Filip Barankiewicz
Artistic Director of The Czech National BalletBiography
Filip Barankiewicz was born in Warsaw, where in 1986 he enrolled at the Roman Turczynowicz Ballet School. In 1991 he received the Vaslav Nijinsky Medal, and in 1995 he won the National Ballet Competition in Poland. The first dancer to be granted a Rudolf Nureyev Foundation scholarship, he studied at the Académie de Danse Classique in Monte Carlo until 1996. His professional career has been diverse and distinguished – a superb dancer, he also gained recognition as a guest coach at prestigious venues worldwide and today is a noted ballet master. He has staged John Cranko’s choreographies at numerous companies (Estonian National Ballet, Korean National Ballet, Polish National Theatre, Ballet de Santiago, Bavarian State Ballet, Royal Swedish Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Finish National Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Miami City Ballet, etc.).
In 2025, he received the prestigious Pearl of Dance, the highest Polish award given to dance artists for their lifetime contribution to ballet, and also sat on the jury of the Polish National Ballet’s competition Młody Tancerz Roku (Young Dancer of the Year), the final of which was broadcast by TVP Kultura.
Since the 2017/2018 season, Filip Barankiewicz has been Artistic Director of the Czech National Ballet. During his illustrious career as a dancer, he gained invaluable experience over 18 seasons with the Stuttgarter Ballett, where he was a principal dancer and later on a ballet master and coach.
He keenly follows global trends, understands the wide international context and supports colourful diversity. As Artistic Director, he deems it important for dancers to reach their full potential and perform at the highest level possible. The company’s repertoire is very challenging and the quality of interpretation excellent.
The Czech National Ballet’s repertoire is notable for its complexity and high level of technical difficulty alike. Furthermore, the interpretative abilities displayed by the dancers are of a very high standard.
Since 2017, Filip Barankiewicz has added some 25 new productions to the Czech National Ballet’s repertoire. The following works represent the most significant contributions to the global ballet heritage, created by renowned choreographers:
L’Histoire de Manon by Kenneth MacMillan; Swan Lake, Onegin, Romeo and Juliet by John Cranko; The Sleeping Beauty by Marcia Haydée; La Fille mal gardée by Frederick Ashton; La Sylphide by Johan Kobborg; Serenade by George Balanchine; The Rite of Spring by Glen Tetley; Kafka: The Trial and Holo Harmonies by Mauro Bigonzetti; A Streetcar Named Desire by John Neumeier; Leonce & Lena by Christian Spuck; Cinderella by Jean-Christophe Maillot; Coppélia by Ronald Hynd; The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol by Youri Vàmos; Jiří Kylián ‘s Symphony of Psalms, Petite Mort, Bella Figura, Gods and Dogs, Sechs Tänze; William Forsythe’s The Second Detail; Edward Clug’s Handman; Wayne McGregor’s EdenǀEden; Krzysztof Pastor’s Moving Room; Hans van Manen’s Frank Bridge Variations and Sarcasmen; and Marco Goecke’s Fly Paper Bird.
Filip Barankiewicz has also initiated the creation of new works that have been presented in world premiere (Aspects – Katarzyna Kozielska, Dumka – Ondřej Vinklát, Perfect Example ... and And How Is Your Life? – Andrey Kaydanovskiy, Separate Knots – Emanuel Gat, Prelude und Liebestod – Cayetano Soto, Dos soles solos – Alejandro Cerrudo, Puppet – Douglas Lee, Artza and Katastrof – Eyal Dadon, Bohemian Gravity – Yemi A.D.).
Moreover, he has promoted cultural exchanges between such fascinating companies as the Korean National Ballet and Israel’s SOL Dance Company.
In addition to collaborating with renowned choreographers, Filip Barankiewicz also supports original ventures and is dedicated to finding new creative forces. He affords dancers the opportunity to develop their own skills and imagination, and to participate in the creative process during the preparation of productions made directly for the Czech National Ballet. This commitment duly cultivates a vibrant and progressive milieu within which artistic expression expands and evolves.
Filip Barankiewicz pursues international cooperation and bolsters the company’s position on the world stage. The Czech National Ballet's tours of Finland, China, Korea, Kazakhstan, Spain, Italy, Oman, Hong Kong, Germany, Israel, Cuba and Costa Rica serve as evidence in this regard.
