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DETAILS

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Name:            Cristiano                                         Occupation:    currently   Soloist dancer                         at  Estonian National Ballet (since 2021) 

Surname:       Principato                                                                                freelance choreographer        at Novarts OÜ

Birthplace:     Novara (NO), Italy (IT)                                                              

Nationality:     Italian                                                                     formerly    Demi-soloist                            at  Estonian National Ballet (2020)            

Age:               30 years old (1995)                                                                 Coryphée                                at  Dutch National Ballet (2019)              

Height:           1,82 m                                                                                     Corps de Ballet                       at  Dutch National Ballet (2016)     

Weight:           71 kg                                                                                       Élève                                       at  Dutch National Ballet (2015)                     

Languages:    Italian, English, French, Dutch                                                Junior Company                     at  Dutch National Ballet (2014)  

                                                                                                                       Corps de Ballet                       at  La Scala Ballet (2014) ​

 

Degrees:   graduation degree from La Scala Ballet School in Milan (29/30)                 Awards: 2017 Étoile del Domani award in Novara (winner)

                  grauation degree from Linguistic High School in MIlan (96/100)                               2018 Varna International Ballet Competition (partner of the gold medal winner)

                  Italian/European B driving licence (car and motorbike)                                             2021 Estonian Annual Theatre Award (nominee)

                                                                                                                                                      2022 My Fitness Award as Best Male Soloist of Estonian National Ballet (winner)

                                                                                                                                                      2024 Ida Urbeli Award for Choreographic Achievements ​(winner)​

​                                                                                                                                                      2025 Sfera D'Oro Award as dancer and choreographer (winner)

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2006 – 2014           EDUCATION AT LA SCALA BALLET SCHOOL

°At the age of 9 Cristiano starts ballet in a private school in his hometown and then in 2006, at the age of 11, he starts attending La Scala Ballet School in Milan, under the direction of Frédéric Olivieri. In 2014, at the age of 19, he gratuades from the Academy (mark 29/30) and from the Linguistic Lyceum (96/100) after the full eight years program.

°At 12 years old he performs children parts with La Scala (Nutcracker and Don Chisciotte staged by Aleth Francillon) and Bolshoi Ballet during their tour to Milan (Pharaoh’s Daughter).  °In Milan his teachers are Maurizio Vanadia, Leonid Nikonov, Frédéric Olivieri, Giampaolo Podini, Tatiana Nikonova, Loretta Alexandrescu, Paola Vismara, Amelia Colombini,

Elisa Scala and Bella Ratchinskaja (for classical ballet, repertoire and pas de deux classes), Emanuela Tagliavia (contemporary class), Antonella Stroppa (pilates), Alex D'Orsay (floor barre) and Andrea Forte (Feldenkrais method). At the Academy he also takes class with important guest teachers such as Nicole Cavallin (École de l’Opéra de Paris), John Clifford (NYC Ballet), Piotr Nardelli (Béjart Ballet), Victor Ullate (Ullate Ballet) and Paul Dennis (José Limón technique).

He also regularly attends summer intensives in Komiza (Croatia) where he both works on ballet (with Jozo Borcic from Teatro alla Scala) and on new modern styles with Deanna Losi (Martha Graham technique), Christian Ginepro (musical), Fabrizio Monteverde and Eugenio Buratti. 

°Every year he performs in La Scala Academy’s productions in Milan or around Italy and Europe and from the age of 16 he dances the following solo parts.

Solo repertoire performed in La Scala Academy's productions

YEAR    BALLET                        CHOREOGRAPHY    PART                    STAGING                    THEATRE/PRODUCTION    PARTNER

2011      Nutcracker                   Frédéric Olivieri        Spanish Dance    Loreta Alexandrescu   Teatro Strehler, Milan           Adele Fiocchi (ex demi-soloist at Wiener Staatsballett)                                                                                                      Lead Flowers        Tatiana Nikonova                                                    Elena Bottaro (now principal at Wiener Staatballett)                

                                                                                    Pastorale PD3      Leonid Nikonov                                                       Arianna Maldini and Giulia Diana Frosi​

2011     Theme and Variations   George Balanchine  4 Demi’s               Nanette Glushak         Teatro alla Scala, Milan        Martina Ricci

2013     Serenade                      George Balanchine  Waltz Man            Patricia Neary             Teatro alla Scala, Milan        Martina Aduino (now principal at La Scala Ballet)

2013     Nutcracker                    Ivanovich Vainonen  Prince (full PD2)   Leonid Nikonov          Teatro Strehler, Milan            Elena Botaro                 

2013     Larmes Blanches         Angelin Preljocaj       2 Couples            Silvia Bidegain            Théâtre de Nice, France      Francesca Raule (ex soloist at Moravian Theatre Olomouc)

2013     Evening Songs             Jiri Kylian                  3 Couples            Arlette Van Boven       Teatros del Canal, Madrid    Elena Bottaro 

2013     Gaîté Parisienne           Maurice Béjart          Opera PD2           Piotr Nardelli               Teatro Strehler                      Giorgia Sacher (now Teatro alla Scala)

                                                                                    6 Bim's Friends                                       Teatro alla Scala          

2014     Paquita                         Marius Petipa            Full PD3               Leonid Nikonov          Teatro alla Scala                   Martina Arduino and Emilie Tassinari

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2014                       FIRST CONTRACT AS CORPS DE BALLET WITH LA SCALA BALLET

°During the last six months of school, Cristiano already signs his first contract with La Scala Ballet in Milan (director Makhar Vaziev) and starts performing with the company.

