Aurélie Gaillard

Beyond the competition, it is necessary to remain true to oneself and respectful with other contestants – you are getting together for a form of art you all share a passion for. You have this common love for dance, a dance that is about meeting and sharing.

Aurelie trained at the Conservatoire National de Région de Metz where she received the gold medal at the age of 14. She then continued her higher education at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris (CNSMD). After completing her final year with the Junior Ballet of CNSMD, she left Paris with a certificate of higher education and the Very Good Interpretation Prize.

At the age of 19, she was then hired as a solo dancer at the Ballet Basel under the direction of Richard Wherlock, where she performed works by choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Mauro Bigonzetti, Hans Van Manen, Kinsun Chan, Jorma Elo.

She then moved on to be a soloist at the Ballet of the Opera of Lyon, working with choreographers such as Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker, Maguy Marin, Rachid Ouramdane, Jérôme Bel, Tero Saarinen, Meryl Tankard, Otto Ramstad, Peeping Tom, Ralph Lemon et dansera des pièces de Trisha Brown, Merce Cunningham, Odile Duboc, Ohad Naharin, Angelin Preljocaj.

When she decided to stop performing, her desire to assist choreographers led her to study Benesh Movement Notation at the CNSMD in Paris. She obtained her diploma in choreology in 2022, while working closely with Kinsun Chan on various choreographic projects.

After graduating with a State Diploma of Dance Teacher  in classical dance, she joined the teaching team at the Boulogne-Billancourt Conservatoire in 2021/22.

For the 2022/23 season, she joined the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève under the direction of Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui as ballet mistress, working with Damien Jalet and Fouad Boussouf.

In 2023, she was appointed ballet mistress for the Jeune Ballet of the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Lyon.

She took part in the 47th, 49th and 50th Prix de Lausanne as coach for the contemporary variations by Richard Wherlock and Kinsun Chan.