Jeanpaul Comelin

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Lifestyle

Notable

French ballet dancer and choreographer; internationally known. Born in France, he trained at the Paris National Conservatory of music. He joined Paris Opera ballet and later London Festival Ballet where he became a lead dancer. While appearing as a guest artist with the Australian Ballet, he worked with Rudolf Nureyev. Comelin has created more than 50 works for companies on five continents. In the U.S., he worked with such noted choreographers as George Balanchine, John Butler and Anthony Tudor. He developed companies in San Diego, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Tucson and Phoenix, while at the same time, pursuing a successful career as a freelance choreographer. At the prestigious Stuttgart Ballet, he was invited to create new works. As Artistic Director, Comelin created numerous works for Ballet du Nord in France and supervised the company’s tour throughout the world. His work and renown has extended as far as Hong Kong, the Philippines and Singapore, as well as Canada and Switzerland. He received several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts and worked with such notable dancers as Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Markarova and Lawrence Rhodes.