French-born, choreographer, director and master teacher Jean-Paul Comelin has long been associated with the world’s most prominent ballet companies, and some of the greatest names in the dance world of the twentieth century. 

Born in Brittany (his mother was a local actress) and educated in Paris, he began his professional training as a dancer at the Paris National Conservatory of Music, and joined the Paris Opera Ballet, then directed by Harald Lander and George Skibine. Guest Russian choreographer, Vladimir Bourmeister invited him, to dance the lead role in his ballet, Snow Maiden, and joined London festival Ballet (now known as English National Ballet).
While dancing with London Festival Ballet Mr. Comelin became Principal dancer performing an array of roles from the classical repertoire and others especially created for him. He worked with such dance luminaries as Anton Dolin, Frederick Ashton, David Lichine, Jack Carter, Leon Woiczikovski, Ninette de Valois, Marie Rambert, John Cranko, and Kenneth Macmilan.

At the invitation of Dame Peggy van Praagh and Sir Robert Helpmann, Mr. Comelin appeared as a guest artist with the Australian Ballet. He danced the lead roles in Noureev’s Production of Raymonda and Giselle. He performed with the Royal New Zealand Ballet in Nutcracker and Swan Lake, and was coached by George Balanchine in his own Ballets Serenade, Symphony in C, Concerto Borocco and Orpheus, in Hamburg. He later created special works with the English Royal Ballet Choreographic Group.

Following these engagements Mr. Comelin pursued his dancing career in the United States working closely with the National Ballet of Washington DC, the Pennsylvania Ballet and a half dozen regional ballet companies (as a guest artist) with such noted choreographers as George Balanchine, John Butler, Andre Eglevsky and Anthony Tudor.

Mr. Comelin choreograph his first Ballet Autumn Songs for the National ballet of Canada for Ballerinas Veronica Tennant and Karen Kain. A second work Idylle A silver medal winner will also be added to the repertoire, a year later. He then proceeded to create over sixty works for companies on five continents.

As Artistic Director/Producer/Teacher Mr.Comelin built company and schools in San Diego, Sacramento, Milwaukee, Tucson, and Phoenix while, at the same time, pursuing a successful career as a freelance choreographer. He received several grants from the National Endowment for the Arts, Private foundations, such as the Ford Foundation in New York city, the Flinn foundation in Arizona, the Pew Charitable trust in Philadelphia, The Milwaukee Foundation, The Evinrude Foundation, the Alberta foundation for the Arts, and private individuals.

He Presented some Specials Performances with Theatre Companies. Symphony Orchestra and even Baseball teams. He worked with such notable dancers as Margot Fonteyn Rudolf Noureev, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Makarova, Michael Lavrovski, Lawrence Rhodes, Carla Fracci, Marcia Haydee, Richard Cragun, Kevin Haigen, Egon Madsen, Birgit Keil,Vladimir Vassiliev, and Ekaterina Maximova.

Mr. Comelin was invited by Artistic Director Marcia Haydee to be Ballet master of the prestigious Stuttgart Ballet. He created two New works for the company, and was in charge of Jiri Kilian’s creation of “Forgotten Land” for Birgit Keil and Richard Cragun, Lady of the Camellias of John Neumeier, and all the repertoire of John Cranko.
As Artistic Director of Ballet du Nord in France, he created several works each year. An original work on Christopher Columbus, a new version of the Nutcracker, a new version of the Firebird, a collaboration with painter Majhoub Ben Bella, and the Mozart Requiem, (Lux Aeterna) were the most successful of his works, at home and on tour.

He also invited many Guests choreographers/ teachers. - Robert North, Paul Taylor, The Limon Foundation, Jack Carter, Margo Sappington, the Balanchine Trust, and supervised, directed and introduced new and young Choreographers. -

He organized tours in the United States, Europe, South America, Asia and the former Soviet Union.
Today Mr. Comelin continues choreographing, directing, lecturing around the world, and is a consultant in the development of dance in Cyprus, Lebanon and Taiwan.

As a Dancer /Director/ Producer and Teacher, Mr. Comelin has been contributing to the following companies around the world.

Paris Opera Ballet, Australian Ballet, English Royal Ballet Choreographic Group, Hamburg Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet. London Festival Ballet, Royal New Zealand Ballet, Opera de Liege, Ballet de Marseille, Ballet du Nord, Teatro Colon, National Ballet of Canada, Ballet de Rio de Janeiro, Teatro la Fenice, Teatro communale de Firenze, Teatro Liceo de Barcelona. Teatro la zarzuela de Madrid, Festivals de Espuma, Ballets Russe de Monte Carlo, National Ballet of Washington DC. Miami ballet. Dallas Ballet, San Francisco Dance Theatre. Pacific Northwest Ballet, Sacramento ballet, Milwaukee Ballet. Oakland Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Alberta Ballet. Arizona Dance Theatre, Ballet Arizona, Hong Kong Ballet. South African Playhouse Dance Company. Cape Town City Ballet. Malmo Ballet. Gothenburg Ballet,Singapore Dance Theatre. Manila Ballet. Philippines Ballet Theatre ,Korean Ballet Universal, Kaohsiung city Ballet ,Osaka Ballet and Shanghai Ballet.