prof. Géraldine Wiart
Professor at l’École de Danse de l’Opéra national de Paris
Entering L'École de Danse de l’Opéra national de Paris in 1981, Géraldine Wiart joined the theater's Corps de Ballet at the age of 16. Promoted to Coryphée in 1988, she performed her first solo roles. Géraldine was named Sujet in 1993. She has danced all the classical ballets in the repertoire of Rudolf Nureyev, Vladimir Bourmeister, George Balanchine, Pierre Lacotte, Roland Petit, Serge Lifar, Harald Lander, Michel Fokine, Vaslav Nijinsky, Bronislava Ninjiska, and Kenneth MacMillan.
She is also frequently chosen for contemporary choreography, both for new additions to the repertoire and for new creations, by choreographers such as Jerome Robbins, William Forsythe, Antony Tudor, Martha Graham, John Neumeier, Paul Taylor, Trisha Brown, Carolyn Carlson, Twyla Tharp, Blanca Li, Mats Ek, Jiří Kylián, and Pina Bausch.
Mats Ek, Jiří Kylian, and Pina Bausch have shown her with loyalty, hard work, and an artistic approach that influenced deeply her entire career. She has participated in creations by Rudolf Nureyev (Cinderella), Pierre Lacotte (Paquita), Mats Ek (Apartment), Angelin Preljocaj (The Park), Nicolas Le Riche (Caligula), Twyla Tharp (Rules of the Games), Patrice Bart (Coppélia, The Little Dancer by Degas), and Blanca Li (Scheherazade).
Géraldine Wiart is professor at l’École de Danse de l’Opéra national de Paris, where she teaches classical dance and Theory and Academic Technique for the Classical-Academic Dance Teacher Course at the theater.
We are proud to welcome Mme Géraldine Wiart as a jury member in May at Dance Grand Prix Sofia 2026.
professor at l’École de Danse de l’Opéra national de Paris, guest-teacher, jury
Cristina Saso
Resident Teacher and Talent Scout of The European School of Ballet, Amsterdam
Born in Rome, Cristina Saso started her training in Rome. At fourteen years old, she was awarded by Carla Fracci a scholarship at the renowned Princess Grace Academy of Monte-Carlo directed by Marika Besobrasova. She continued her training at the Ballet School Heinz Bosl Stiftung with Konstanze Vernon in Munich.
Her professional career started at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma under the direction of Vladimir Vassiliev and she later joined the Teatro di San Carlo. During the nine years spent in Naples, she danced soloist and principal roles. Following a one-year season with the Tulsa Ballet in the USA, she got an offer to sign a lifelong contract with the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma. Her repertoire included all the leads in classical ballets. She also danced a large repertoire of masters such as George Balanchine, Roland Petit, Alvin Ailey, Frederick Ashton, Martha Graham, Hans van Manen and José Limon.
From 2018 to 2020, she held the position of ballet mistress/assistant for most of the company’s productions of Teatro dell’Opera di Roma.
Cristina Saso is a Resident Teacher at European School of Ballet, Amsterdam directed by Jean-Yves Esquerre and Olivier Wecxsteen and has served as Talent Scout of the school since 2019. She travels to scout and teach master classes all over the world.
In 2025 Cristina Saso will take part in Dance Grand Prix Sofia Special Edition as teacher and jury.
Cristina Saso, Resident Teacher and Talent Scout of The European School of Ballet, Amsterdam, guest-teacher, jury
Paul Kay
Artistic Manager for Intensive Courses and Audition at The Royal Ballet School and International Guest Teacher
Born in Oxford, Paul Kay trained with Gaynor Walters in Devon and then at The Royal Ballet School, dancing the Flower Festival at Genzano pas de deux for his graduation, 2003. During his training he won medals at both Adeline Genée Award and Roseta Mauri Dance Competition.
He joined The Royal Ballet Company after graduation and was promoted to soloist in 2008. He danced principal and soloist roles in the company's repertoire over the following 19 years including Hans Peter/Nutcracker, Bronze Idol, Kolia, Jester (Cinderella), Blue Boy (les patineurs), Napoli and Chroma. He also created original roles in Wayne McGregor’s Infra, Woolf Works and Dante Project, Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice in Wonderland, A Winter’s Tale and DGV. As well as creating new work for Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Cathy Marston. Paul Kay was also nominated for Emerging Male Artist (Classical) at the Critics Circle Dance Awards.
Mr. Kay undertook his professional teacher training with The Royal Ballet School (PDTC) and has been a guest teacher for many vocational training programs as well as teaching masterclasses internationally. He is currently Head of Intensives and Talent Identification at The Royal Ballet School and frequently teaches at the school.
Paul Kay, Head of Intensives and Talent Identification at The Royal Ballet School, guest-teacher, jury
Grant Martin Scruggs
Professor at Akademie Des Tanzes, international juror
Grant Martin Scruggs studied in New York City under renowned teachers Stanley Williams, Richard Rapp and Andrei Kramerevsky at the School of American Ballet. His professional career began at the New York City Ballet and Boston Ballet. Original roles were created on him by choreographers Twyla Tharp, Stephen Baynes and Eduard Touissant.
As a Principal dancer he danced with the Tulsa Ballet, Indianapolis Ballet, Staatstheater
Wiesbaden, Milwaukee Ballet and Ballet de Victor Ullate.As a Principal guest artist he performed with the National Ballet of Mexico, Ballet de Santiago, Milwaukee Ballet, and Cisne Negro to name a few.
He has taught with the Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Olympic Ballet Theater, Houston Ballet, West Australian Ballet, State Street Ballet, Staatsballett Berlin, Victor Ullate Ballet, Ballet Mainz, Geneva Ballet and Opera de Lyon. In 2016 Grant Scruggs was appointed to his position as Professor at the Akademie Des Tanzes in Mannheim, Germany.
He has served on International Juries for competitions in Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil and continues to teach master classes around the globe.
Grant Martin Scruggs, Professor at Akademie Des Tanzes, guest-teacher, jury
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