Bart de Block

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Bart de Block (born 22 October 1968 in Ghent) is a professional Belgian ballet dancer known for his pointework. He is also a ballet teacher (pointwork, pas-de-deux), choreographer and balletmaster.

Contents

Personal life

Bart de Block was born on 22 October 1968 in Gent, Belgium. His mother was a nursing supervisor and his father a schoolmaster. Both his brother and sister are now engineers.

Noticing a strong ability to move to music, his mother encouraged him to take dance lessons locally at age 9. His teacher suggested his ability could be improved in Antwerp at the Academy of Royal Ballet of Flanders, which he joined at 11. He would later leave it at age 18, having pursued an advanced ballet course including three years of Graham technique, classical dance, and, of course, regular academic courses. He won several medals in Lausanne, Jackson Mississippi, Houlgate and earned a High school diploma from the Stedelijk Institute in Antwerp (now known as Royal Balletschool of Antwerp).

Career

1986–1987 Royal Ballet of Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium as a member of the "corps de ballet"

1987–1995 Deutsche Oper Berlin, Berlin, Germany as the principal dancer, working with, most notably: Maurice Béjart, Marc Bogaerts, Valery Panov, Sir Kenneth McMillan, John Neumeier, Peter Schaufuss, Karole Armitage, Bill T. Jones, Moses Pendleton, Stephen Petronio, Nacho Duato, Christopher Bruce, Lucinda Childs – guest with the Kirov ballet, St-Petersburg, dancing Albrecht in Giselle

1995–1997 Ballet Trockadero, New-York, USA as the principal dancer

1997–1999 Mark Baldwin Dance Company, London, England as the principal dancer but also as the director's assistant

1999–2001 Royal Ballet of Flanders, Antwerp, Belgium as the principal dancer and also as an administration member

2002–2003 Jeugd & Dans Company, Antwerp, Belgium as the artistic coordinator

2003–2007 Les Ballets Gradiva, New York, USA as a guest

Principal roles

Roles "en pointe"

Ballet repertoire in point shoes

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