VENICE — 14 young dancers opened the third edition of Stelle di Domani (Stars of Tomorrow) in Venice on July 10, 2026, the first stop on a monthlong European tour running through August 3. The dancers, aged 17 to 19, were selected from six of the world’s leading ballet academies.
“The great novelty this year is the presence of a prestigious cast, with the extraordinary participation of dance legend Sylvie Guillem as Maitre de Ballet,” said Alessio Carbone, artistic director of the project. A Maitre de Ballet, or ballet master, leads daily training.
A prestigious mentor cast
Guillem, one of the most celebrated dancers of her generation, explained why she joined as a mentor. “There are no shortcuts to experience,” she said. “That is even more true, and even more unfair, when it comes to the relatively short careers of dancers. If my experience can help someone gain a head start along their own path, then I am delighted to share it.”
Carbone, a former principal dancer at the Paris Opera Ballet, founded Balletto di Venezia (Venice Ballet), which produces Stelle di Domani each year. Olga Smirnova, another celebrated etoile, or star dancer, will mentor the group as ballet mistress.
The tour opened at the Scuola Grande di San Rocco, a sixteenth century Venetian building whose Sala Capitolare is decorated with paintings by Renaissance master Tintoretto.
This year’s dancers trained at academies including the Paris Opera Ballet School, the Accademia Teatro alla Scala in Milan, and the Royal Ballet School in London.
A five-city European tour
The tour continues to Dublin on July 13 for a Gran Gala at the Royal Irish Academy of Ireland. “This year’s gala will celebrate their artistry, and the growing cultural bridge between Ireland and Venice,” said Gerardine Connolly, co-founder of Balletto di Venezia.
From there the dancers travel to the Florence Dance Festival and to Orsolina28 Art Foundation in Moncalvo, Piedmont. The tour closes on August 3 in Andorra la Vella, capital of the small Pyrenean principality of Andorra, opening a new partnership.
The project carries the patronage of Italy’s Ministry of Culture, the government department for cultural policy and heritage. Balletto di Venezia is a nonprofit based in Italy and, since 2026, also a registered foundation in the United States.
The preparation of this edition is a deep joy for me,” Carbone said. “The people who believe in this project keep growing every year, and I am certain this is only the beginning.”