°Here he takes class with company ballet masters Laura Contardi, Vladimir Derevianko, Biagio Tambone, Lienz Chang, Sophie Sarrote, Laura Caccialanza and also with

guest teachers Maina Gielgud, Karl Burnett, Michael Denard and Johnny Eliasen.

Repertoire performed with La Scala Ballet

BALLET                  CHOREOGRAPHY    PART                             STAGING                                               THEATRE/PRODUCTION    

Raymonda              Sergei Vikharev        Mazurka, Spanish         Sergei Vikharev, Biagio Tambone          Teatro alla Scala, Milano     

Pink Floyd Ballet     Roland Petit              Group                           Luigi Bonino, Lienz Chang                     Teatro alla Scala, Milan             

Swan Lake              Rudolf Nureyev         Waltz, Polonaise act1   Vladimir Derevianko, Laura Contardi     Teatro alla Scala, Milan

                                                                 Mazurka act3                Biagio Tambone  

Don Chisciotte        Rudolf Nureyev         6 Toreros, Fandango    Maina Gielgud                                        Astana Opera House, on Kazakhstan tour

                 

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2014 – 2015           ONE SEASON WITH DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET JUNIOR COMPANY

°Starting from August 2014, while still 19 years old, he decides to move to Amsterdam to join HNB’s Junior Company with directors Ted Brandsen (main company),                                  Ernst Meisner (junior company) and Jean Yves Esquerre (Dutch National Ballet School).

°During this first season he performs solo roles in the Junior Company Gala 20 times: once in Amsterdam (Staadschowburg), seventeen times around the Netherlands and twice in London (Linbury Studio, Royal Opera House).

Solo roles performed in the Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company Touring Gala

BALLET                 CHOREOGRAPHY      PART                            STAGING                                      PARTNER                                  

Napoli                   August Bournonville    Full PD6 (first solo)       Ernst Meisner, Caroline Iura         Emilie Tassinari, Riho Sakamoto

Swan Lake            Rudi Van Dantzig        White Swan PD2           Ernst Meisner                               Yuanyuan Zhang (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)

Visions Fugitives   Hans Van Manen         3 Couples                    Mea Venema, Hans Van Manen   Nancy Burer (now coryphée at Dutch National Ballet)

Surfacing              Robert Binet                 2 Couples                    Robert Binet                                 Riho Sakamoto (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)

Blink                      Juanjo Arqués             Group                           Juanjo Arqués, Ernst Meisner

Beginnings            Ted Brandsen             Group                           Ted Brandsen, Caroline Iura

Besides the JC tour, he also appears with the main company in Swan Lake, Cinderella and New Moves and in two more JC shows named De Kleine Grote Kist (by Ernst 

Meisner) and Narnia (by Ernst Meisner and Marco Gerris), of which he dances 40 shows throughout Holland in the two solo roles of Peter and the Lampost Man.

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2015 – 2020           CAREER WITH THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET

°At the beginning of his second season (20 years old) he is directly promoted into the main company with an “Élève” contract without completing the two-years JC program.

He starts the following season with a promotion to “Corps de Ballet” and three years later he is promoted to the rank of Coryphée (Demi-Soloist).

°Through the years he takes class with the entire HNB staff: Ernst Meisner, Rinat Gizatulin, Larissa Lezhnina, Guillaume Graffin, Judy Maelor Thomas, Rachel Beaujean, Caroline Iura, Alan Land, Charlotte Chapellier, Igone De Jongh, Marijn Rademaker, Anna Tsygankova and Dario Elia. He also takes class with guest teachers Olga Evreinoff, Irek Mukhamedov, David Makhateli, Andrey Klemm, Felipe Diaz, Ainara Garcia Navarro, Raphaël Coumes-Marquet, Stéphane Phavorin, Christiana Stefanou, Kristian Ratevossian and Christpher Stowell.

While understudying the ballet Pas/Parts he also takes part to Forsythe style studio-workshops by stagers Ayman Harper and Christopher Roman.

