National Youth Ballet
Germany's first ever National Youth Ballet has been founded at the beginning of the 2011/2012 theatre season. The company consists of eight professional dancers between the ages of 18 to 23, and has begun work at its new home at the Ballettzentrum Hamburg – John Neumeier. With its own repertoire comprising mainly works by young choreographers, the group will predominantly dance in new spaces – not theatres, but schools, museums, nursing homes and even prisons; spaces in which dance does not usually attract much interest. The National Youth Ballet aims to demonstrate that dance has a social relevance creating a spirit of community and a sense of unity, focussing especially on a young audience. The company has both national and international tours scheduled, hoping to bring people of different backgrounds and characters together through movement and creativity.
BJB-General director John Neumeier summarizes the alignment of the company as follows: "With their own repertoire, which creatively reflects the feelings, awareness and ideas of the young generation, the youth company is an ideal mediator between youth culture, high art and the general public. It also has a valuable social aspect with a positive effect on the non-dance world. We want to tie in with the successes of other junior companies and further increase the awareness of dance as an art form within our society".
General Director and Artistic Supervisor
John Neumeier
The Dancers
Bronte Barnett
Dancer
Bronte Barnett
BORN
December 11, 2004 in Sydney. Australian
EDUCATION
Sydney College of Dance
School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Kevin Haigen, Raymond Hilbert, Gigi Hyatt, Elizabeth Loscavio, Xanthe Geeves
Bronte was born in Sydney in 2003, and took her first ballet class at the age of 4 at Ballet Academy Northside. After many years of training and developing a true passion for this art form, she began her professional training at Sydney College of Dance in 2016. Her education there, through years of training and performances, auditions and summer intensives, led to participating in the Prix de Lausanne in 2020, and receiving a scholarship to The School of the Hamburg Ballet. Studying there, she was fortunate to work and perform in the school and with the Hamburg Ballet in many productions such as "The Sleeping Beauty", "Illusions – like Swan Lake" and "A Midsummer Night's Dream". After graduating in 2022, she began the 2023/24 season working as an apprentice with the National Youth Ballet. Bronte is very happy to be an official member of this company commencing with the 2024/25 season.
Zofia Jabłońska
Dancer
Zofia Jabłońska
BORN
February 14, 2005 in Warsaw, Poland. Polish
EDUCATION
School Les Ballets de Pologne
Ballet School of the Hamburg Ballet
MAIN TEACHERS
Gigi Hyatt, Elizabeth Loscavio, Stacey Denham, Janusz Mazon, Natalia Zuk
Zofia was born in Warsaw, Poland in February of 2005. At the age of 11, she started dancing in a ballet school in her home country – Les Ballets de Pologne. Three years later, she decided to follow her dream and auditioned for professional ballet schools. In August 2020, she began her training at the School of the Hamburg Ballet. Zofia is a member of National Youth Ballet since the 2023/24 season.
Hannah McCloughan
Dancer
Hannah McCloughan
BORN
10.9.2004 in Newcastle (Australia). Australian
EDUCATION
Belmont Dances Centre
Premier Studios
The School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Natalie Baker, Sara Moore, Gigi Hyatt, Elizabeth Loscavio, Janusz Mazon, Konstantin Tselikov, Stacey Denham
Hannah was born in Newcastle, Australia, where she began her classical ballet training at the age of 12 at her local school "Belmont Dance Center". In 2020 Hannah decided to pursue her passion for dance and continued her professional training at Premier Studios. During this time she was accepted into the Australian Ballets Interstate Training Program and trained as a guest before being accepted into the Hamburg Ballet School in 2021. In Hannah's final year at the school, she took part in the Prix de Lausanne Young Choreographic Award, where her piece was a finalist and performed in Lausanne. In 2023, Hannah joined the Hamburg Ballet as an aspirant in John Neumeier's last season as director. From the 2024/25 season, Hannah is incredibly excited to join National Youth Ballet
Taissa Pache Pimentel
Dancer
Taissa Pache Pimentel
BORN
October 9, 2004 in Rio de Janeiro. Brazilian
EDUCATION
Escola Estadual de Dança Maria Olenewa
School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Gigi Hyatt, Elisabeth Loscavio, Janusz Mazon, Konstantin Tselikov, Stacey Denham, Ronaldo Martins, Rachel Ribeiro, Débora Ribeiro, Anna Uban
Taissa was born in October 2004 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and began her ballet training at the age of 3. In 2013 she began her professional training at the Escola Estadual de Dança Maria Olenewa and received additional classes from teachers at the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro: Ronaldo Martins, Rachel Ribeiro and Débora Ribeiro. In 2017, she takes part in the Grand Prix America Latina in Córdoba, Argentina, and wins a two-week intensive course at the Hamburg Ballet School. At the end of the two-week course, she is invited by John Neumeier to join the school and has been part of the Hamburg Ballet School since 2019. She has been a member of the National Youth Ballet since 2024.
