Today is an extraordinary day for the famous choreographer of Albanian origin, Angelin Preljocaj. He was officially accepted as a member of the French Academy of Fine Arts.

“This is also a proud moment for Albania and Albanian culture,” wrote the Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs on social media.

The special ceremony took place under the grand and historic dome of the Institut de France.

Angelin Preljocaj began his speech by honoring the dancers who, for over 40 years, contributed passionately and shaped the history of his company. He then thanked many collaborators who supported him throughout his long career.

Angelin Preljocaj was born in France on January 19, 1957. He first studied classical ballet before focusing on contemporary dance. He trained with Karin Waehner, Zena Rommett, Merce Cunningham, and later with Viola Farber and Quentin Rouillier.

In December 1984, Preljocaj founded his own company.

Since then, he has created 61 choreographic works. These range from solos to large productions like Romeo & Juliet, Snow White, and Swan Lake. He enjoys alternating between big narrative ballets and abstract pieces like Empty Move, Still Life, and Deleuze/Hendrix.

Preljocaj regularly collaborates with artists from various fields, including music, visual arts, design, drawing, literature, and animation.

He has won many awards and directed several short and dance films. His company has 30 permanent dancers and performs around 120 shows per year worldwide.

/a.c/