Artistic Direction

Amanda Bennett
Director Ballettschule
Amanda Bennett
Director Ballettschule
Born in Amarillo Texas, USA, Amanda Bennett studied at the School of American Ballet in New York. Her first engagement was at the Ballet du Grand Théatre de Genéve under the Artistic Direction of George Balanchine. From 1978 to 1989 she was engaged as Principal Dancer with the Basler Ballett under the direction of Heinz Spoerli, and during the 1989-90 season performed with Pennsylvania Ballet. Amanda Bennett has worked as Ballet Mistress, Rehearsal Director and Choreographic Assistant for among others, The Feld Ballet in New York, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Genéve, Luzerner Ballett, Bern Ballett and Ballett Freiburg Pretty Ugly. Ms. Bennett is an Affiliate Teacher of the American Ballet Theatre National Curriculum, member of the ABT NTC Artistic Board of Examiners and co-founder of the Ballettschule Theater Basel, where she has been Director since 2001. During this time, she was instrumental in bringing the Swiss Federal Diploma for Dance to Basel. In 2015 Ms. Bennett was awarded the Heinz Spoerli Foundation Prize for her outstanding work as Director of the Ballettschule Theater Basel.
From 2012 to 2016 Amanda Bennett was the Artistic Director of the Prix de Lausanne. She is a respected Expert and Jury Member and at many international competitions and dance events.

Julie Christie Wherlock
Director Junior School
Julie Christie Wherlock
Director Junior School
Born in Farnborough, Great Britain, Julie Christie Wherlock received her education at The Royal Ballet School London, where she was awarded the Royal Academy of Dancing Solo Seal. In 1977 she started her career as a Soloist with the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden before becoming Principal Dancer at the Tanz Forum Köln from 1981-1991. Ms. Wherlock is an American Ballet Theatre National Curriculum Affiliate Teacher and member of the ABT NTC Artistic Board of Examiners. She has worked as a guest company and school teacher as well as being a respected jury member at many international competitions.
Ms Christie Wherlock is a cofounder of BTB and has directed the BTB junior school since 2001.

François Petit
Assistant Director
François Petit
Assistant Director / Teacher Ballet and Pas de deux
Born in Royan, France, François Petit received his training at the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris with Attilio Labis. Upon graduation he received the «premier prix a unanimité». Over the course of his career he was awarded numerous international prizes including the first Prize at the Varna Competition in 1990. The same year he received the prize as Best Young Dancer at the Paris Competition and in 1991 was given a Special Recognition Prize at the Osaka Competition.
His first engagement was as a Soloist with The Royal Ballet of Flanders in Antwerp. He was then invited by Heinz Spoerli to join the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf, where he created the role of Puck in Mr. Spoerli’s new version of “A Midsummer Nights Dream”. Mr. Petit was subsequently engaged as Principal Dancer by Heinz Spoerli at the Züricher Ballett, where he danced all the major classical and neo classical roles and toured more than 45 countries.
In 2001 Mr. Petit took over responsibility for the Junior Ballet of the Zürich Opera House.
In 2006 the Direction of the Zürich Opera House appointed him to the position of Ballet Master where he remained until 2016.
In 2016 he joined Ballettschule Theater Basel as Principal Teacher of Classical Ballet and Pas de deux.
He is a regular Guest Teacher for the Royal Ballet London, the Scala di Milano and at the Ballet de Monte Carlo.
In 2019 he became the Assistant Director of BTB.
Administrative Direction

Antonio Annecchiarico
Administrative Director
Antonio Annecchiarico
Administrative Director
Born in Basel, Switzerland. Antonio Annecchiarico studied economics in Basel and international relations at the HSG in St. Gallen. After completeing his Master’s degree, his first work experience was in strategic management consulting. He then transfered to strategic planning at Orange Communications in Lausanne, and was soon promoted to management positions in marketing and product management. In 2001 he became managing director of the Pathé multiplex cinema in Dietlikon. He subsuquiently took over the management of Pathé Küchlin in Basel and shortly after became the General Manager for Pathé Cinemas in the German-speaking part of Switzerland. He was a member of the executive board of Pathé Switzerland and president of the Basel Cinema Association. At Pathé, he was extensively involved in the live broadcasts of the Bolshoi Ballet.
After almost 10 years at Pathé, Mr. Annecchiarico founded his own business and worked as a consultant for a wide variety of companies – mainly in the childcare and hospitality sectors.
Antonio Annecchiarico will take over the administrative direction of BTB in September 2021. His passion for dance, combined with his management skills, will usher in a new era of growth to BTB
Mr. Annecchiarico additionally serves as managing director of the Kinderkrippen Bläsistift, and is an independent consultant in the cinema industry.
Teachers Senior Professional / EFZ Diploma Division

