Monaco may be better known as the European home of royalty, luxury yachts and tax-free income; a glittering playground for the ultra-rich nestled on the Côte d’Azur. But the city-state is also home to one of the most prolific and widely touring ballet companies in the world, Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo.

LACLAC. Photo ©  Photo courtesy of Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo

Founded in 1985 on the wishes of Caroline, Princess of Hanover, the company is one of the younger national ballet troupes in Europe. Director Jean-Christophe Maillot, whose choreographic interests have long pushed the contemporary edge of the balletic form, has led the company since 1993. In that time, the company has established itself as a formidable force in the dance world, touring more than 200 days of the year and attracting talent (and audiences) from every corner of the globe.

This June, the company will make its Australian debut when its full-scale production of LAC – a modern adaptation of Swan Lake – arrives in Melbourne. Any debut is exciting, but for one company dancer, Benjamin Stone, it’s particularly momentous.
“I can’t wait to return to Australia; to show my friends and family...