Mr. GYULA HARANGOZÓ
President of BBGP Jury
Honorable University Professor at the Hungarian Dance University, world-renowned ballet star.
Mr. Harangozó, hailing from a prestigious family of principal dancers, began his career as a member, and later as a principal soloist, of the Hungarian State Opera House. He continued his illustrious journey as a principal dancer with the Wiener Staatsoper and the Bayerische Staatsoper.
At the III. International Ballet Competition in Moscow won the prize of the Best Young Dancer and at the II. International Ballet Competition in Tokyo Gold Medal as the Best Male Dancer. He was invited as a guest star among others to the Metropolitan Opera House with the American Ballet Theatre, Moscow Bolshoi Theater, Teatro alla Scala, Milano etc.
Throughout his career, Mr. Harangozó has received numerous awards and accolades, both as a dancer and for his artistic achievements. Among his honors are the Austrian Cross of Merit for Science and Art, and the Officer’s Cross of the Hungarian Republic, Merited Artist of the Hungarian Republic and the Kossuth Prize, one of Hungary’s most prestigious accolades.
Mr. Harangozó has served as the ballet director for several national ballet companies, including the Hungarian National Ballet, the ballet company of the Hungarian State Opera House, the Wiener Staatsoper, the Wiener Volksoper, and the Ballet School of the Wiener Staatsoper.
To this day, he is a member of the trustees of the Foundation for the Hungarian Dance University, Master Artist and Hereditary Member of the Hungarian State Opera House.
BBGP2024 Jury Members
FEDERICO BONELLI
Federico Bonelli was a Principal of The Royal Ballet And Opera (UK) and joined the royal Opera House Company in 2003. After his wonderful career as a dancer, in 2022 he became the Artistic Director of Northern Ballet. His awards include first prize at the Rieti International Ballet Competition and a Prix de Lausanne scholarship. He joined Ballett Zürich in 1996, promoted to Soloist in 1997. He joined Het Nationale Ballet – Dutch National Ballet in 1999, promoted to Principal in 2002.
As a diverse and devoted professional, Federico has also worked on Royal Ballet repertory as a coach, The Royal Ballet’s Inclusivity Focus Group with the aim to influence strategic and operational decisions at the company. Besides, he is a non-executive director and member of the Board of Parents and Carers in Performing Arts (PiPA). Furthermore, he is a member of the external Steering Group of Chance to Dance, The Royal Ballet’s outreach talent development programme that aims to remove the barriers to a diverse talent pipeline into vocational training and the ballet and dance profession.
AKI SAITO
Having won many prizes, awards and medals, Ms. Aki Saito joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders as a demi-soloist, where later she was promoted to the rank of principal dancer. During her time as prima ballerina, she danced the leading roles in the company’s various repertoire. Besides of her work with Ballet Flanders, Aki Saito is also a world-renowned professional having been invited as guest artist to numerous international ballet companies and performed with Ballet de Santiago, Hong Kong Ballet, the Gala des Etoiles in Paris, The Gala of Prix de Lausanne, Dance Salad Festival/Houston, The Prague Ballet Gala and many more.
She is currently a faculty member at the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, and a frequent Jury member in renowned ballet competitions, such as Prix de Lausanne.
She was knighted to become Chevalier in the Order of Leopold, a very prestigious recognition in Belgium, for her outstanding work in the field of dance.
MAIA MAKHATELI
Maia made her principal role debut at the age of 19 with the Colorado Ballet, dancing Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty in 2006. Later she moved to the Birmingham Royal Ballet in the UK and a year later she joined the Het Nationale Ballet – Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, where she was promoted to principal dancer in 2010. As the leading principal dancer of the company, she is performing all the female leading roles in both the classical and neoclassical repertoire, and she is a regular guest artist with many other opera companies, including Teatro San Carlo, The Rome Opera, The Macedonian Ballet Theatre, The Slovakian Ballet Theatre, and many more. She is a multi-time winner at various international ballet competitions, and she has been awarded with several ballet grants and prizes, including Dance Europe’s Critic’s Choice Award and the prestigious Alexandra Radius Ballet Award.
KRZYSZTOF PASTOR
Krzysztof Pastor trained at the State Ballet School in his hometown of Gdansk. In Poland, he danced with the Dance Theatre in Poznań and the Grand Theatre of Łódź. In 1983, Pastor became a soloist with the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon (France) From 1985 to 1995, he was a dancer with Dutch National Ballet.
He made his debut as a choreographer in 1986, for a gala performance in Łódź. He went on to make several works for Dutch National Ballet where he later became resident choreographer.
Pastor worked as a freelance choreographer, and he was also a resident choreographer with The Washington Ballet.
Since March 2009, Pastor has been director of the Polish National Ballet of Teatr Wielki. From 2011 to 2020, he was also artistic director of the ballet company of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
To date, he has created more than fifty ballets for many companies around the world, including the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, the Hungarian National Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Australian Ballet, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet.
Pastor has received various awards, including the Medal of Service from the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Choreography Prize from Dansersfonds ’79 and the Gloria Artist Gold Medal. His production Kurt Weill was nominated in three categories for the prestigious international Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2014, the Polish Minister of Culture conferred a high distinction on Pastor for his outstanding services to dance in Poland, and in 2021 he was awarded a Knight’s Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania.
He made his debut as a choreographer in 1986, for a gala performance in Łódź. He went on to make several works for Dutch National Ballet where he later became resident choreographer.
Pastor worked as a freelance choreographer, and he was also a resident choreographer with The Washington Ballet.
Since March 2009, Pastor has been director of the Polish National Ballet of Teatr Wielki. From 2011 to 2020, he was also artistic director of the ballet company of the Lithuanian National Opera and Ballet Theatre.
To date, he has created more than fifty ballets for many companies around the world, including the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow, the Hungarian National Ballet, The Washington Ballet, The Australian Ballet, the Royal New Zealand Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet and Hong Kong Ballet.
Pastor has received various awards, including the Medal of Service from the Polish Ministry of Culture, the Choreography Prize from Dansersfonds ’79 and the Gloria Artist Gold Medal. His production Kurt Weill was nominated in three categories for the prestigious international Prix Benois de la Danse. In 2014, the Polish Minister of Culture conferred a high distinction on Pastor for his outstanding services to dance in Poland, and in 2021 he was awarded a Knight’s Cross of the Order for Merits to Lithuania.
