Voted as Dancer of the Year by Dance Europe's readership from a shortlist of ten dancers chosen by our writers, António Casalinho's career path to date has been meteroric. Trained at the esteemed Academie Anarella in Leiria, the Portuguese dancer has won numerous awards, including at the YAGP and the Prix de Lausanne, and joined the Bayerisches Staatsballett as soloist straight from school in 2021. He was promoted to first soloist in 2023 and to principal following his debut as James in Pierre Lacotte's La Sylphide last November, when DANCE EUROPE met up with the exceptional dancer in Munich.
WITH THANKS TO
Bayerisches Staatsballett for film excerpts
La Sylphide
Choreography Pierre Lacotte after Filippo Taglioni
James António Casalinho
La Sylphide Margarita Fernandes
Effie Zhana Gubanova
Romeo and Juliet
Choreography John Cranko
Mercutio António Casalinho
Onegin
Choreography John Cranko
Lensky António Casalinho
and
Annarella Academia
La Sylphide Act II
Staged by Maina Gielgud after August Bournonville
James António Casalinho
filmed in 2019
Interview at the Bayerisches Staatsballett
Filmed and Edited by
FotoKaul for Dance Europe
© 2025