Solo roles performed with the Dutch National Ballet

YEAR    BALLET                 CHOREOGRAPHY        PART                        STAGING                     THEATRE/PRODUCTION         PARTNER

2019     Giselle                   Beaujean-Bustamante  Peasants Pas act1    Guillaume Graffin        DNB Holland Tour                    Yuanyuan Zhang (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)
2019     Swan Lake             Rudi Van Dantzig         PD6 act3                   Aland Land                  NO&B Amsterdam                   Riho Sakamoto (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)
2019     Who Cares?           George Balanchine      5 Soloists                  Maria Calegari             NO&B Amsterdam                   Naira Agvanean (now soloist at Dutch National Ballet)
2019     Ballet Imperial        George Balanchine      PD3                          Patricia Neary              DNB Holland Tour                    Riho Sakamoto, Sho Yamada 
2019     Romeo en Julia      Rudi Van Dantzig         Paris                          Rachel Beaujean         NO&B Amsterdam                   Qian Liu (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)
2017     Sleeping Beauty     Sir Peter Wright            Puss in Boots           Caroline Iura                NO&B Amsterdam                   Khayla Fitzpatrick (now grand-sujet at Dutch National Ballet)

2019     Requiem                 David Dawson             Angels                      Gladstone-Marchant    NO&B Amsterdam                   Aya Okomura (now principal at Czech National Ballet)

2018     Embers                   Ernst Meisner               Duet                         Ernst Meisner               NO&B Season Opening Gala  Jessica Xuan (now principal at Dutch National Ballet)  
Solo roles performed guesting in galas and competitions while employed at Dutch National Ballet

YEAR  BALLET                            CHOREOGRAPHY            PART                            THEATRE/PRODUCTION                           PARTNER

2019   Esmeralda                        Marius Petipa                    Full PD2                        Baltic Grand Prix / Riga, Latvia                 Elisabetta Formento (now principal at France Concert)

2019   Paquita                             Marius Petipa                    Full PD2 act3                Teatro Goldoni / Livorno, Italy                    Elisabetta Formento

           La Bayadère                     Marius Petipa                    Shade PD2 

                  étoiles at this gala: Jon Vallejo, Alessandro Riga, Claudio Cocino, Alessio Rezza, Susanna Salvi, Anbeta Toromani

2019   Satanella                            Marius Petipa                  Full PD2                        Premio Sfera d’Oro / Padova, Italy            Rebecca Storani (ex principal at Ballet de Catalunya)

                  étoiles at this gala: Silvia Azzoni, Valentine Colasante, Virna Toppi, Valentino Zucchetti, Victoria Ananyan                                                                       

2018   Raymonda                         Marius Petipa                   Full PD2 act3                Summerschool Gala / Tallinn's Opera       Elisabetta Formento

2018   Genzano Flower Festival   August Bournonville         Full PD2                        Ballet Royal Gala / Tallin, Estonia              Elisabetta Formento

                  étoiles at this gala: Oksana Bondareva, Ivan Vasiliev and artists from Mikhajloysky Theatre and Eifman Ballet

2018   Sleeping Beauty                Marius Petipa                   Full PD2 act3                Varna IBC Round1                                    Jessica Xuan (now principal dancer at Dutch National Ballet)

           Giselle                                Beaujean-Bustamante     PD2 and Solo act2       Varna IBC Round 2 and IBC Gala            Jessica Xuan

           Swan Lake                         Rudi Van Dantzig             Black Swan full PD2      Varna IBC Round 3                                  Jessica Xuan

                  He attends the 28th edition of Varna International Ballet Competition as partner of Yuan Zhe Zi Xuan (Jessica Xuan) who wins the Gold Medal. 

                  They also dance in the two closing galas with the winners from the previous editions

2017   La Fille du Pharaon            Pierre Lacotte                  Full PD2 act2                Luxembourg Gala                                     Elena Bottaro (now principal at Wiener Staatsballett)

                  étoiles at this gala: Marianela Nunez, Yana Salenko, Lucia Lacarra, Marian Walter, Dinu Tamarzlacaru, Semyon Chudin and Vladir Malahkov (who also taught class)

2014   Coppelia                            Lev Ivanov                        Full PD2 act3                Vito Mazzeo & Friends / Legnago, Italy    Emilie Tassinari (now soloist at Slovenian National Ballet)

                 étoiles at this Gala: Vito Mazzeo, Igone de Jongh, James Stout and Victoria Ananyan from Dutch National Ballet

2018   Full Moon                          Milena Sidorova                Solo                              Ballet Royal Gala / Tallinn, Estonia

2018   Step Addition                    Sébastien Galtier              Duet                              Varna IBC Round 2 and IBC Gala            Jessica Xuan

2018   Embers                             Ernst Meisner                    Duet                              Varna IBC Round 3 Jessica Xuan

2016   Replay                              Ted Brandsen                    Duet                              Young Stars Gala / Fiesole, Italy               Emilie Tassinari

2016   Elegie                                Ernst Meisner                   Duet                               Gala per Alessia / Trecate, Italy                Emilie Tassinari

Group repertoire performed with Dutch National Ballet​

​​BALLET                                 CHOREOGRAPHY         PART                                           STAGING                                              THEATRE/PRODUCTION

La Dame Aux Camélias        John Neumeier               Blue and Golden Ball                 Kevin Haigen, John Neumeier              NO&B Amsterdam

                                                                                     Country, Champs Elysées
Onegin                                  John Cranko                   8 Boys act1 & act2                    Tamas Detrich, Jane Bourne                 NO&B Amsterdam                                                                                                                                                            Polonaise act3
Swan Lake                            Rudi Van Dantzig            Waltz, Polonaise, Spanish          Judy Maelor Thomas                            NO&B Amsterdam

