AMBASSADORS
The JCDC Ambassador Programme was established to celebrate individuals who exemplify the values, vision, and artistic excellence of the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire.
Our Ambassadors are distinguished artists, educators, alumni, and supporters who have made significant contributions to the field of dance and the development of our students.
Serving as advocates for the Conservatoire, Ambassadors contribute in kind through mentorship, guest workshops, professional insights, and artistic collaborations.
They inspire the next generation by sharing their knowledge, experience, and passion, helping us foster a vibrant and inclusive learning environment.
By bridging local talent with international perspectives, our Ambassadors play a vital role in nurturing young dancers and strengthening the cultural fabric of Malta’s dance community.
Tanya Bayona MQR
Following her early training in Malta with Princess Nathalie Poutiatine, Tanya furthered her dance education in London at the Vacani School of Dancing and later attended full time professional training in classical ballet and the performing arts at the Nesta Brooking Choreographic School in London.
Tanya’s love of performing as a dancer led her to success in various film, TV and stage engagements in England and Ireland; she performed with several British Dance companies and appeared in a number of films such as The Intelligence Men, Carry on Henry, The Life of Galileo, and the internationally famous musical Fiddler on the Roof. She also auditioned successfully for Sadlers Wells Ballet Company directed by Pauline Grant.
However, her pioneering spirit and her love of Maltese heritage drew her back home, where in 1965 she established the Tanya Ballet Studio and introduced the Cecchetti Method in classical ballet to Malta. The method has now flourished and there are now some twenty ballet schools teaching it.
Her dedicated teaching methods led to the creation of many beautiful and talented dancers, which enabled her to produce and choreograph numerous works for her company, performed in Malta and internationally.
In 1980 Tanya amalgamated her dance studio with the Princess Nathalie Poutiatine Academy of Ballet, to become the Tanya Bayona-Poutiatine Academy of Ballet, which Tanya directed until 2004. Her long association with Princess Poutiatine (doyenne of classical ballet in Malta) inspired Tanya to continue her legacy of dance to the Maltese people. In 1989 Tanya established the Tanya Bayona Dance Theatre Company to explore contemporary dance with a Mediterranean identity and performed at various international festivals in Malta, Tunisia, Italy, Germany and France.
Tanya’s awards include: the Medal for Service to the Republic of Malta/Midalja Ghall-Qadi tar-Repubblika (MQR) for her life-long commitment to dance and ballet in Malta (2008); the Enrico Cecchetti Gold Medal awarded at the Royal Ballet School, London (2009); Chevalier dans Les Palmes Academiques awarded by the Government of France.
In 2018 The Cecchetti Society Faculty London, together with the Cecchetti competition organisers launched the ‘Tanya Bayona Award’, funded by The Cecchetti Society Trust London, for senior Maltese students holding an annual bursary towards their study in the method. The award was inaugurated to honour Tanya Bayona in recognition of her work establishing and promoting the Cecchetti Method in Malta.
Tanya collaborated over a period of six years with Dr. Kathrina Farugia-Kriel on a book “The Life of Princess Nathalie Poutatine and the Art of Ballet in Malta” which was published in 2019 by FPM (Fondazzjoni Patrimonju Malti) Her current international engagements include: guest teaching, adjudicating in classical ballet and choreography and participating at international dance conferences.
Tanya’s love for classical ballet and her interest in the arts allowed her to travel extensively, discovering new horizons and cultures. Her interest in cuisine has become her main hobby and she loves to entertain friends and family. She has made many friends across the world and is known for her loyalty and joy of life which she shares with enthusiasm.
Her appreciation of nature and wildlife brings her much joy and the study of yoga and wellbeing has become a central part of her life. She is married to Jeremy Locatelli who shares her love of travel and adventure. They both enjoy their time spent at their homes in Gozo, Malta and Tasmania, Australia.
Tanya has been a member of the Board of Governors of MCC (Mediterranean Conference Centre, Malta) Since 2013.
“My role as Honorary Ambassador is to support in any way I can the vision of a noble cause to work towards giving our local students a complete and holistic training programme in the Art of Dance.
I will be interacting with the students with practical workshops, talks, sharing my own experiences, and helping them discern their choices when needed.”
Dorian Mallia
Dorian Mallia is a highly regarded dance practitioner, scholar, choreographer, educator, and performer. As the founder and Artistic Director of MOVEO Dance Company, he has made significant contributions to contemporary dance.
