Founded by the Portuguese State in 1977, the Companhia Nacional de Bailado is Portugal's national ballet company, presenting classical, neoclassical, and contemporary ballet repertoire while commissioning new works to build a distinctive identity.
The Companhia Nacional de Bailado is Portugal’s national ballet company, founded by the Portuguese State in 1977. It is part of OPART and operates under the supervision of the ministries of Culture and Finance. The company is based at Teatro Camões in Lisbon, where it presents performances and maintains a heritage circuit documenting its history.
The company performs classical, neoclassical, and contemporary ballet repertoire. Over nearly five decades, it has presented works by international choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Akram Khan, and Martha Graham. The company commissions new works from Portuguese creators such as Olga Roriz, Rui Lopes Graça, and Fernando Duarte, as well as independent theater and dance artists. Fernando Duarte serves as artistic director.
The company operates a professional dance training program and offers educational activities including masterclasses, conversations, and a dance-approximation service for children and young people. Its 2025/2026 season emphasizes dialogue between tradition and innovation as it approaches its 50th anniversary. The company also presents “Only Duos,” a touring program for national circulation featuring classical and contemporary duets.
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The Companhia Nacional de Bailado is Portugal’s national ballet company, founded by the Portuguese State in 1977 and currently integrated into OPART under the supervision of the ministries of Culture and Finance. The company is based at Teatro Camões in Lisbon and presents reference works from the ballet repertoire in classical, neoclassical, and contemporary styles while commissioning new works to create a repertoire with its own identity.
The organization is located at Teatro Camões, Passeio do Neptuno, Parque das Nações, 1990-193 Lisboa, Portugal. Tickets can also be purchased at the Teatro Nacional de São Carlos ticket office at R. Serpa Pinto 9, 1200-442 Lisboa.
The organization presents ballet works from classical, neoclassical, and contemporary repertoires and commissions new works. It offers masterclasses, conversations, educational content, exhibitions, video interviews, a dance-approximation service for children and young people, solidarity general rehearsals, and professional dance training through the Programa de Desenvolvimento de Talento. The CNB Dance Forward program provides choreographic creation and experimentation opportunities for company dancers.
The general public can attend performances and purchase tickets. Children and young people can access the dance-approximation service. The organization has professional training programs, including the Centro de Formação Profissional and the Escola Técnico-Profissional de Bailado da CNB.
The organization offers a dance-approximation service for children and young people. Professional training programs accept students, with one dancer entering the Escola Técnico-Profissional de Bailado at age 15.
The organization offers professional dance training and development through the Programa de Desenvolvimento de Talento and operates the Centro de Formação Profissional and the Escola Técnico-Profissional de Bailado da CNB. The CNB Dance Forward program invites company dancers to explore choreographic creation and experimentation.
The organization presents performances featuring works by international choreographers including George Balanchine, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Akram Khan, as well as Portuguese choreographers. The repertoire includes classical ballets and contemporary works, with programming that creates dialogue between tradition and innovation.
General contact: (+351) 218 923 470 or info@cnb.pt. Ticket office: (+351) 218 923 471, (+351) 930 610 051, or reserva.bilhetes@cnb.pt. Tickets also available at Teatro Nacional de São Carlos: (+351) 213 253 045/6 or reserva.bilhetes@saocarlos.pt.