Teachers

Classical & Pilates

Samantha studies ballet at the Geneva Dance Center. In 1989, she recieves a scholarship for the School of American Ballet, New-York, where she is the reciepiant of the Mea L. Wien Award for outstanding student. In 1990 she joins the New-York City Ballet, directed by Peter Martins, where she dances numerous roles in Georges Balanchine, Jerome Robbins and Peter Martins's ballets, and works with many guest choreographers such as Twyla Tharp, John Alleyn, Angelin Preljocaj. Samantha was promoted to soloist in 1996. In 2000 she joins Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo as a soloist, under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot and interpret major roles of the company's repertoir and dances ballets of different international choreographers such as, Jiri Kylian, William Forsyth, Georges Balanchine, Lucinda Childs, Jereon Verbruggen, Jacopo Godani. In 2007 while still dancing professionnaly, she starts a Pilates instructor training at the Swissbody Pilates Academy in Geneva, Switzerland, and obtains her  Pilates instructor diplomas in 2008.

Samantha takes the direction of the Geneva Dance Center en 2009, alongside her husband, Julien Bancillon. 

Julien studies ballet in Lyon, France, where he is the Gold Medalist of the Conservatoire Régional of Lyon in 1992 and 1st Prize winner of the Conservatoire National Supérieur of Lyon in 1995. Julien joins Le Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève, under the direction of Giorgio Mancini in 1996 where he is able to dance a large number of ballets for  different international choreographers such as, Ohad Naharin, William Forsyth, Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato, Georges Balanchine, Amanda Miller, Michel Kelemenis, Oscar Araiz, James Kudelka, Rui Horta, and Maguy Marin. In 1999 he joins Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo, under the direction of Jean-Christophe Maillot, where he is promoted to soloist and then pricipal soloist and where he interprets numerous roles of the company's repertoire. He has the chance to work with many different international choreographers and dances ballets from, Maurice Béjart, Twyla Tharp, William Forsyth, Jiri Kylian, Johan Inger, Gorges Balanchine, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Jacopo Godani, Lucinda Childs, Lionel Hoche, Jereon Verbrugen, Nicolo Fonte.

In 2009 he takes the direction of the Geneva Dance Center.

Classical / Stretching

1st Prize winner of the Conservatoire de Paris, Ecole de Danse de l'Opéra de Paris in 1959. 1960 to 1974 Soliste of Les Ballets du Marquis de Cuevas, Les Ballets Roland Petit, and Ballet Serge Golovine Etoile of Washington National Ballet,  P.A.C.T. Ballet Johannesburg, London Festival Ballet, and Grand Théâtre de Genève. Member of the Jury of the Prix de Lausanne in 1994. Member of the Fondation and the Artistic Commission of the Prix de Lausanne from 1995 to 2009 

Born in France, and taught by Raymond Franchetti, Nora Kiss, Gilbert Canova in Paris. As well as Irina Grjibina in Russian characters dance. Veronique danced professionally in France and Germany in a classical and new-classical repertoire, of Roland Petit, Wladimir Skouratoff, from Les Ballet du Marquis de Cuevas, Peter VanDyck amongst others. She toured around Europe and Asia.

She obtains her Certificate d'Aptitude and becomes a teacher since 1998. She joins the Geneva Dance Center teacher staff in 2016.

Preparation for ballet

Born in Geneva Switzerland, Anastasia Fossati joins the Geneva Dance Center as a student in 2010 and joins the pre-professionnal class in 2014. During her formation, she participates in the different productions of the Geneva Dance Center as well as dances with the jeuneballet.ch

Since 2019, she regularly assists Julien and Samanath Bacillon in their classes, and in 2020 she joins the Swissbody Pilates Academy, in prder to obtain her tacher certification.

She joins the Geneva Dance Center teacher staff in 2021.