PDC - Portugal Dance Competition

Oleksi Bessmertni
Director Artistic Kiev State Ballet College of Ukraine / Director International Dance Festival TANZOLYMP

Mr. Bessmertni not only boasts remarkable international training as a dance performer but also holds an increasingly prominent and distinguished role as an artistic director, teacher, and choreographer with a vast repertoire of classical and modern ballet. His recent work in ballet coaching for the Staatsballett Berlin, State Opera Prague, Belgrade National Theatre, Tokyo City Ballet, and Ballet de São Vicente in Brazil showcases Mr. Bessmertni’s lifelong commitment to the art of dance.

From his early years as a student at the Odessa State Ballet School and the State Academy of Music and Dance in Kishinev, Moldova, Mr. Bessmertni demonstrated unique talent, which quickly led him to soloist roles in some of the world’s most prestigious dance companies, including Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin, Brighton Ballet Company in Brooklyn, New York, Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, State Theater Karlsruhe, Hungarian National Ballet in Budapest, National State Theater of Music and Dance in Miskolc, and the Odessa Opera Ballet, Ukraine.

Always dedicated to enriching the artistic form of dance, Mr. Bessmertni has recently served as artistic director for the Premio Roma Dance Competition at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome, Italy; and as a jury member in Brazil at the Joinville Dance Festival, as well as in international ballet competitions in Boston, New York, Moscow, Japan, Korea, Cyprus, and St. Petersburg. He has also offered his talent as choreographer for the full ballet "Urashima Taroh" with the Toyota City Ballet in Nagoya and Toyota City, Japan (2008-2010). One of Mr. Bessmertni's greatest successes has been the creation of the TANZOLYMP International Dance Festival, held annually in Berlin since 2004. The unique festival brings together young dancers from professional and private schools around the world to represent their countries and cultures in categories such as classical, modern, folk, jazz, and pop dance.

Mr. Bessmertni’s success in producing TANZOLYMP as one of the world’s largest youth dance festivals is reflected in the growing reputation of the event, which has grown from 380 participants in 2004 to over 20,000 participants between 2005 and 2023, from more than 60 countries. TANZOLYMP 2023 once again highlighted Mr. Bessmertni's artistic and managerial abilities in promoting dance as a global art form, fostering international understanding, and celebrating global youth.

Rosanna Brocanello
Directora do Opus Ballet Center e Directora Artística da Opus Ballet Company

Born in Genoa, she trained at the Giannina Censi Dance School, a renowned dancer of futuristic dances, and continued her studies with Rossella Hightower, M. Miskovitch, and Victor Rona, completing her classical training with Riccardo Nunez. She learned the Graham technique with Elsa Piperno and Joseph Fontano. She debuted at the Nervi International Festival with the London Festival Ballet in The Nutcracker. She danced with the Off Jazz Dance Company in France, under the direction of Gianin Loringett, and again with the Louis Falco Dance Company from New York. She worked with choreographers such as Matt Mat and Peter Goss, and in Paris with Kim Kam (Limon technique). She also contributed to the choreography of the comedy musical Musical with the group from the Teatro Stabile di Genova, directed by Gian Maria Volonté.

In the 1980s, she moved to Florence, where she founded and directed the Hot Jazz Dance Company, which later became Opus Ballet, developing a new choreographic language as a result of in-depth research in modern and contemporary dance. She collaborated with Stewart Copeland, the drummer of The Police, for the creation of the ballet The Great Friend Meaulnes. She taught and directed modern dance courses at the Florence Dance Center, under Marga Nativo and Keith Ferrone in Florence. In 1999, she founded the cultural association Opus Ballet and is still the artistic director of COB Compagnia Opus Ballet. From 2000 to 2004, she co-directed the Associazione Danza/Scuola Toscana, home of the Scuola del Balletto di Toscana, directed by Cristina Bozzolini. Since 2004, she has co-directed the Centro Internazionale Danza e Spettacolo OPUS BALLET in Florence with Daniel Tinazzi.

Since 2005, she has taught modern and contemporary dance courses at In Pulso Centro Ballet in São Paulo, Brazil, at the Jazzy Center in Lisbon, at Studio Harmonic in Paris, at the New World School of the Arts in Miami, and at the Instituto de las Artes in Barcelona, as well as in Bergen, Norway, at the National Center for Culture and Arts in Jordan, and in Panama at Steps School during the Prisma Festival. She is regularly invited as a jury member in international choreographic competitions and frequently holds courses for teachers in Italy and abroad.

Abby Silva Gavezzoli

She grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA, where she began studying dance as a child. Immediately after high school, she moved to New York City to study at Marymount Manhattan College, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in dance and performance. It was here that she began her relationship with Parsons Dance. During her many years with the company, Abby traveled the world performing and teaching. She collaborated with Mr. Parsons on several projects, such as Verdi's Aida at the historic Arena di Verona. Other notable projects include her role as the lead dancer in Remember Me, which was filmed and broadcast by PBS in America.

After the birth of her first child, Abby stopped traveling and focused on performing at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, where she danced in Rigoletto, directed by Michael Mayer, Two Boys with music by Nico Muhly and choreography by Hofesh Shechter. At the Met, she also performed in Turandot, Aida, Les Contes d’Hoffman, Parsifal, and Don Giovanni. Throughout her career, Abby has appeared in various dance magazines. She was featured on the cover of Dancer Magazine and was named "One to Watch" in Dance Magazine. She also worked as a model for O Magazine and for Jordan Matter's photography book Dancers Among Us.