                                                                                     Czardas, Odile's 6 Cavaliers      Sandrine Leroy 

The Nutcracker                     Wayne Eagling &            Flowers, Chinese, Russian         Guillome Graffin, Alan Land                 NO&B Amsterdam

                                              Toer Van Schayk             Monteurs, Lantern PD2              Caroline Iura, Toer Van Schayk

La Bayadère                         Natalia Makarova            Fakirs act1 Waltz act1                Judy M.Thomas, Natalia Makarova      NO&B Amsterdam

Sleeping Beauty                   Sir Peter Wright               6 Cavaliers, Waltz act1               Charlotte Chapellier, Judy M.Thomas  NO&B Amsterdam
Don Quixote                          Alexei Ratmansky           Seguidilla, Fandango                 Judy Maelor Thomas                            NO&B Amsterdam &on  tour around Mexico

Giselle                                   Beaujean-Bustamante    Group act1                                 Judy Maelor Thomas                            NO&B Amsterdam

Romeo en Julia                     Rudi Van Dantzig            4 Capulets Dance                      Alan Land                                             NO&B Amsterdam
Cinderella                             Christopher Wheeldon    Summer & Autumn 2 Couples    Charlotte Chapellier                             NO&B Amsterdam &on tour in Hong Kong and

                                                                                     Courtiers                                     Christopher Wheeldon                                                                        London (Coliseum)

Ballet Imperial                       George Balanchine        Group                                         Patricia Neary, Judy M.Thomas            NO&B Amsterdam
Theme and Variations           George Balanchine        Group                                         Patricia Neary, Larissa Lezhnina           NO&B Amsterdam &on tour in Oviedo and Madrid
Stravinsky  Violin Concerto   George Balanchine         4 Small Men                              Bart Cook, Christopher Stowell             NO&B Amsterdam &on on tour in Holland

Five Tangos                          Hans Van Manen             4 Couples                                  Charlotte Chapellier, Hans V.Manen     NO&B Amsterdam &on Holland tour, Spoleto – Italy

Frank Bridge Variations        Hans Van Manen             3 Couples                                  Rachel Beaujean, Hans Van Manen     On tour at Hamburg Staatsoper, Granada’s Alhambra

On The Move                        Hans Van Manen            Group                                         Alan Land                                              NO&B Amsterdam

Symphonieën d.N.                Hans Van Manen            Group                                         Judy Maelor Thomas                            NO&B Amsterdam

Requiem                               Toer Van Scayk               Group                                         Eleonora Demichelis, Caroline Iura      NO&B Amsterdam

Concerto Concordia             Christopher Wheeldon    6 Couples                                  Guillaume Graffin                                  NO&B Amsterdam 

In Transit                               Ernst Meisner                  6 Couples                                  Ersnt Meisner, Marijn Rademaker         NO&B Amsterdam

Tristan + Isolde                     David Dawson                Pastorale, King’s Speech           David Dawson, Raphaël C-Marquet     NO&B Amsterdam 

                                                                                     Ball Couples                               Rebecca Gladstone, C. Marchand    

Piano Concerto                     Alexei Ratmansky           6 Couples                                   Felipe Diaz, Alexei Ratmansky             NO&B &on tour at Mariinsky (Diana Vishneva Context)

Ignite                                     Juanjo Arqués                Group                                         José Carlos Blanco Martinez                NO&B Amsterdam &on tour in Baden Baden

Last Resistance                    Annabelle L Ochoa         Group                                         Annabelle L. Ochoa                             NO&B Amsterdam 

Frida                                      Annabelle L. Ochoa       10 Male Fridas                           Luis Torres Ortiz                                    NO&B Amsterdam 

Mata Hari                              Ted Brandsen                 Group                                         Ted Brandsen, Judy M.Thomas            NO&B Amsterdam 

Coppelia                               Ted Brandsen                 Group                                         Ted Brandsen, Judy M.Thomas            NO&B Amsterdam

Space Between                    Bastiaan Stoop               Duet                                            Bastiaan Stoop, Lisa Ball                      NO&B New Moves 

Purcell Suite                          Cristiano Principato        2 Couples                                   Cristiano Principato, Dario Elia             NO&B New Moves

3D Tango                              Milena Sidorova              Duet                                            Dario Elia                                              NO&B New Moves

Mystery Movement               Bruno Da R. Pereira        3 Couples                                                                                                 NO&B New Moves

Introspection                         Elisabetta Formento       Duet                                                                                                          NO&B New Moves

Fidem Contra Fata                Daniel Cook                    Trio                                                                                                           NO&B New Moves

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Cristiano Principato _ Sebastien Galtier_1_edited.jpg

2020 – 2026           CAREER WITH THE ESTONIAN NATIONAL BALLET

°From August 2020 he joins Estonian National Ballet in Tallinn as a Demi-Soloist (with director Linnar Looris) and the following season he is promoted to Soloist.

