Recognizing the need for more expansive gender representation in the ballet canon, the Trocks launched their Choreography Institute in November 2023 to foster choreographic residency opportunities for choreographers, along with an opportunity to commission new works for the company. The program was piloted in 2021 during a pandemic-era bubble residency and became part of LBT’s annual programming during the 2023/2024 season. The Trocks’ Choreography Institute (“CI”) features a series of residency collaborations with a selection of emerging and established ballet choreographers who have expressed interest in creating new ballet works on pointe for the Trocks’ uniquely capable male-identifying and nonbinary dancers. While the residency is process-based and there is no expectation that choreographers will fully develop a new work, the relationships built through this new program may lead to future commissions.
Each residency features a choreographer hand-selected by Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo’s artistic leadership. Each choreographer is provided with an initial artist fee, travel and accommodations, access to the Trocks’ full company of dancers, and a minimum of one week of studio time in NYC to create new work. Any works commissioned following the original creative period will receive an additional commissioning fee and additional time with the company to complete and produce the new work.
Durante Verzola served as the inaugural CI Guest Choreographer during the 2023-2024 season. The work generated during his residency – inspired by George Balanchine – was commissioned and resulted in a new piece titled, “Symphony.” In December 2024 the company premiered this piece during their 50th Anniversary Joyce Theater season in New York City and it is now part of the Trocks’ touring repertory.
Durante Verzola's SYMPHONY rehearsal before the Joyce Theater in December 2024.
Video stills - Anne Posluszny
Seán Curran served as the 2024-2025 CI Guest Choreographer in this creative iniative’s second installment. Curran re-imagined an entry from his namesake company’s repertory for the Trocks. “Metal Garden” is a work with contemporary flair and was created on Seán Curran Company dancers two decades ago. While re-mounting this piece for the Trocks and with the assistance of his company dancers, Curran added customized moments of humor and incorporated pointe work. This piece premiered on U.S. tour dates in June 2025 and is currently the newest addition to the company’s repertory. “Metal Garden” will have its NYC premiere in winter 2026.
Ready for their close-up: Seán Curran puts finishing touches on the work.
Trock Flock rehearsal guests watch a pre-tour run of METAL GARDEN.
Choreography Institute 2025-2026
For the upcoming (third annual!) Choreo Institute, the Trocks will be working with director-actor-choreographer-and-teaching artists Jay Dunn and Julia Cavagna. Stay tuned for further updates on this creative experiment!
Julia Cavagna is an Argentinean born actress, director and teacher.
She works as a feature actress at The Metropolitan Opera. Highlights include: In 2016 she was part of Patrice Chéreau’s Elektra (Gran Teatre Del Liceu, Barcelona). In 2020, under Sir David McVicar direction, she developed clown material for her character ‘Paloma’ in Agrippina. In 2023 she was selected to be part of Die Zauberflöte’s ensemble under Simon McBurney’s direction (Dutch National Opera and Palau De Les Arts Valencia).
Julia’s production credits with Dutch Kills Theater include: Performer/collaborator of Solitary (Habermann-Cooper) at the Fringe Festival Edinburgh 2019 ; TEMPING, Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2022-2024 and Adelaide Fringe Festival 2023 and PEREGRINATIONS at The Tank 2025.
Since 2021 Julia has been a proud member of Broken Box Mime Theater. In 2022 she was a Guest Director at PACE University (International Performance Ensemble) and in 2023 she was part of the Outreach Team for PhysFestNYC. The First Physical Theater Festival!
As a director, she released: O.Y.A., Sentimiento González is da Bomb! (Undiscovered Countries, Boog City), MALALA (selected at NYC Indie Theatre Film Festival ‘21) and Prácticas Materiales (Undiscovered Countries Incubator ’20; recipient of JACK Artist Residency at Governors Island ’21; recipient of the City Artist Corps Grants ’21; Loose Leafs Series ’25)
She has co-founded THEATER TO THE PEOPLE and was awarded with the 2019 and 2021 BAC Grant and 2020 Town Stages Fellowship.
Jay Dunn is a director, choreographer, actor and teaching artist. As a performer, Jay has worked with Simon McBurney on Weimar Nightfall (LA Philharmonic) and Die Zauberflöte (The Metropolitan Opera, Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Palau de Les Arts. Most recently seen in the principal role of Ambrogio in Il Barbiere di Siviglia at The Metropolitan Opera, he has worked Off-Broadway, regionally, and internationally with companies & theaters including The Barbican, Maison de Metallos (Paris, FR), Pig Iron Theatre, rainpan43, Atlantic Stage 2, Arena Stage, Folger Theatre, Woolly Mammoth Theatre and Edinburgh Fringe (Assembly & Summerhall).
As a director/choreographer, selected credits include Music at the Close world premiere at Carnegie Hall, Spoolie Girl Off-Broadway world premiere, Village of Vale world premiere at Lincoln Center Education, The Tempest with Catskill Mountain Shakespeare and a libretto reading of Rev 23 with White Snake Projects/Beth Morrison Projects.
Jay has guest taught at NYU Tisch’s BFA program, Columbia’s MFA Directing for Film program, among others, and currently teaches acting, movement and physical comedy at SUNY Purchase’s BFA Acting Conservatory & BA programs. Jay is a graduate of L’Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Middlebury College. LCT Directors Lab ‘18 and SDC Observership alum.
With gratitude…
The Trocks’ Choreography Institute during the 2025/2026 season is made possible thanks to leadership support from Denise Littlefield Sobel, along with additional support from The Howard Gilman Foundation, Shubert Foundation, The Max and Victoria Dreyfus Foundation, The Rallis Foundation, The Harkness Foundation for Dance, and public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council and the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.