Jorge García Pérez
Teacher Modern /
Jorge García Pérez
Teacher Modern
Born in Zaragoza, Spain, Jorge García Pérez trained at the Escuela de danza Maria de Avila in Zaragoza. After completing his studies he danced with Ballet Biarritz for a season and then with the Sybaa Dance Company. In 2005 he joined the Zürich Ballett. Mr Perez is currently a soloist with Ballett Theater Basel, is a freelance choreographer and Director of the project ≪Carta Blanca≫. Over the course of his career he has worked with renowned choreographers such as Jiři Kylian, Nacho Duato, Heinz Spoerli and Ohad Naharin and has choreographed for the San Francisco Ballet.
In 2018 Mr. Perez created «Golden Insomnia», arranged by Philip Kannicht and Scott Roller, for the BTB Summer Gala. He joined the teaching faculty in 2019 as modern teacher for the professional program and is a fulltime member of the staff as of August 2021.

Arman Grigoryan
Teacher Ballet and Pas de Deux
Arman Grigoryan
Teacher Ballet and Pas de Deux
Born in Jerevan, Armenia, Arman Grigoryan received his dance training at The Armenian National Ballet School and in 2001 began his career with The Israeli Ballet. In 2002 Mr. Grigoryan joined the Züricher Junior Ballett, two years later advanced to the main company and in 2007 was promoted to Soloist. In 2015 he performed for one season with the Staatsballett Berlin. Over the course of his career Mr. Grigoryan won a Prize at the Prix de Lausanne and placed first for the Varna Revelation Award. In 2008 he received The Heinz Spoerli Foundation Award as well as ‚Les Étoiles Prix’ from the the magazin Ballet 2000.
After his preforming career Mr. Grigoryan assisted in the staging of Heinz Spoerli’s ‘Goldberg Variations’ at La Scala and is currently a Coach for The Prix de Lausanne.
Mr. Grigoryan joined the BTB faculty in 2019. He also teaches at the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste, TanzWerk101 and at the Yen Han Tanzzentrum. He is cofounder and a member of the dance group ‘Forceful Feelings’

Lawrence Rigg
Teacher Ballet
Lawrence Rigg
Teacher Ballet
Raised near Oxford, England, Lawrence trained at The Royal Ballet School in London. Upon graduating with Honours in 2005, he joined the Zurich Junior Ballet under the direction of Heinz Spoerli. In 2007 he entered the Ballet du Capitole in Toulouse as a demi-soloist before dancing with Victor Ullate Ballet in Madrid for two seasons. In 2010 Lawrence joined the Béjart Ballet in Lausanne where he stayed for a decade. During his career, Lawrence travelled extensively and performed in works from Heinz Spoerli, George Balanchine, Uwe Scholtz, Jiri Kylian, Peter Martins and Maurice Béjart as well as participating in creations by Gil Roman, Alonzo King and Giorgio Madia among others.
Since leaving the stage in 2020, Lawrence has been on the faculty at the AFJD in Lausanne, guest teacher with Béjart Ballet and Rudra School in Lausanne, and is currently studying for his Diploma of Dance Teaching from the Royal Ballet School. He joins the BTB team in August 2021.

