Mallorcan Antonio Cañellas is living the life he always dreamed of; he’s been dancing with the Bucharest National Opera company for three years.
Antoni started his training at the Professional Conservatory of Music & Dance in Mallorca but his aim was to dance on the international stage.
“I’ve always wanted to be a dancer and I knew that’s what I wanted to do from a very young age,” says Antoni, who graduated from the English National Ballet School. “I left Mallorca when I was 15 to study in London for three years and when I graduated I was hired by the Bucharest National Opera, where I’m now in my third season. I wanted to train overseas to get more intensive training and increase my possibilities in the world of dance.”
Antoni Cañellas specialises in classical and contemporary dance, but he doesn’t come from dancing family.
“Dancing is something I enjoy doing and being lucky enough to do this is indescribable,” says Antoni, who’s not the only Mallorcan dancing in Bucharest.
“I am lucky to have my best friend, Tomás Sanza Casas here with me; we started at the Conservatory together, then both joined the English National Ballet and now we’re working with the same Opera company,” explains Antoni. “But I miss my family, my friends, the beach, Majorcan food and the island in general.”
Summer course
Antoni is now finalising preparations for the summer course that he organises in Palma with the On Stage Dance Academy. The event will feature professional dancers from different companies around the world, including, Andrea Marcelletti from Sarasota Ballet in America, Tomás Sanza Casas from Bucharest National Opera, and Jade Longley, Lorenzo Epifani and Molly Hall from Bucharest National Opera.
The course will run from July 12-24 July and include ballet classes, choreography and technique amongst other things and the students will also have an opportunity to dance with the professionals.
“At the end of the course we will celebrate a gala and the students will l share the stage with professional dancers,” says Antoni. “The location for the gala has yet to be confirmed, but hopefully we’ll soon know which theatre it will be.”