Former Lisbon Conservatory Dance School Director Pedro Carneiro appointed State Ballet of Georgia Manager

Pedro Carneiro, the former Director of Lisbon's National Conservatory Dance School, has been appointed Manager of the State Ballet of Georgia, assuming the administerial position alongside the troupe's Artistic Director Nina Ananiashvili.

The company revealed the news on Monday, noting the arrival of the dance professional with experience in both managing and educational work and as member of international dance festival juries.

Carneiro began his studies at Gulbenkian Ballet in Lisbon before being granted a scholarship for the John Cranko School in Stuttgart - an institution named after the internationally renowned late contemporary choreographer.

The Portuguese teacher studied pedagogy at the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg - a major institution of classical ballet - and taught classical and character dance at the National Conservatory Dance School in Lisbon.

He became Director of the latter in 2009 and performed with the National Ballet in the capital city, while also appearing with the Stadttheater Hagen and Opera Bonn in Germany. Carneiro also led master classes and joined jury panels at international competitions including Prix de Lausanne, Youth America Grand Prix and the International Ballet Competition in Varna.

His work also includes stints as Artistic Director at the Munich International Ballet School between 2020-2021 and Mosa Ballet School in Liège between 2021-2022, while his recent engagements involved teaching young dancers at the Bangkok City Ballet in October 2022.

The State Ballet of Georgia closed 2022 with a month-long tour in Italy, where the troupe hosted audiences in bills of choreographer Ilia Jivoy's Carmina Burana and The Nutcracker classic at the Teatro Regio Torino.

In its holiday season message, the Tbilisi Opera and Ballet State Theatre-based company said it would present "many new important projects" throughout 2023.