Risa Yajima-Boisnon
Teacher Ballet
Risa Yajima-Boisnon
Teacher Ballet

Alba Carbonell Castillo
Teacher Modern
Alba Carbonell Castillo
Teacher Modern
Born in Valencia, Spain, Alba Carbonell Castillo recieved her dance education at the Conservatorio Profesional de Danzade Riba-Roja del Turia Valencia. On completion of her training she joined “Teatres de la Generalitat Valenciana, where she danced for two years before moving to the Companie Nacional de Danca 2, Madrid in 2007. Ms. Castillo is currently a soloist with Ballett Theater Basel.
In 2012 Ms. Castillo began her choreographic career with the work “Bipolar Skin“, a creative collaboration with Jorge García Perez. This piece reached the finals of the International Choreographic Competition Hannover, received second prize at Certamen Internacional de Coreografía Burgos & New York and won the audience prize at the 5. International Choreographiewettbewerb in Copenhagen. In 2018 Ms. Castillo was nominated for the „PREMIOS MAX de las artes escenicas“and was awarded second prize by the “Synodales – Concours Chorégraphique Contemporain“ for her work “The Breathing Room“. In 2019 her creation “Before You Land“ won the gold medal and was nominated as best choreography at the 5. Beijing Ballet and Choreography Competition.
In 2019 Ms. Castillo created “All that is left” for the BTB Summer Gala and joined the teaching faculty as modern teacher for the professional program.

Sol Bilbao
Teacher
Sol Bilbao
Teacher
Born in La Linea de la Concepción, Spain. Sol studied dance since the age of 5 and finished her formation in Madrid with Carmina Ocaña and later at the Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Mariemma. Afterwards, in the middle of her professional career, she studied choreography at the Conservatorio Superior de Danza María de Ávila (Madrid).
She has danced professionally since 2003, starting in Introdans, Holland, and later in Ballet Basel. She has worked with choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Imbal Pinto, Angelin Prejlocaj, Richard Werlock, Alexander Ekman, Stijn Cellis, Sharon Fridman, Nacho Duato, Johan Inger, among others.
Since 2007 she has created various dance performances and collaborated with other artists in various interdisciplinary projects in Switzerland and abroad.
Her works have been shown at Museum der Kulturen Basel, Theater Roxy Birsfelden, Theater Basel, Neues Theater Dornach, Interdans Festival Belgium, Burgos-New York Spain, Landesmuseum Zürich, Neu Bad Luzern and Unternehmen Mitte Basel. In 2016 she founded together with other two choreographers a collective under the name Loop Tanz. She obtains a Master of Arts from the Hochschule Der Künste Bern. She teaches Classical Ballet, Contemporary dance, History of dance and guided improvisations in the city of Basel and abroad.

Guillaume Musset
Yoga Teacher
Guillaume Musset
Yoga
Born in Montemarcy, France, Guillaume Musset completed a Master of Fine Arts at the Haute école des arts du Rhin in Strasbourg, France and the Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in Switzerland. Later Mr Musset completed the 300-hour Jivamukti Yoga Teacher Training Course in India and began teaching in Basel. In 2018, he completed the first part of a training with his mentor HaChi Yu in California, where he discovered the ROAM method. Since then, Guillaume has created classes that are influenced by both methods. Guillaume has been a faculty member of the Senior Professional School since January 2018.
Teachers Junior School / Hobby

Silvia Rossetto
Principal Teacher Junior School
Silvia Rossetto
Principal Teacher Junior School
Born in Padua, Italy, Silvia Rossetto completed her training at Centro Studi Danza Classica, Padua with Honors. She remained in her birthplace as a Soloist with Veneto Balletto before going on to dance with the Theater Turin, Europa Ballett, Theater La Fenice di Venezia and the Rome Opera Ballet. In 1993 Ms. Rossetto received a contract from the Oldenburgischen Staatstheater, where she was a Soloist until she ended her active dance career in 1999. She has gone on to become a well-respected dance pedagogue, teaching and choreographing in Bad Krozingen, Bad Säckingen, Padua, Mantova und Genova. Ms. Rossetto is an American Ballet Theatre National Curriculum Certified Teacher and has been a member of the BTB teaching staff since 2013.
Guest Pedagogues

Stefanie Arndt
Guest
Stefanie Arndt
Guest Senior Professional / EFZ Diploma Division
In 2019/20 the students of the BTB Professional program will have the honor of working with Stefanie Arndt for a period of four weeks. Ms. Arndt studied at the Ballettschule des Hamburg Ballett. In 1983 she was a Prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne and subsequently joined the Hamburg Ballet Company under the direction of John Neumeier. There she rose to the rank of Principal Dancer, performing all the lead roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire.
In 1994 Ms. Arndt joined the Ballett Frankfurt as a Soloist. She worked in close collaboration with William Forsythe, performing in all his major works. From 2002 to this day Ms. Arndt teaches Forsythe technique and stages the works of William Forsythe worldwide.
Stefanie Arndt is a regular guest Ballet Mistress with the Semperoper Ballett Dresden and works internationally as a highly regarded teacher and coach.