°Here he takes class with Linnar Looris, Jared David Matthews, Marina Kesler, Daniel Kirspuu, Agnes Oaks, David Jonathan, Gustavo Quintans, Luana Georg, Eve Tuga, Sergei Upkin, Nanae Maruyama, Cristina Krigolson, Ali Urata, Karina Leskin, Rasmus Ahlgren and guest teachers Viki Psihoyos, Ricardo Amarante, Daniel Otevrel, Juhani Teräsvuori, Lode Devos, Viesturs Jansons, Stephane Dalle, Alex Pandiscio, Meelis Pakri, Aage T. Christensen, Guido Sarno, Michal Krcmar, Beatrice Martel, Marc Ribaud, Sasha Evtimova and Thomas Bloch.

°While in Tallinn, he also attends a workshop on McGregor technique, held by Studio Wayne McGregor's dancer Jasiah Mashall in the studios of Estonian National Opera.

Solo repertoire performed with Estonian National Ballet         (FL) = full length lead part            

BALLET                     CHOREOGRAPHY  PART                                STAGING                                        THEATRE/PRODUCTION  PARTNER

Le Corsaire               José Martinez          Conrad (FL)                     José Martinez, Agnès Letestu        Eesti Rahvusballett           Laura Maya Rosiers (now principal at Eesti Rahvusballett)

                                  Pacha                                                                                                                      &on tour in Sevilla​

Swan Lake                Toomas Edur           Prince Siegfried (FL)        Jared Matthews, Elita Erkina          Eesti Rahvusballett           Ami Morita (now principal at Eesti Rahvusballett)   

                                                                  Spanish Dance                Marina Kesler                                                                           Heidi Kopti, Francesco Piccinin

Sleeping Beauty       Toomas Edur           Prince Désiré (FL)            Toomas Edur, Linnar Looris            Eesti Rahvusballett           Ami Morita

                                                                  Rose Adagio                    Agnes Oaks                                                                             Ketlin Oja (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)

La Bayadère             Toomas Edur           Solor (FL)                         Toomas Edur, Jared Matthews        Eesti Rahvusballett           Madeline Skelly (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett) 

Giselle                       Mary Skeaping        Prince Albrecht (FL)        Jared Matthews, Irmgard Berry      Eesti Rahvusballett           Nanae Maruyama (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)

Giselle                       Michael Pink            Hilarion (FL)                    Michael Pink, Daniel Kirspu           Eesti Rahvusballett            Karina Leskin (now demi-soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)

Nutcracker                Ben Stevenson        Prince (FL)                       Linnar Looris, Agnes Oaks             Eesti Rahvusballett           Ketlin Oja (sugar plum) Laura Maya Rosiers (snow queen)

Nutcracker                Gyula Harangozó    Nutcracker Prince (FL)    Gyula Harangozó, Linnar Looris     Eesti Rahvusballett           Ketlin Oja 

Snow White               Gyula Harangozó    Prince (FL)                       Gyula Harangozó, Luana Georg    Eesti Rahvusballett           Marta Navasardyan (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)

Anna Karenina          Marina Kesler          Vronsky (FL)                     Marina Kesler, Jared Matthews      Eesti Rahvusballett           Laura Maya Rosiers 

Suite en Blanc           Serge Lifar              Mazurka, PD3                  Charles Jude, Stéphanie Roublot   Eesti Rahvusballett           Philippa McCann, Joel Calstar-Fisher

Serenade                  George Balanchine Waltz Man                        Viki Psihoyos, Jared Matthews       Eesti Rahvusballett           Ketlin Oja 

In The Middle,           William Forsythe      Lionel                              Kathryn Bennetts, Gustavo Quintans Eesti Rahvusballett           Karina Leskin 

Somewhat Elevated

Don Quixote  Suite    Marius Petipa          Basilio                              Jared Matthews, Marina Kesler     Eesti Rahvusballett            Akane Ichii (now soloist at Opera de Bordeaux)

A Streetcar                Annabelle Ochoa    Jefferson (FL)                  Eve Mutso, Daniel Kirspu               Eesti Rahvusballett            Anna Roberta (now principal at Eesti Rahvusballett)

Named Desire                                                 Dream, 2 Travelling Men  

Alice in Wonderland Gianluca Schiavoni Jack of Hearts                  Jared Matthews, Eve Tuga             Eesti Rahvusballett           Ketlin Oja 

                                                                  Pinkopanko, 3 Gardeners  Marina Kesler                                                                           Franceco Piccinin, Andrea Fabbri

Pulcinella                  Clairemarie Osta     Black and White Man       Clairemarie Osta, G. Galienne       Eesti Rahvusballett            Ami Morita

Louis XIV                   Teet Kask                Death                               Teet Kask, Jared Matthews            Eesti Rahvusballett            Nikos Gkentsef (now demi-soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett 

Symphony No. 6       Mai Murdmaa          5 Couples                        Linnar Looris, Viesturs Jansons      Eesti Rahvusballett           Nanae Maruyama (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett) 
Kratt                          Marina Kesler          3 Couples of Demons      Marina Kesler                                 Eesti Rahvusballett           Laura Maya Rosiers

The Lizard                 Marina Kesler          Waltz Lead                      Marina Kesler                                 Eesti Rahvusballett            Akane Ichii

Open Door                Katarzyna Kozielska 5 Couples                        Katarzyna Kozielska                       Eesti Rahvusballett            Phillipa McCann (now soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)

