Giulia Tonelli

Giulia Tonelli began her training at the Ballet School of Tuscany in Florence and continued at the Vienna State Opera Ballet School, where she graduated. After one year as an apprentice with the Vienna State Opera, she joined the Royal Ballet of Flanders, first as a member of the corps de ballet and later as a demi-soloist. During her years in Flanders, she performed all the major classical ballets, but above all she was profoundly shaped by a decisive influence on her artistic development: the complete William Forsythe repertoire, under the direction of Kathryn Bennetts—an experience that left a lasting imprint on her career.

After seven years with the Royal Ballet of Flanders, she took an important step forward by joining Zurich Ballet as a soloist, initially under Heinz Spoerli. She later became a principal dancer under Christian Spuck. During her time in Zurich, she had the opportunity to work with some of the world’s leading choreographers, including Mats Ek, Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Edward Clug, Crystal Pite, and Alexei Ratmansky. Numerous ballets were created specifically for her, further shaping her artistic identity and consolidating her reputation as a versatile, intelligent, and deeply expressive dancer.

Following the most recent change in artistic direction at Zurich Ballet, she decided to pursue a freelance career. This new path has seen her appear as a guest principal with Scottish Ballet in their classical production of The Nutcracker, as well as a principal dancer in Carmen, a new creation by Filipe Portugal. She is currently involved in numerous galas and dance projects that place dance at the center as a true and authentic artistic expression.

Alongside her performing career, she is undertaking a master’s degree in Dance Science at the University of Bern. She teaches and coaches ballet in various institutions across Switzerland and Italy, driven by a strong desire to give back what dance has given her over more than 25 years of professional career. Her long-term dream is to one day direct her own dance company.