Sara Lourenco
Guest
Sara Lourenco
Guest Senior Professional / EFZ Diploma Division
The students of the BTB Professional program will have the privilege of working with Sara Lourenco for two weeks during the 2019/20 school year. Ms. Lourenco trained at the Escola Superior de Danca” Lisbon, receiving a Bachelor in Performing Arts. After graduation, she undertook a post graduate course at The Place, The London Contemporary Dance School.
On completion of her studies she danced with Companhia Portuguesa de Bailado Contemporaneo and the Staatstheater Saarbrücken.
Ms. Lourenco began her creative career at the Korzo Theater in Den Haag, as a freelance choreographer. In 2006 she joined the faculty of the ‘ArtEZ Hochschule der Künste’ in Holland. She is the artistic director of PAC-Performing Arts Center and the Rome International Dance Academy. She is the cofounder of LoPaDanceCompany.
Ms. Lourenco is a regular guest teacher at the Princess Grace Academy, Monte Carlo.

Michael Langeneckert
Guest
Michael Langeneckert
Guest Senior Professional / EFZ Diploma Division
BTB students are privileged to work with Michael Langeneckert for a total of eleven weeks during the 2019/2020 season. Mr. Langeneckert completed his dance training in Freiburg and is still active in the city organizing Dance Projects under his own label, Moving Orchestra. He is a choreographer and lecturer in contemporary dance, guesting in many European high schools, dance companies and forums, including Staatstheater Mainz and Kassel, Opernhaus Gothtenburg and in the free-lance scene in Freiburg, Berlin, Zürich, Munich and Salzburg.

Denise Welten
Guest
Denise Welten
Guest Senior Professional / EFZ Diploma Division
Born in Zurich, Switzerland, Denise Welten received her dance training at the Opernhaus Zürich in Switzerland and the Royal Ballet School in London, England.
She danced as a soloist at the Zürcher Opernhaus, the London Festival Ballet/English National Ballet, the London City Ballet and for 20 years with the Royal Swedish Ballet.
As a Guest Soloist, Ms Welten travelled to the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Kirov Theatre in St. Petersburg, to China, the USA, to Israel, France and England. In 1978 she was awarded the “Best Partner Price” at the Varna Competition.
After her dance career Denise Welten completed a Master of Advanced Studies as a Teacher / Ballet Master at the College of Dance in Budapest and subsequently worked as a Lecturer and Ballet Master at the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Zürich Ballett, the Bayrisches Staatsballett, the College of Dance in Budapest and the Royal Opera House in Stockholm.
For several years she directed the Schweizerische Ballettberufsschule (SBBS) under the Artistic Direction of Heinz Spoerli as well as the Theater Tanzschule in St.Gallen.
Denise Welten is a regular Guest Teacher at BTB:
Pianist

Bruno Raco
Pianist
Bruno Raco
Pianist
Born in Savona, Italy, Bruno Raco began studying music at the age of eleven, graduating from the Savona Conservatory. He has been a classical pianist and musical accompanist in Italy and abroad since 1999. He also studied electronic Sound Design for two years in Germany. Mr Raco is a successful freelance composer and a guest pianist for many ballet competitions and workshops. He joined Ballettschule Theater Basel in 2012.