Valgus M. Lõpust      Jevgeni Grib           Forces of Nature              Jevgeni Grib                                   Eesti Rahvusballett              

Flesh                         J.Grib-Jack Traylen 3 Couples                        Jevgeni Grib, Jack Traylen             Eesti Rahvusballett           Marcus Nilson (now demi-soloist at Eesti Rahvusballett)  Satanella                   Marius Petipa          Male Solo                         Linnar Looris                                  Eesti Rahvusballett

30, 75                       Linnar Looris            Group                               Linnar Looris, Luana Georg           Eesti Rahvusballett

Timbu Limbu            Linnar Looris            Tin Man                            Linnar Looris                                  Eesti Rahvusballett

Eclipse                     Cristiano Principato  Duet                                 Cristiano Principato                       Eesti Rahvusballett            Ketlin Oja 

Annunciation            Cristiano Principato  Duet                                 Cristiano Principato                       Eesti Rahvusballett            Laura Maya Rosiers

Voice of the Heart     Ketlin Oja                 Duet                                 Ketlin Oja                                       Eesti Rahvusballett            Ketlin Oja 

Solo roles performed guesting in galas and competitions while employed at Estonian National Ballet

YEAR  BALLET                              CHOREOGRAPHY          PART                            THEATRE/PRODUCTION                              PARTNER

2025   Where You Are                    Alice Aleksandridi            Solo                             Concert / Lauluväljak in Tallinn, Estonia

2025   Eclipse                               Cristiano Principato        Duet                             Stars Gala / Santo Domingo in D. Republic  Elisabetta Formento (now principal at France Concert)

2025   Annunciation                      Cristiano Principato        Duet                              Premio Sfera d’Oro / Padova, Italy               Elisabetta Formento 

2025   Diana and Acteon              Agrippina Vaganova       Full PD2                        Stars Gala / Santo Domingo in D. Republic Elisabetta Formento 

2025   Chopiniana                         Michel Fokine                 PD2                              Stelle Danzanti Gala / Santa Severa, Italy    Elisabetta Formento 

2025   For Us                                Kristian Cellini                 Duet                             Stelle Danzanti Gala / Santa Severa, Italy     Elisabetta Formento

2025   â€‹Cinderella                           Cristiano Principato        Prince (FL), 4 Men       Novarts / on tour in Estonia and Lithuania    Ketlin Oja (now soloist at Estonian National Ballet)  

2024   Still Love                             Principato - Nomm         Duet                             Eesti Laul / Estonian National Television       Ketlin Oja    

2024   Solitude                              Ketlin Oja                        Solo                              Piano Concert / on tour around Estonia      

2023   La Sylphide                        August Bournonville       Suite                             Premio Sfera d’Oro / Padova, Italy                Elisabetta Formento 

2023   Spring Waters                     Asaf Messerer                Duet                             Summer Nights Gala / Tallinn, Estonia          Elisabetta Formento

2023   Flames of Paris                   Vasily Vainonen              Full PD2                       Summer Nights Gala / Tallinn, Estonia          Elisabetta Formento

2023   Songs of Heaven                Cristiano Principato        Duet                            Summer Nights Gala / Tallinn, Estonia          Elisabetta Formento

2023   Othello                                Marina Kesler                 Duet                             Piano Concert / MUBA Tallinn, Estonia         Ketlin Oja                 

2023   Andante                              Enn Suve                        Duet                             Piano Concert / MUBA Tallinn, Estonia         Ketlin Oja       

2023   Voice of the Heart               Ketlin Oja                        Duet                             Piano Concert / MUBA Tallinn, Estonia        Ketlin Oja 

2021   Esmeralda                           Marius Petipa                 Full PD2                       75 Years Ballettikool Gala / Tallinn, Estonia  Maarja Praks (now dancer with Vanemuine Ballet)

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2016 - 2025          CHOREOGRAPHY

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° Annunciation  (2025) is a neoclassical duet choreographed for the Estonian National Ballet's Kammer Saal program called "Choreographers of the Estonian National Ballet" on Cristiano himself and principal dancer Laura Maya Rosiers. The piece is set to Samuel Barber’s Agnus Dei and it’s an abstract representation of the Gospel’s renowned episode in which angel Gabriel informs Mary about her divine conception. It was also performed at Teatro Verdi in Padova, this time alongside principal dancer Elisabetta Formento.

During this ballet gala, Cristiano received the National Sfera D’Oro Award as a dancer and choreographer.

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° Cinderella  (2024) is a two acts full length ballet choreographed and directed by Cristiano Principato, privately produced by Estonian Ballet Agency.

It premiered on the main stage of Estonian National Opera and later toured Estonia and the Baltic countries over the course of 2024 and 2025. 

The production has so far reunited dancers from ten leading European ballet companies (Paris Opera Ballet, Madrid's Compañía Nacional de Danza, Royal Danish Ballet, Vanemuine Ballet, Balletto di Milano, Dutch National Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Estonian National Ballet, Polish National Ballet and Hungarian National Ballet).

