Francesca Velicu

Birthplace
Bucharest, Romania

Training
Choreography High School Floria Capsali, Bucharest; Bolshoi Ballet Academy

English National Ballet
Joined 2016, promoted to First Artist 2017, Junior Soloist 2022, Soloist 2024.

Previous company 
Romanian National Ballet

Repertoire
Notable roles and ballets include Giselle in Akram Khan’s Giselle; Clara/Sugar Plum Fairy, Chinese and Spanish in Wayne Eagling’s Nutcracker; Odalisque in Le Corsaire; Pas de Trois in Derek Deane’s Swan Lake; The Boy in Johan Inger’s Carmen, Princess Florine (Bluebird) in MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty; third principal couple in Liam Scarlett’s No Man’s Land; The Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du Printemps. Created roles include Arielle Smith’s Jolly Folly.

Other info
Winner of 2018 Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance for her performance as The Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps.
2013 – Second Place YAGP (Youth America Grand Prix) Junior category, 2013 Finalist YAGP, New York and 2012 Gold Medal – World Ballet Competition.
Francesca was named in Pointe Magazine’s ‘Stars of the Corps’ list following her performances as the Chosen One in Pina Bausch’s Le Sacre du printemps (The Rite of Spring) in 2017.
Finalist at the 2018 Emerging Dancer Competition.