Sophie Benoit

Biography

Soloist with Czech National Ballet, former soloist of many ballet companies across Europe such as Royal Swedish Ballet, Zürich Ballett or Nice Opera Ballet. Her delicate french dance technique makes her a perfect ballerina for classical and neoclassical repertory, she however also dances in contemporary pieces with great success. Her repertory includes main roles:  Christmas Fairy (The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol), Gamzatti  (La Bayadère) nebo Odetta / Odilie (Swan Lake). From 2020/2021 season she became an ambassador of Czech National Ballet project for young dancers.

Born in France, she began her dance training when she was 6 years old. She trained with former dancers of Paris Opera Ballet (Scouarnec, Piolett, Mayer), at Conservatoire National Régional de Paris, in 2003 she graduated from Royal Ballet School in London. In 2006 she won golden medal at International ballet competition in Rome.

She began her dance career with European Ballet in the United Kingdom, with the company she danced in ballets such as Carmen, Paquita and principal roles in The Sleeping Beauty (Lilac Fairy) and La Bayadère (Gamzatti). Then she was a member of Birmingham Royal Ballet and danced in The Nutcracker, with English National Ballet she danced roles in Romeo and Juliet.

In 2006 she became a soloist with Zürich Ballett. Her repertory include roles in ballets by George Balanchine (Terpsichora in Apollon musagète, Concerto Barocco) as well as soloist parts such as Queen of Dryads (Don Quijote), Sugar Plum Fairy (Nutcracker), pas de quatre (Swan Lake), she created roles in ballet Peer Gynt. From 2008 she was a soloist with Royal Swedish Ballet. With the company she created role of Swanilda in Coppélia and Bassi in Gustav III by Patrice Bart, she also danced in George Balanchine’s Theme and Variations and Neapolitan dance in Swan Lake. Two years later she was a principal with Nice Opera Ballet, where she worked with Claude Bessy on Suite en Blanc. She also danced in Don Quijote, Coppélia or Cante 51 by Maurice Béjart, Por vos Mueros by Nacho Duato and Allegro Brillante and Chaconne by George Balanchine.

In 2005 she for the first time danced with The Czech National Ballet, her repertory included ballet Onegin and Taming of the Shrew (Cranko), Giselle (Hampson), Raymonda (Grigorovich) or Mozart? Mozart! (Kylián, Zuska). In 2012 she came back to Prague and became a soloist of the company. Her classical repertory includes roles of Christmas Fairy and Clara (Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol; Vàmos), Gamzatti (La Bayadère; Torres), Odette/Odile and Pas de six (Swan Lake; Cranko). She also created roles in Forsythe’s In the Middle Somewhat Elevated, Balanchine’s Serenade or in choreographies by Jiří Kylián and Christian Spuck.

She was a guest artist at Miami International Ballet Festival (2006) and Venice Summer Festival (2008), she danced at Christmas Gala in Geneva (2010), at Saint Barthelemy Music Festival (2011) or in Andre Malreaux Theater – Rueil Malmaison (2012), where she danced a pas de deux from ballet Raymonda.

Repertory
Mrs Cratchit, Christmas Fairy, Clara (Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol; Vàmos), sister (Cinderella; Maillot), Syrene, fairy of Love (Sleeping Beauty; Torres), Lady Monteque (Romeo and Juliet; Zuska), Gamzatti, Main temple girls (La Bayadère; Torres), Snow Queen (Corder), Odette/Odile, pas de six (Swan Lake; Cranko), Leonce & Lena (Spuck).

In the Middle Somewhat Elevated (Forsythe), Serenade, Theme and Variations (Balanchine), Symphony of Psalms (Kylián).