"There is always room for improvement, opportunities to learn something new and to create new goals. Each day is a new opportunity to achieve your dreams, so make it count!"
Vanesa Garcia-Ribala Montoya, born in Madrid, graduated from the conservatory at the age of 17. She started her career with the Compañía Nacional de Danza 2, where she danced for two years before briefly joining the Ballet du Rhin.
By a fortunate twist of fate, she was hired by Les Grands Ballets in 2006. Three years later, she was promoted to soloist, and in 2017, under Ivan Cavallari, she became principal dancer. The company became her true home, and Montreal, the place where she flourished both personally and professionally.
Today, Vanesa is also a choreographer and teacher at professional dance companies and schools in Montreal, including l’École supérieure de ballet du Québec. She has developed a deep passion for artistic creation and presents her work within the company (Parlami d’Amore, Luna), at fundraising events, and at festivals across Canada, Europe, and Asia. She has also collaborated with renowned artists, including Martha Wainwright, as part of the Festival des Arts de Saint-Sauveur.
Vanesa is deeply committed to breaking stereotypes in the dance world, advocating that Black dancers rightfully have their place in ballet. Radiant, passionate, kind, talented, and tireless, she is highly praised by her peers. Ambitious and driven, she is always pushing boundaries to serve the art she loves—now and forever.
Vanesa Garcia-Ribala Montoya has performed as a soloist dancer in several ballets including Rubies (George Balanchine), Rassemblement (Nacho Duato), The Rite of Spring and Le regard d’Orphée (Stijn Celis), Sleeping Beauty (Mats Ek), Leonce and Lena (Christian Spuck), The Firebird (Marco Goecke), The Nutcracker (Fernand Nault), Roméo et Juliette (Jean-Christophe Maillot), Cantata, The Four Seasons (Mauro Bigonzetti) and The Queen of Spades (Kim Brandstrup), The Little Prince (Didy Veldman). Her repertoire also includes ballets from world-renowned choreographers such as Duende, Coming Together, Arenal, L'Amoroso, Jardí Tancat, Six Dances, Forgotten Land, Bella Figura and Symphony of Psalms (Jiří Kylián), Polyphonia (Christopher Wheeldon), Arbos, Danz and Minus One (Ohad Naharin), Searching for Home, Dream Away (Stephan Thoss), RE-,II (Shen Wei), Frisking (Wim Vandekeybus), Ondine (David Nixon), Désert d'amour (Dominique Bagouet), Dance, Chamber Suite (Lucinda Childs), Episodes (George Balanchine), Noces among others.
2002 Mention honorable (Torrelavega) Prix de la Fondation princesse Grace, Monaco Dance Forum
