Chiara Ajkun - Artistic Director
Discover the exceptional ballet life of Chiara Ajkun.
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Award-winning choreographer, teacher of classical ballet and dance medicine pioneer, Chiara is a tireless advocate for the arts, multiculturalism, dancer's choice and equal opportunities embodied by the many programs she created for the Ajkun Ballet Theatre.
Thanks to her leadership, Ajkun Ballet Theatre is a vital part of New York's thriving arts and cultural scene and home to the Ajkun Ballet Company, the Ajkun Ballet School and the AjkunBT Fund. america ballet company director
Chiara Ajkun 's accomplishments as a global cultural leader have been key to the world success of the Ajkun Ballet Company, the international attendance at the Ajkun Ballet School, and the government grants awarded to dance students by the AjkunBT Fund. america ballet company director
Who is America ballet company director Chiara Ajkun?
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· life and ballet career
· art leadership
· world philanthropy
· accolades and awards
· original art
america ballet company director
Who is Chiara Ajkun?
Chiara was born in Mantova, a historic city in the northern region of Lombardy (Italy), in the landmark “Palazzo Valentini” (1830) home to her family for four generations. She comes from a distinguished lineage of patrons of the arts, tracing back 1200 years, that proudly advanced women's education. Her mother Daniela, professor and university's chancellor, and her late father Demetrio, an academic, raised her with an emphasis on education and the arts. Chiara also credits her grandparents Umberto and Rina for her love of classical music and opera which she calls “the soundtrack of my childhood”. Her sister Valentine is a published author, deputy director and professor at the University of Padua. Chiara has two sons: Wolfrantz, senior project manager for Adidas Malta/Italy and freelance journalist, and Alexeij, a film producer.
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Chiara treasures traveling, meeting new people, and learning about different cultures and is especially interested in history, philosophy, law, and scientific innovations. She also enjoys fashion, horseback riding, yoga and Pilates, watching movies, trying diverse cuisines, and spending time with her family and friends around the world. Chiara lives in New York City and travels the world to choreograph.
Palazzo di Mantova, hometown of Chiara Ajkun.
Leadership
Dr. Chiara Ajkun was first appointed department director at the University of Dance, Theater & Liberal Arts in1985, where she is presently visiting professor. Concurrently, Chiara has been artistic director of the company “Balletto Regionale di Mantova” and opera director for "Arturo Testa & the orchestra of the Arena di Verona" from 1988 until her return to NYC. Chiara created and directed the dance competition “Premio Danza Europa” (1986 - 1994) and the opera competition “Premio Katia Ricciarelli” in collaboration with the National Opera Houses of Italy, Hungary and Albania (1988 - 1994). In 2004, at the invitation of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, Chiara designed the Festival “Dance in Italy”. In Italy, Dr. Ajkun served as a panelist for the Boards of Education in Lombardia, Lazio, Puglia, Calabria, in Belgium as senior adviser for Creative Europe, and presently serves as a consultant for the public school districts of New York City and Westchester County (USA). The Ajkun Ballet Theatre was founded in 2000 to carry out America ballet company director's Chiara Ajkun creative and educational visions, and to promote accessibility to a high standard of ballet regardless of nationality and socioeconomic status.
Choreographer
Multi Award-winning choreographer Chiara Ajkun has created over 50 ballets for foremost national companies and theaters and has collaborated with artists from all over the world. To date, Chiara Ajkun's choreography has been performed in theaters of 27 countries and has been performed by artists of 76 countries to include dancers of American Ballet Theatre, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera, Het National Ballet, Australian Ballet, Moscow Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, among others. Financial consideration for The Originals is provided by Fever, Netflix, Creativity Matters!, and public funding. Beside theater, Chiara’s choreography has been commissioned for movies and from national televisions such as ABC, BBC, FOX, RAI and broadcast for millions of viewers.
Ballet Teacher
Chiara Ajkun is the creator of the Ajkun © Methodology, a science based ballet system that facilitates the understanding of complex training concepts, fosters a constructive learning approach and aims to prevent occupational health hazards. Dancers, Dance Students and Teachers have travelled from 135 countries to benefit from Chiara’s outstanding teaching at the Ajkun Ballet School. America ballet company director Chiara Ajkun has created the first Trainee Program of its kind, accredited for H3 trainee visa to the United States since its conception. Ajkun © Alumni include notable dancers with Australian Ballet, Ballet de Montecarlo, Hong Kong Ballet, New York City Ballet, Royal Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Vienna Staatsoper, etc. The Ajkun Methodology can be sampled during master classes offered in Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America. america ballet company director
Philanthropy
Chiara Ajkun's belief in the transformative power of the arts to inspire and foster cross-cultural friendship has resulted in the following Ajkun Ballet Theatre's programs. A Ticket To Dream provides complimentary tickets to theater shows and free performances in Children Hospitals and Public Schools. The Dancer's Ring supports professional dancer's goals and merit scholarships for dance students. The AjkunBT Fund offers need-based financial aid for dancers, dance students and choreographers of all nationalities. America ballet company director Chiara Ajkun is fully committed to make a better world for the arts. america ballet company director
Performing Career & Education
Chiara Ajkun has danced most of the great classical roles and neoclassical choreography as principal dancer. Chiara’s magnificent technique and acting sensibilities allowed her to excel in many different roles, although she is perhaps best known for her performances of Kitri (Don Quixote), Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Nikiya (La Bayadère), Juliet (Romeo & Juliet) and Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty) gracing the stages of the Royal Opera House in London, the Metropolitan Opera House in New York City, the State Opera in Vienna, the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris and International Festivals and Ballet Galas in Italy, France, Belgium, UK, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, and the USA. Fundamental to her performing career has been the collaborations with Rudolf Nureyev, George Balanchine, Oleg Vinogradov, and impresario Dimitri Papoutsis.
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Chiara studied ballet in Italy, France, England, and New York with Serge Peretti (Paris Opera), John Field (Royal Ballet), Ninel Kurgapkina (Mariinsky Theater), Felia Doubrovska (School of American Ballet), and Milorad Miskovitch (La Fenice), pas de deux with Ekaterina Maximova and Vladimir Vassiliev (Bolshoi Ballet) and Víktor Róna (La Scala) and perfected her artistry with the invaluable coaching of Alexandra Danilova (New York City Ballet). Chiara’s formal education includes degrees in International Literature, specializations in Pedagogy and Business Administration, a Master in Performing Arts and a Ph.D. in Pathology in Ballet all essential tools in her daily life as America ballet company director.
Awards
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Medal for the Arts by the Prime Minister of Malta (1990)
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Best Choreography in “Malta Festival” by The London Times (1991)
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Best Choreography in “Fiuggi Europa Platea” (1995)
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Best Choreography in “Manfredonia Awards” (1996 & 1997)
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“Dame Grand Cross” appointed by Grand Master H.R.H. Prince Humbert Ferdinando the Third (1999)
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Honorary Membership to “New Rochelle High School – Performing And Visual Arts Education, PAVE” (2008).
The Originals
The collection of the extraordinary art choreographed by Chiara Ajkun for national dance companies across 5 continents including the signature repertory of the Ajkun Ballet Company. View America ballet company director - Original Art
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