 

° Still Love  (2024) is a neoclassical duet choreographed by Cristiano Principato in collaboration with Eghert-Sören Nõmm for the finals of  the TV program Eesti Laul, the Estonian singing contest which annually designates one winner to represent Estonia at the Eurovision Song Contest. The piece was performed by Cristiano himself alongside dancer Ketlin Oja (also a soloist with Estoninan National Ballet) as the backup-dancing number for the competing song Still Love, by Uudo Sepp and Sarah Murray.

 

° Bach PD2  (2023) is a Grand Pas de Deux (adagio, male solo, female solo, coda) with a slight neoclassical twist, choreographed for the Estonian National Ballet's Kammer Saal program called "Choreographers of the Estonian National Ballet".

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° Songs of Heaven  (2023) is a twenty minutes neoclassical  piece for ten dancers (eight movements).

It premiered in Tallinn on the main stage of the Estonian National Opera at the Summer Nights Galas, the two closing shows of Ballet Summer Estonia (annual three weeks workshop attended by pre-professional and professional ballet dancers). It was performed twice, with two almost entirely different casts.

 

° Eclipse  (2022) is a neoclassical duet choreographed for the International Dance Day Gala, the ballet gala of Estonian National Ballet that takes place every year on its main stage. This piece was later performed at the Open Air 22-23 Season Opening Gala of Estonian National Ballet and also at Gala d’Estrellas 2025 (organised by the charity Nido Para Angeles on the stage of Teatro Nacional Eduardo Brito in Santo Domingo). 

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° 4 Tempos  (2022) is a group piece for fourteen dancers created for the ten ballerinas of the 2022 female graduating class of the Estonian National Ballet School, together with

four male dancers from Estonian National Ballet. It was performed twice at the school's Annual Closing Performances on the main stage of Estonian National Ballet.

It is a neoclassical work on Bach's music made of four movements: winter and summer are two duets danced by the principal couple, while spring and autumn are group dances.

This piece was originally drafted (but not yet finished nor performed) in 2019, when Cristiano attended the second edition of Dutch National Ballet's Choreographic Academy, a three weeks studio workshop where young makers get to chance to create for the dancers of DNB Junior Company. During this workshop, besides the studio choreographic practice, Cristiano attended theorical conferences that gathered several choreographers, leaders and composers (lead by Peggy Olislaegers, Associate on Research and Development at Dutch National Ballet as well as freelance dramaturg).

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° Masquerade  (2021) is a dance video clip choreographed by Cristiano for Estonian National Ballet's principal dancer Laura Maya Rosiers and himself.

Set on the iconic track from The Phantom of the Opera, it is a response to the global pandemic affecting our art form.

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° Flower Duet  (2019) is an imaginary duet with a flower performed by Giovanni Princic at New Moves, the annual choreographic workshop and show of Dutch National Ballet.

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° Double Violin  (2018) is a solo created for principal dancer Vito Mazzeo, performed in Italy twice (at Apulia Arte Dance Award and Giuliana Penzi Award).

It was also part of New Moves 2019, danced by Michele Esposito (Coryphée at DNB).

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° Purcell Suite  (2017) is a neoclassical work for four dancers (2 gents, PD2, 2 gents, quartet), made for “New Moves 2017”, Dutch National Ballet’s first edition on its main stage.

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° Palladio  (2016) is a five dancers piece on Karl Jenkins’s Palladio, performed at Dutch National Ballet's choreographic workshop "New Moves" and at “Gala per Alessia” in Italy.

 

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2016 - 2026          DIRECTING

 

° In June 2016, Cristiano organised the event “Gala per Alessia” in Novara (IT) to raise funds for Casa Alessia, a charitable organisation devoted to building schools, orphanages and hospitals in Burundi, India and Ecuador. He performed next to eleven dancers that he recruited from Dutch National Ballet, Wiener Staatsballett and La Scala Ballet.

Cristiano personally curated the program of the show and arranged flights, royalties requests for music and choreography, lights, costumes and more.

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° In August 2016, he joined the four days long Young Rural Retreat at Dance East in Ipswich (UK), event born several years ago to gather existing and aspiring ballet directors (in the past it was attended by Ted Brandsen, Ernst Meisner, Tamara Rojo, Paul Lightfoot, Monica Mason, Kevin McKenzie and Wayne Eagling among others).

The 2016 edition was held by Scottish Ballet’s leaders Christopher Hampson (artistic director) and Katherine Cassidy (cultural engagement director).

The event included both interactive parts (debate simulations for practicing public talking and organizational skills) as well as theorical ones: numerous current dance directors were invited to give very interesting speeches about their experiences in creating and leading companies.

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° He was involved in Dutch National Ballet’s New Moves 2017, 2018 and 2019 not only as dancer and choreographer, but also as general coordinator.