Mallia began his ballet training at JCDC Malta before advancing his studies at the Central School of Ballet in London, where he earned a degree in Professional Dance and Performance. His academic journey continued at the University of Malta, where he obtained a Master's degree in Performing Studies (Dance).
His career has been marked by prestigious achievements and collaborations. He has performed at top international venues with renowned companies such as European Ballet (UK), RBR Dance Company (Verona, Italy), LaMov Compania de Danza (Spain), Paganini Dance Company (Rome), and Mavinkhoodance (Singapore).
His work as a choreographer and performer has been showcased globally, receiving acclaim at esteemed venues worldwide. In 2008, Mallia founded MOVEO Dance Company, which has gained recognition both locally and internationally for its diverse repertoire. Under his leadership, MOVEO Dance Company, alongside Diane Portelli, who became a Director in 2017, was honored with the prestigious Premju Għall-Arti award as Artists of the Year in 2018. This recognition further solidified their artistic excellence and contributions to the field. Additionally, in 2020, MOVEO Dance Company received the Best Creative Enterprise Award, further highlighting their innovative and outstanding work.
Beyond performance and choreography, Mallia is a dedicated educator and researcher. He is a visiting lecturer at the University of Malta and MCAST, where he shares his expertise with aspiring dancers and contributes to the development of the field. His academic pursuits include the essay Queer Dance and Ambiguity – Unveiling Fluid Expressions on Stage, which was featured in the publication Breaking the Silence – Homosexuality in Maltese History, further showcasing his engagement with critical discourse in dance studies.
Dorian Mallia’s multidisciplinary career spanning performance, choreography, education, and research has established him as a leading figure in contemporary dance. His commitment to pushing boundaries and exploring new narratives continues to shape the field, while the accolades and awards received by MOVEO Dance Company underscore their exceptional artistic achievements.
“I am very happy to support the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire as an Ambassador.
I started my own dance journey at Johane’s school, and it’s special for me to see this new chapter for dance education in Malta. I will always support local initiatives because I believe Malta needs more of this.
As someone running a professional, full-time company, I see how important it is for us to nurture more local dancers who can contribute to the bigger picture and help continue building the Maltese artistic identity.”
Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel
Dr Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel SFHEA LRAD is a dance scholar, writer and educator.
Her work is widely published, and her books include Princess Poutiatine and the Art of Ballet in Malta (2020), and the extensive anthology The Oxford Handbook of Contemporary Ballet, co-edited with Jill Nunes Jensen and published by Oxford University Press in 2021. Together with Adesola Akinleye, she has worked on a new book titled The Oxford Handbook of Ballet Pedagogy (due out in early 2026).
As Head of Research at the Royal Academy of Dance (2017-2023), Kathrina led on knowledge exchange projects, collaborations and engagements, including the highly successful Guest Lecture Series (2016-2023), as well as conferences and symposia in London and Australia. Towards the latter stages of her tenure at the RAD, she conceptualised, researched and written the webinar series: Pioneers of the RAD (2020), Ballet in the 20th Century (2021) and Ballet in the 21st Century (2022-23).
​Kathrina has also guest lectured at universities in South Africa and Malta, as well as taught at Kingston University (UK) and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemporary Dance. She is a former member of the Board of Directors (2012-2018) of the Society of Dance History Scholars (now the Dance Studies Association, USA).
Kathrina is currently Head of Academic Studies in Dance and Musical Theatre. Her latest book projects include a new anthology on Musical Theatre Choreography.
"Education in dance can empower so many groups of people - from children to young people...to adults through wellness and living with (dis)ease.
Any space can be used to engage in dance practice,
but a conservatoire is a sacred space in which specialised learning and teaching can truly hone in practical and academic studies. I am thrilled to see the Johane Casabene Dance Conservatoire re-ignited, allowing for a bespoke study of dance with connections to the heritage of ballet, and dance more broadly, in Malta and across different cultures.
I look forward to contributing to the community at JCDC, bringing both local and global histories and practices to the students' studies in dance."
Tessa Adriani
L.I.S.T.D. Cecchetti Faculty
F.I.S.T.D. Modern Theatre
ISTD Cecchetti and Modern Faculty/Tutor
ABT NTC-Certified Teacher
from Primary through level 7 and Partnering
Tessa Adriani received her training at the Hamlyn School in Florence, under the artistic direction of Brenda Hamlyn, and studied with renowned teachers including Franco De Vita, Raymond Lukens, and Gillian Whittingham.
After completing her final diplomas in Classical Dance (Cecchetti Method) and Modern Dance (Modern Theatre Faculty), she was awarded a scholarship in 1986 to attend the III Advanced Course at the Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia, where she refined her skills with world-renowned professors.
