as a photography model for the book Mime in Ballet. She was a jury member for the annual Stella Mann competition several times. In 2003, she acquired her diploma (highest distinction) at The Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. Shortly thereafter, she was invited to teach at Les Grands Ballets Canadiens. During several years, within the framework of the Royal Ballet’s summer course, she taught, rehearsed, and staged various repertory excerpts. In 2004, she joined the teachers’ body of the l’École supérieure. She was invited to guest teach in the 2011 annual Canadian Cecchetti Society Conference.