Miguel Alves Oliveira
Dancer
Miguel Alves Oliveira
BORN
March 10, 2005 in Brasília. Brazilian
EDUCATION
Junior Company des Centro de Educação em Artes Basileu França
School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Kevin Haigen, Gigi Hyatt, Simone Malta, Ana Maria Campos, Olga Dolganova
Miguel Alves Oliveira started dancing ballet at the young age of 5 years old as he was inspired by his mother, who was also a dancer, and by his older brother. In 2019, he moved to Goiania to continue his training at the Junior Company of Centro de Educação em Artes Basileu França. He spent 3 years there and in his last year he participated in the Prix de Lausanne 2022, where he was offered a scholarship to the School of the Hamburg Ballet. In his last year in the Theaterklasse, he participated in the "Young Creation Award" of the Prix de Lausanne 2024. With the beginning of the season 2024/25, he joined the National Youth Ballet.
Eleftherios Sarafis
Dancer
Eleftherios Sarafis
BORN
March 27, 2003 in Düsseldorf. German/Greek
EDUCATION
University of Music and Performing Arts – Academy of Dance Mannheim
School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Kevin Haigen, Janusz Mazon, Konstantin Tselikov, Prof. Christine Neumeyer, Rosemary Helliwell, Eric Blanc, Alexandre Kalibabchuk, Grant Scruggs
Eleftherios began dancing at the age of 5 in Düsseldorf and immediately developed a great desire for it. At the age of sixteen, he went to the Mannheim Academy of Dance, where he began his professional ballet training. Three years later, in 2022, he trained as a guest at the Hamburg Ballet's ballet school and a few weeks later was already a student at the school. Over the past two years in Hamburg, he has learned a lot about dancing, but also about himself as a person, thanks in part to the National Youth Ballet, which has inspired him and made him feel for a long time. In July 2024, his time at the Hamburg Ballet school comes to an end and Eleftherios Efthimios is delighted to be part of the group from next season. A long-standing wish is coming true for him.
Dima Teletskyi
Dancer
Dima Teletskyi
BORN
August 26, 2003 in Odesa, Ukraine. Ukrainian
EDUCATION
Kyiv State Choreographic School
Ballett-Akademie Hochschule für Musik und Theater München
MAIN TEACHERS
Kirill Melnikov, Elena Safonova
Dima (Dmytro), was born in August 2003 in Odesa, Ukraine and started his ballet training at the age of 14. In 2018, he started his professional training at the Kyiv State Choreographic School. In 2019, he was among the top 10 at the Youth American Grand Prix and took part in the Grand Prix Kyiv that same year. In 2020, he moved to Munich and continued his study at the Ballet Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich. With the beginning of the season 2023/24, he joined the National Youth Ballet.
Oskar Weissel-Hetzel
Dancer
Oskar Weissel-Hetzel
BORN
September 23, 2003 in London, England
EDUCATION
Elmhurst Ballet School, Birmingham, England
School of the Hamburg Ballet
TEACHERS
Kevin Haigen, Janusz Mazon, Konstantin Tselikov, Lee Robinson
Oskar started pre-professional training at Elmhurst in Birmingham England in 2016. At age 16 he moved to Hamburg to join the school of the Hamburg Ballett. After graduation he joined the Leipziger Ballett before joining the National Youth Ballet in 2024.
Performances in Hamburg and Baden-Baden
DIE UNSICHTBAREN
Ballet by John Neumeier
Hamburg State Opera
June 8, 2025
SHALL WE DANCE?
Dance Collage by John Neumeier
Ernst Deutsch Theater
from June 19 (Premiere) to July 18, 2025
COLORS OF NIJINSKY
Ballets by John Neumeier
Dance Festival Baden-Baden – The World of John Neumeier
October 7 and 8, 2025
Contact
Yohan Stegli
Managing Director
T: +49 (0)40 35 68-923
F: +49 (0)40 35 68-988
info@bundesjugendballett.de
www.bundesjugendballett.de
