Michael Raynaud
Guest Ballet Master
Michael was born in Antony, near Paris. He danced locally from the age of seven before starting his formal training at The Paris Opera Ballet School under Claude Bessy at the age of ten. He stayed there for six years and whilst at the School, Michael performed all over the world, as well as with the Paris Opera Company as a student. He went on to train at the National Conservatoire in Paris, where he gained his Arts Baccalauréat and Unités de Valeurs in anatomy, Ballet history, and musicality.
On completing his training Michael joined English National Ballet for their worldwide tour of Derek Deane’s Swan Lake in the U.K., Hong Kong, and Australia. He was then offered a contract as a permanent member of the company, performing many roles in the company’s Repertoire, from Rudolph Nureyev’s Romeo and Juliet, to Balanchine’s Who Care’s, and Michael Corder’s Cinderella. His favourite ballets’ to perform were Harald Lander’s Etudes and Sir Kenneth Macmillan’s Rite of Spring. Michael later discovered a passion for teaching and giving to the next generation of dancers his knowledge and experience.
He formalised this by obtaining his Professional Dancers Teaching Diploma from the Royal Academy of Dance. He has taught ballet classes to students and professionals of all ages. He was Associate Tutor for Ballet studies at GSA at the University of Surrey and has worked regularly at the London Boys Ballet School, London Junior/Senior Ballet at ArtsEd, for Professional Dance Experience in Leeds as well as South East Ballet Scholars renowned associates program. He often teaches for the Royal Academy of Dance in Italy, Germany, and the Battersea Headquarters among others. Until recently, he was a member of the faculty at The School of Ballet Theatre UK and took on the role of assistant rehearsal director for its professional parent Company’s Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake productions. Michael has also been a judge in ballet competitions like Trofeo IoBallo in Italy, Japan MIE, PRIDANSP in Brazil and Singapore Masterpiece IBC as well as numerous guest teaching engagements in the U.K., Australia, Italy, Sweden the International Ballet School, Portugal Conservatorio de Dança do Vale do Sousa and New Zealand with Dance Masters International.
