ABOUT US
ARTISTIC DIRECTION
Photo John Hall "Gradimir Pankov's revolution at Les Grands Ballets canadiens de Montréal continues, with breathtaking results." John Rockwell, The New York Times
Macedonia native Gradimir Pankov has been in love with dance for 50 years. He began his career as a brilliant dancer in the former Yugoslavia and in Germany, before successively taking over the artistic direction of Nederlands Dans Theater II (the Netherlands), the National Ballet of Finland (Helsinki), the Cullberg Ballet (Sweden), and Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève (Switzerland). He has also served as a guest instructor with the most prestigious ballet companies in the world: the Paris Opera Ballet, the Lyon Opera Ballet, Nederlands Dans Theater, the Cullberg Ballet, the Gulbenkian Ballet, and the American Ballet Theatre. On his road to success, he met and made lasting friendships with what are today's leading ballet figures, including Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, and rising stars like Didy Veldman and Stijn Celis.
A man of passion and openness, Pankov is passionate about all forms of expression. Undaunted by challenges, he aspires to make Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal into a company that stands out both in the world of ballet and that of culture in general.
Since his arrival, he has breathed new life into the Montréal company and fuelled the desire to excel through his programming choices, disciplined thinking, and deep understanding of the artists and designers he works with. Pankov is a complete professional driven to imbue the company with the distinct character of the city he adopted in 2000 and where he intends to remain for some time to come.
