António Casalinho

António Casalinho was born in Leiria, Portugal, where from the age of 8 he studied ballet at the Annarella Sanchez International Conservatory of Ballet and Dance.

He is presently dancing with the Bayerisches Staatsballett and was recently promoted to First Soloist. He joined the Company for the season 2021-2021 at the age of 18 as Soloist, his repertoire there includes Franz in Roland Petit’s prodcution of Coppelia, Demetrius and Puck in John Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, the Emeralds Pas de Trois in George Balanchine’s Jewels, Benjamin in Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, the Peasant Pas in Giselle, Benno in Swan Lake, Alexei Ratmansky’s Pictures at an Exhibition and a creation by Marco Goecke. Recently he performed Mercutio in John Cranko’s version of Romeo and Juliet.

He has also performed James in La Sylphide act 2, the principal roles in full length productions of Giselle, Swan Lake, Aurora’s Wedding, Don Quixote, and the Gilpin solo in Dolin’s Variations for Four.

In Gala performances, he performs Pas de deux such as Le Corsaire, Flames of Paris, La Sylphide, Grand Pas Classique, Talisman and Diana and Acteon and the solo Les Bourgeois by Ben van Cauwenbergh.

He appeared in Roberto Bolle and Friends in Bologna, February 2022, “Étoiles des Grands Ballets” in Cannes, July 2022, and In Fall for Dance at New York City Center in September 2022. He will also be performing in the London Ballet Icons gala in February 2023.

He has won many prizes in international ballet competitions, including First Prize Classical, and the Contemporary Prize at Prix de Lausanne 2021; Grand Prix at YAGP in Barcelona 2020; Grand Prix Beijing International Ballet Competition in 2019. In 2018, in Varna, he received the Special Distinction Award Junior Category, the Emil Dimitrov Prize for Young Talent, Promising Young Dancer and Bounty Award for youngest Round 3 competitor; in 2018 and 2016, the YAGP Senior and Junior Grand Prix Awards.