Jean-Christophe Maillot Fell in Love with Monte-Carlo

Published on October 22, 2020Updated on June 19, 2023

There are so many reasons to love Monaco.
It’s an exceptional place where anything is possible. Where luck finds those who come to meet it with a smile. A parade of experiences and memories await you under the Mediterranean sun... Jean-Christophe Maillot, the director and choreographer for Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, lets us in on his passion for the Principality.

Let’s fall in love with Monte-Carlo!

What do you love most about Monaco?

Jean-Christophe Maillot: In Monaco, everything is about people. I believe that’s why, in this tiny country of just two square kilometres, the art and culture here is so special. Monaco’s royals, and especially Princess Caroline, have always believed in artists. They give us the time to develop a long-term vision: to do things differently. For me, that is where Monaco’s real luxury lies, and it’s why Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo have been able to forge such a strong identity.

What is your best memory of Monaco?

J-C.M: The Nutcracker Circus, a ballet I created in 1999. Staging this piece was like nothing we’d ever experienced before. We performed it in the Chapiteau de Fontvieille big top with the Philharmonic Orchestra for Prince Rainier III’s Jubilee. The fact it was so successful was even more special to me because the audience still wasn’t that familiar with my work. That piece was the beginning of my long history with ballet.