JEAN-CHRISTOPHE MAILLOT

Jean-Christophe Maillot was born in Tours, France, where he studied dance and piano at the Conservatoire National before joining Rosella Hightower's International School of Dance in Cannes. In 1977, he won the Prix de Lausanne, and in 1978, he was invited to join the Hamburg Ballet, where director John Neumeier created numerous principal roles for him. In 1983, Mr. Maillot was appointed choreographer and director of the Ballet du Grand Theatre in Tours. He choreographed some 20 ballets for this company, and in 1985, he founded "Le Chorégraphique" festival. Mr. Maillot is also the founder and president of the Monaco Dance Forum.

In 1993, H.R.H. the Princess of Hannover invited Mr. Maillot to become director of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo. As the principal choreographer for the company, he has created ballets such as Bêtes Noires, Home, Sweet Home, Dov'è la Luna, Vers un Pays Sage, Roméo et Juliette, Recto Verso, L'Ile, Cendrillon, Entrelacs, Oeil pour oeil, and La Belle, among others. For the Printemps des Arts 2000 season in Monaco, he created Opus 40, to music by Meredith Monk and set and costumes by New York painter George Condo.

In 1992, Mr. Maillot was awarded the title of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Minister of Culture. In November 1999, he was awarded the title of Officer de l'Ordre du Merite Culturel of the Principality of Monaco. In July 2002, Mr. Maillot was appointed to the rank of Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur by French President Jacques Chirac.