Maxime Georges
Pianist
Maxime Georges
Pianist
Born in 1980 in Laxou, France. After a complete training at the Conservatoire de Nancy, MAxime Georges in 2002 the National Conservatory of Music and Dance in Paris (CNSMDP) in the class of Brigitte Engerer and Emmanuel Mercier. In 2006, he wins the first Conservatory Piano Prize and the Pierre Bourgeois Prize from the Fondation de France. At the same time, he pursues concert activities in solo piano and chamber music. He is specialised in the accompaniment of dance as he is from 2007 a member of the Ballet de l’Opera National du Rhin (ONR) where he works with prestigious professors like Egon Madsen, Piotr Nardelli, Sylviane Bayard, Monique Loudieres, Marc Ribault among many others. He also accompanies the different dance classes of the Conservatoire de Mulhouse. In 2009, he performs in Jo Stromgren’s Suite (Rameau) and Jiri Kylian’s Overgrown Path (Janacek) in 2010. He plays a character musician and plays for Mathieu Guilhaumon in Dreams of a summer night in 2011 and in Peer Gynt in 2013. Since 2014 he accompanies each edition of Cabaret Dance and Coussins Bébés. In 2014, he participates in “? From Miao Zong in the Genesis program and since collaborates with him for The Arts East Association Art Culture Association. In May and June 2018, he play « Bless-ainsi soit-Il » (choreography Bruno Bouché) in which he Bach’s Chaconne in D minor (transcription Ferrucio Busoni) during the evening Danser Bach in the 21st century. In September 2018 he plays for The green Table by Kurt Jooss. In August 2019 he was invited to the Archi-Tanz studio in Tokyo to work with Giovanni di Palma.He regularly plays alongside the OSM or OPS for the productions of the OnR Ballet.

Giuseppe Stilo
Pianist
Giuseppe Stilo
Pianist
Born in Varese, Italy, Giuseppe Stilo studied piano at the Conservatory F.Cilea in Calabria, graduating at the top of his class receiving an Honorary Citation from the Minister of Education.
He studied composition and conducting at the V. Bellini Conservatory in Palermo and attended Choirmaster courses at the international school of conductors ‚Milano Choral Academy’. Mr. Stilo has been a chamber orchestra pianist, keyboard player in jazz bands, teacher in state and private schools in Italy and Switzerland. He is a graduate of “Accademia del teatro alla Scala” Milan, where he attended ‘Advanced Level Courses’ in dance accompaniment improvisation and played for the most renowned teachers of the La Scala Dance Academy. Graduating as ‘Best of his Year, Mr Stilo was nominated, along with the 100 highest achieving students in Europe, for the “Roche-Kontinente” Salzburg. He has worked for the AIDA Academy of Dance in Milan, the Ilaria Purcelli Dance school and joined BTB in 2019.
Head of Housing

Monika Linge
Head of Housing
Monika Linge
Head of Housing
Born in Germany, Monika Linge successfully completed her studies in industrial commerce and went on to work for the Technische Textilien Lörrach AG, Vitrashop Weil / Rhein, Wybert GmbH Lörrach, Dr. Osypka GmbH Rheinfelden-Herten and Tex4Tec Lörrach GmbH Lörrach-Brombach. Ms Linge has been Head of Student Housing since February 2013.

Iulia-Andreea Smeu
Housing
Iulia-Andreea Smeu
Housing
Born in Bucharest, Romania. Iulia-Andreea Smeu was trained as a classical violinist, with an MA degree in Bern, at the University of the Arts. She has worked with renowned ensembles such as Musique des Lumières (Switzerland), Al Bustan Festival Orchestra (Beirut, Lebanon), George Enescu Philharmonic and Royal Chamber Orchestra (Bucharest, Romania). In 2017 she won a position at the Bucharest National Opera as part of the first violin section. Since August 2019 she lives in Basel, Switzerland, where she is following an MA in Improvisation.
Iulia’s artistic practice covers a wide range of styles, from historical performance practice and improvisation to multidisciplinary projects and technology-based performance.
Finally, Iulia holds a certificate for postgraduate studies in Psychology for Musicians from the University of Sheffield, UK, and is currently a distance student in Psychology at the Titu Maiorescu University in Bucharest, Romania.
Iulia has been working at BTB as a child carer and supervisor since October 2019.
Board
Dr. Caroline Barthe – President
Richard Wherlock
Alexander Kraus
Amanda Bennett
Beth Krasna
Heinz Spoerli
Wolfgang Kirchmayr
Founding Partner
Fred Feldpausch