António Casalinho
Principal Dancer
António hails from Leiria, Portugal. He pursued his ballet studies from the age of eight onwards at the Conservatório Internacional de Ballet e Dança Annarella Sanchez, which follows the Cuban methodology of training. He won prizes in every international competition he entered: In 2021 the Prix de Lausanne double win of First Prize and Contemporary Prize; in 2019 the Grand Prix at the Beijing International Ballet Competition; in 2018 the Special Distinction Award in the Junior Category, the Emil Dimitrov Prize for Young Talent, Promising Young Dancer and the Bounty Award for the youngest round 3 competitor; at YAGP he took the Grand Prix Award in the Junior and Senior category in 2016 and 2018. António joined Bayerisches Staatsballett starting in the 2021/22 season as a demi-soloist. Per January 1st, 2023, Laurent Hilaire promoted him to soloist and on November 29, 2024, the night of his debut as James in La Sylphide, to principal.
(Information as of November 2024)
Roles in the 2024/25 season (updated periodically)
Les bourgeois from La vie en rose (Bern Van Cauwenbergh), as part of the Wurzeln und Blätter Multiple Bill
Lenski in Onegin (John Cranko)
Scottish Couple Pas de deux in La Sylphide (Pierre Lacotte after Filippo Taglioni)
James in La Sylphide (Pierre Lacotte nach Filippo Taglioni)
Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo and Juliet (John Cranko)
Dancer in Silent Screen (Sol León und Paul Lightfoot), as part of theSchmetterling Double Bill
Dancer in Schmetterling (Sol León und Paul Lightfoot), as part of theSchmetterling Double Bill
Pas de six Solo in Giselle (Peter Wright)
Dancer in Bella Figura (Jiří Kylián), as part of theWings of Memory Triple Bill
Dancer in Faun (Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui), as part of theWings of Memory Triple Bill
Count Alexander in Illusionen – wie Schwanensee (John Neumeier)
Selected previous roles
Jack / Knave of Hearts in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Christopher Wheeldon)
Magician / The Mad Hatter in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Christopher Wheeldon)
Benjamin in Cinderella (Christopher Wheeldon)
Benno in Swan Lake (Ray Barra)
Franz in Coppélia (Roland Petit)
Golden Idol in La Bayadère (Patrice Bart nach Marius Petipa)
Philostrat/Puck in A Midsummer Night's Dream (John Neumeier)
Demetrius in A Midsummer Night's Dream (John Neumeier)