Born in 1960 in Tours, Jean-Christophe Maillot
studied dance and piano at the Conservatoire National in that
city before joining Rosella Hightower's International School
of Dance in Cannes. In 1977 he won the Prix de Lausanne. In
1978, he was invited to join the Hamburg Ballet, where director
John Neumeier created principal roles for him in many works.
In 1983, Jean-Christophe Maillot was appointed
as choreographer and director of the Ballet du Grand Theatre
in Tours, subsequently one of France's National Choreographic
Centres. He choreographed some twenty ballets for this company,
and in 1985 he founded the festival "Le Chorégraphique".
In 1992 he was awarded the title of Chevalier de l'Ordre des
Arts et des Lettres by the Minister of Culture, Jack Lang.
In 1993, H.R.H. the Princess of Hannover invited Jean-Christophe
Maillot to become director of the Ballets
de Monte-Carlo. There, as principal choreographer for a
company of fifty dancers, he has continued to make new work:
among his creations for the Ballets de Monte-Carlo, are Bêtes
Noires, Home, Sweet Home, Dov'è
la Luna, Vers un Pays Sage, Roméo et
Juliette (performed almost 100 times), Recto Verso,
L'Ile, Cendrillon, Entrelacs, Oeil
pour oeil, La Belle.
In addition to his own work, he has broadened and enriched the
company's repertoire by inviting the most important contemporary
choreographers to work in Monte-Carlo, as well as maintaining
works by George Balanchine and from the Ballets Russes, closely
linked to the history of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. For the
Printemps des Arts 2000 season in Monaco, he recently created
Opus 40, to music by Meredith Monk, set and costumes by new-yorker
painter George Condo.
Jean-Christophe Maillot is also regularly invited
to stage his works for companies all over the world, and is
one of France's most frequently presented choreographers: his
ballets have been performed in London, Rome, Madrid, Paris,
Brussels, Lisbon, Cairo, New York, Mexico, Rio de Janeiro, Sao
Paulo, Hong Kong, Seoul, Manila, Tokyo, and Brisbane.
On the 19 November, 1999, Jean-Christophe Maillot
was awarded the title of Officer de l'Ordre du Merite Culturel
of the Principality of Monaco.
Jean-Christophe Maillot is founder and president
of the Monaco Dance Forum.
In July 2002, he was appointed to the rank of Chevalier de la
Légion d'Honneur by french President, Jacques Chirac.
Jean-Christophe Maillot's production, La
Belle, obtained the Nijinsky award for the best choreographic
production 2001 during the second edition of the Monaco Dance
Forum in December 2002, and the Danza & Danza Prize for
the Best show 2002, awarded by the Italian critics.