She was a guest teacher for the Japan International Dance Program, teaching in Tokyo Dance and Actors and Osaka's Music and Dance School. After the birth of her second child, Abby and her family moved to Italy but remained connected to her roots with Parsons Dance. In recent years, Abby has taught and performed throughout Italy and Europe. She has collaborated with Fini Dance NYC and Fini Dance Italy, teaching performance and assisting choreographer Antonio Fini for the National Ballet of Kosovo. She became an ambassador for the Joffrey International School in New York City, recruiting dancers from all over Europe and conducting master classes. Her desire is to continue expressing her art and sharing her vast experience with talented and willing dancers worldwide.

Stefano Fardelli

Director Artístico da EurAsia Dance Project International Network

Born in Italy, he is a dancer, choreographer, teacher, and founder of EurAsia Dance, with over 25 partner institutions across all five continents, including the Studio Wayne McGregor in London and many others. Since 2020, he has been head of the contemporary dance department at DanceHaus-Accademia Susanna Beltrami in Milan, Italy. In 2004, after graduating in dance techniques from the professional program led by Susanna Beltrami, he continued his studies at various choreographic centers across Europe. His international collaborations include the Berlin Opera, BBC, Royal Finland Opera, Les Gens d'Uterpan, English National Opera, Cie Twain, DV8 Physical Theatre, Choreographic Centre of Luxembourg, and others.

His productions, which have toured internationally, are supported by DanceHausPiu, funded by the Italian Ministry of Culture, the Italian Embassies, the General Consulates of Italy, Italian Cultural Institutes, and all EurAsia Partners. In 2010, he worked with Hollywood director Mike Figgis. In 2014, he made his film debut as a lead in L' Estate Sta Finendo by Stefano Tummolini. He has starred in short and medium-length films in Italy and the UK. He works as a model in Italy and England, and as a dancer for international television, commercials, and music videos.

Since 2015, he has been a guest professor and choreographer at universities, professional academies, companies, theaters, festivals, and graduate programs across all five continents, including The Place in London (UK), University of Arts ISI in Denpasar, Indonesia, and many others. In 2014, he was invited live on Rai 1 for Gibileo Della Famiglia, broadcast worldwide in the presence of the Pope. In 2010, he was selected by the Ministry of Youth among Italian talents to represent Italy around the world.

Stefania Petry
Director Artistic In Pulso Dance Company and Director Artistic Mostra Dança Portugal

Graduated as a Dance Technician - Ballet Artist from the Bolshoi Theatre School in Brazil.
Danced at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow and Ravello in Italy, as well as in the Brazilian tour of Ballet Scala from Milan.
Joined the Cisne Negro Dance Company for the season of The Nutcracker.
Invited to intern at the Deborah Colker Company.
Dancer with the In-Pulso Dance Company.
Member of the International Dance Council - UNESCO.
Directs Mostra Dança Produções.
Created the University Extension of the Vaganova Method - the only course of this method recognized by the Ministry of Education (MEC) and accredited by FEXDigital University

Anais Chalendard
Ballet Faculty and Professional Programs Manager

Originally France, Anaïs Chalendard trained with Carole Bentolila, a student of Paris Opera School's Max Bozzoni, and at the National School of Dance in Marseille under the direction of Roland Petit and Dominique Khalfouni.

At the age of 17, after graduating with a baccalaureate in Economics and Political Science, she received her first professional contract with the Deutsch Oper am Rhein under the direction of Youri Vamos. Shortly after, she was offered a contract with the Berlin State Opera under the direction of Vladimir Malakov.

In 2003, Chalendard joined the Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe under the direction of Birgit Keil, where she became a principal dancer. There, among other leading parts, Chalendard premiered the leading role in Terence Kohler's Anna Karenina and Gamzatti in his La Bayadère. In 2008, she joined English National Ballet under the direction of Wayne Eagling, where she was promoted to first soloist following performances in Manon and The Dying Swan. She also appeared in performances organized by Carlos Acosta, dancing a pas de deux created by Adam Hougland especially for her and Junor de Oliveira Souza.

In 2009, she received the Emerging Dancer Award after dancing “Nikiya's Death” from La Bayadère. In 2012, Chalendard appeared at the Nureyev Festival in Russia as Giselle with Principal dancer Jozef Varga from Het National Ballet, and as Odette/Odile in Derek Dean's Swan Lake with English National Ballet. Shortly after, she was listed among the 100 Best Dancers in the World by Dance Europe Magazine. In June 2013, she was invited to dance Erik Brühn's La Sylphide with Friedemann Vogel, principal with the Stuttgart Ballet, and Rolando Sarabia, international guest artist, at the Teatro dell Opera di Roma.

Chalendard joined Boston Ballet in 2013 as a second soloist, was promoted to soloist in 2014, and principal in 2016. During this time, she performed in works such as Florence Clerc’s La Bayadère, George Balanchine’s Violin Concerto, Miko Nissinen’s Swan Lake, Val Caniparoli’s The Lady of the Camélias, John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet, and more.

Chalendard has been invited to dance at the World Ballet Competition Star’s Gala in Orlando, FL, has served as a jury member at the World Ballet Competition, and has taught summer intensives with Dance Theater International, Allen Conservatory, and Boston Ballet School.

In 2019, Anaïs was invited to dance with Kammer Tänzer and Flavio Salamanka during the Mozart Foundation’s Salzburg Festival and performed as a guest artist with the Joburg Ballet in the role of Princess Aurora in Maina Gielgud’s production of The Sleeping Beauty. She officially retired from the stage in October 2019 after performing the title role of Giselle in a special and last guest appearance with Joburg Ballet. Since 2019, she has been a Ballet Master and Professional Programs Manager at Nashville Ballet - USA.