The Ballets de Monte-Carlo marked its 40th anniversary at the Grimaldi Forum on Saturday 4th July, bringing around 150 former dancers back to Monaco for a gala staged in tribute to Caroline, Princess of Hanover, who founded the company in 1985. The returning alumni joined the Princess and choreographer-director Jean-Christophe Maillot for an evening that traced four decades in which close to 500 dancers have passed through a company that began in classical ballet and now ranks among the leading names in international contemporary dance.
The company was created in 1985 on the initiative of the Princess of Hanover, who set out to restore Monaco’s standing in dance, and gave its first performance that December under the direction of Ghislaine Thesmar and Pierre Lacotte. Its trajectory shifted with the arrival of Maillot in 1993, whose choreography carried the company onto the international stage over the following three decades. He has created more than 40 original works for the troupe, several of which have entered the repertoires of major companies abroad.
A programme for Princess Caroline
For the anniversary, Maillot curated a bespoke programme conceived as a tribute to Princess Caroline, whose long-standing support he credits for much of the company’s success.
“The ultimate goal of this performance is to pay tribute to Princess Caroline, or at the very least, to bring her joy,” Maillot told Monaco Info. “She has a philosophy that I hold as an essential reference—she always speaks about giving pleasure without seeking to please. Tonight, I think we will indeed provide pleasure, and I even believe we will be seeking to please.”
A night of reunions
Speaking to Monaco Info after the performance, the Princess said the evening had brought an unexpected wave of nostalgia.
“I knew we would celebrate the 40 years, but the evening was still full of beautiful surprises,” she said. “It has been very moving. Since we are always focused on the future, there are many things that one nearly forgets; seeing them return is touching. We don’t always realise the journey we have been through.”
She added that the company’s international standing rested on the dancers themselves as much as on any institutional planning. “Seeing all the previous dancers has been incredible. The company built itself from the very beginning thanks to them. We can dream, but without them, it is impossible.”
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Main photo credit: Ed Wright