His main task was to decide the order of the show depending on length and type of choreographies, cast (providing enough time for costume changes) and technical changes (floor, backdrop). He also was a mediator between choreographers and all various departments such as:

- board  (he set meetings between choreographers and direction)

- music (collected all tracks for sound quality check and music rights, planned meeting for choreographers’ audio editing)

- marketing (helped with the campaign of the show and organised the meet and greet with donors and choreographers)

- tickets (he discussed the free-tickets policy for the crew)

- costumes (helped the costume department plan choreographer's trips to the atelier and organized costume studio run-throughs)

- photography (found a photographer who took pictures of the show and for program book)

- booklet (collected and provided info of every piece for the booklet, as title of the piece, names of dancers, music et cetera)

- tech (planned all stage rehearsals and meetings between choreographers, light designer and stage manager for light and props)

- schedule (checked DNB studios’ availability and created the online link for them to be booked by the choreographers)

- after party (helped planning the after party - location, DJs, deciding number of free drinks for guests and crew).

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° In 2017 and 2019, Dutch National Ballet hosted the Conference Positioning Ballet, which Cristiano and many other dancers from the company managed to attend, even if not in its entirety, according to their work schedule.

Positioning Ballet gathered 40 ballet directors plus 80 more people from the ballet community (dancers, choreographers, journalists) to address what kind of leadership is required for artistic directors nowadays. The main goal was to discuss and challenge the relevance that an art form from the 17th century like ballet can have on an audience from the 21st.

The conversation was structured around the three main key points of identity and heritage (old repertoire, new works, companies' style),  society (working culture in ballet, social medias' impact on the art form) and diversity (reform culture of ballet).

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° Over 2022, 2023 and 2024, Cristiano was one of the Representitives of Estonian National Ballet, a sort of trade unionist figure that most ballet companies usually have in order to facilitate the communication between the dancers and the direction.

Throughout the years in this position, he perfected several skills such as organising and leading company meetings, speaking in public, summarizing and drawing up written reports in an objective and unbiased way, problem solving, facilitating the communications between different positions and departments in the Opera House et cetera.

Mostly, his task was to help creating better working conditions for the company on a variety of different levels (better salaries, higher performance pay, reminding marketing of dancer's upcoming premieres for them to be photographed, finding a platform for anonymous company polls and surveys, introducing massage and physiotherapy spots after working hours, investigating and improving pointe shoes’ budget and more).

 

° Since August 2023, Cristiano became one of the members of the Estonian Ballet Union’s Council. The Ballet Union is a government-subsidized artistic association which holds a crucial spot in the Estonian ballet scene: it provides its members, in exchange for a small monthly contribution, of great financial support for all activities that can contribute to the dancers’ artistic and athletic growth (gym membership, refund for attending master classes and workshops, covering the cost of tickets to theatre performances and museums, support for medical expenses and more). The Union’s function is also to facilitate the communication between the local ballet companies and the Estonian government.

° From the second half of 2023, Cristiano started choreographing and directing the production Cinderella, a full length ballet privately produced by Estonian Ballet Agency which premiered on March 5th 2024 on the main stage of the Estonian National Opera and then toured the Baltic countries during 2024 and 2025.

Cinderella is a two acts ballet that always showcases a different cast: in every performance the dancers are recruited from at least three different leading European ballet companies and so far the production has involved artists from ten different cities (Paris Opera Ballet, Madrid's Compañía Nacional de Danza, Royal Danish Ballet, Vanemuine Ballet, Balletto di Milano as well as Dutch, Finnish, Estonian, Polish and Hungarian national ballet companies).

Besides being the choreographer, Cristiano was also personally responsible for several managing tasks as for example contacting each company's artistic director to investigate the dancers' availability and organising everyone's travels and accommodations for both rehearsals and performances.

Cristiano curated the entire dramaturgy of the evening (scene by scene sequence and storyline, costumes and set quick changes, music score cuts to bring the original three acts production down to only two parts) and he was also very much involved in the process of designing costumes, props, sets and projections.

 

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2016 - 2026          TEACHING

 

​° Since 2016, Cristiano has often been teaching young students in his home town, Novara (both ballet class and neoclassical workshops).

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° Throughout over a decade of choreography, Cristiano was also responsible for staging his own works (teaching the ballet steps) and coaching the artists towards their performances in a variety of different conditions and with dancers of various levels and styles (female coaching, male coaching, pointe shoe work, socks, partnering, short studio time and imminent deadlines, professional dancers, principal dancers and soloists, dance students et cetera).

Cristiano always strives for an uplifting and inspiring work environment where there is space for hard work, perfectionism and attention to details, as well as for a supportive and constructive attitude, human respect and plenty of artistic freedom for the performers to reconnect with their own personality and their most authentic way of dancing.​

 

° As discussed above, even if officially working as a choreographer, Cristiano got to simultaneously cover the position of coach and rehearsal director when he attended Dutch National Ballet's Choreographic Academy (in this case working with the members of the Dutch Junior Company), as well as when he created a piece for the final shows of Summer Ballet Estonia (a three weeks workshop attended by students from world-famous professional ballet schools). ​

 

° Cristiano has also been a jury member twice, alongside established teachers and former performers from the Italian and Estonian scene (RossoLab competition, Miss Estonia).

 

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2016 - 2026          MODELING

 

°  Cristiano, over the years, also works as a model, both runway model (Tallinn Fashion Week, Nike Baltic Retail Event) as well as photo model (cover photo for advertising campaigns of Dutch National Ballet and Estonian National Ballet, model for SoDança Be You Collection, social medias collaborations et cetera).

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