She later joined Aterballetto under the artistic direction of Amedeo Amodio, performing in Romeo and Juliet, which received the Danza & Danza award in 1987. That same year, she appeared as a guest principal dancer in the production Platea Estate in Rome.
In 1988, she was awarded another scholarship to participate in the European Martha Graham Workshop at the Teatro Comunale in Florence, studying under Yuriko, Martha Graham’s longtime assistant. She subsequently performed as a soloist with the company Spazio Danza, alongside dancers from the Teatro Comunale of Florence and the Rome Opera, and later worked as a soloist with the companies Dioscuri and Gemini, directed by Sandro D’Ettore in Rome.
From 1992 to 1999, she taught both at the Hamlyn School in Florence and at Maestro Pino Testa’s Accademia Balletto in Livorno, becoming its Artistic Director in 2000.
The school was later renamed ABprogettoDanza (2005), an international center recognized by the ISTD in London (ADC), where she continues to teach and oversee classical and modern dance training programs.
In October 2004, she became an official ISTD Tutor, responsible for preparing new teachers for qualification exams in Italy.
In 2009, she began her training with the American Ballet Theatre in New York, completing the NTC study program up to Level 7, including Partnering. She also serves as Artistic Director and Organizational Coordinator of the Danzamare Summer School.
Since 2017, she has been President of the Associazione Danzare Cecchetti ANCEC Italia, based in Florence, dedicated to promoting the Cecchetti Method in Italy and abroad, where she also participates as a guest teacher in courses organized by the Association.
Since May 2021, she has additionally served as Dance Referent for the AICS Provincial Committee in Florence, while continuing to collaborate as a guest teacher with numerous dance centers and schools throughout Italy.
"...because the passion for art and culture must be cultivated: talent can be defined as its revelation.
The growth of a student lies in his technical and artistic skills and abilities, but the teacher must also have them. The opportunity to contribute as teachers and educators to achieving the objectives set gives me the opportunity to share important projects like this for the good of each individual student."
Enkel Zhuti
He graduated from the National Academy of Tirana (Albania), where he trained under distinguished masters of the Soviet School.
As a soloist, he toured extensively across Europe with the National Opera Theatre before moving to Italy in 1991. There, he refined his technique under the guidance of Deborah Weaver of the American Ballet Theatre and Jorge Esquivel of the National Ballet of Cuba.
As a principal dancer, he has performed in many of Italy’s most prestigious theatres, including the Teatro Smeraldo and Teatro Nazionale in Milan, Teatro Donizetti in Bergamo, Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, Teatro Nuovo in Turin, Teatro Romolo Valli in Reggio Emilia, Teatro Civico in Vercelli, Teatro Sociale in Mantua, Teatro Nuovo in Bolzano, Teatro Sociale and Auditorium in Trento, Teatro Zandonai and Auditorium Melotti in Rovereto, Teatro Modena in Genoa, Teatro Nuovo and Camply in Verona, and Teatro Verdi in Padua. His repertoire includes leading roles in Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Carmen.
Alongside his classical career, he has appeared as both principal dancer and choreographer in numerous productions of jazz, contemporary, and neoclassical dance, portraying powerful characters such as Jesus Christ, St. Francis, and Gilgamesh. He has also been a guest performer in major theatres across Germany, Switzerland, Austria, England, Spain, France, and the Czech Republic.
Passionate about teaching, he leads seminars and workshops for both professionals and students, while also creating original choreographies and performing pas de deux with leading Italian and European ballerinas.
As artistic director, he organizes an impressive number of events each year—over 90 dance-related productions across Northern and Central Italy—as well as large-scale dance festivals that bring together nearly 500 schools in cities including Bolzano, Trento, Rovereto, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Mantua, Brescia, Crema, Milan, Turin, Genoa, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Rimini, Senigallia, Gardone Riviera, and Lecce.
In 2001, he pioneered the Dance Olympics for Schools, a groundbreaking project that has involved more than 60,000 students from elementary, middle, and high schools—both public and private—throughout Italy (Bolzano, Trento, Verona, Vicenza, Padua, Mantua, Brescia, Milan, Turin, Reggio Emilia, Bologna, Forlì, Cesena, Rimini, Pesaro, Ancona, Florence) as well as Switzerland (Neuchâtel).
For over two decades, he has devoted himself to promoting and developing dance for both young professionals and amateurs, helping to foster a wider appreciation of this art form. His dedication and commitment have earned him recognition at every level.
