Zdenek Konvalina was born in Brno, Czech Republic. He studied classical and contemporary ballet at Europe’s Brno Conservatory.
In 1997, he joined the National Ballet of Moravia-Silesia and he was promoted to principal in 1998 at a young age of 19.
After being awarded the gold medal at Helsinky International Ballet Competition in 2001, Konvalina was invited by Ben Stevenson to become a principal dancer with Houston Ballet.
Konvalina joined the National Ballet of Canada for his first season 2006/2007.
With the National Ballet of Canada, Konvalina has danced the role of Prince Florimund in Rudolf Nureyev’s The Sleeping Beauty, James Kudelka’s The Nutcracker, Cinderella as well as Sir Kenneth MacMillan’s Song of the Earth, George Balanchine’s Symphony in C and Don Quijote, Christopher Weeldon’s Polyphonia, Peter Wrigth’s Giselle,Kylian’s Soldiers Mass andJerome Robins’s Glass Peaces, in the Night, Opus 19 / the Dreamer, West Side Story.
In 2008 he danced the role of Kostya in John Neumeier’s critically acclaimed ballet The Seagull.
Konvalina has performed throughout Europe, North and South America, and Asia and has appeared in many gala performances, such as Gala des Etoiles in Montreal, Gala performance Hommage aux Stravinsky, Stars of 21st Century Gala, Dance Open Gala in St. Petersburg and International Ballet Star Gala in Taipei.
Also, he has been a guest with companies around the world, including Munich Bayerische Staats Opera, Slovak National Theater, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, National Ballet of Cuba, Havana and Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam. In 2006 He was part the prestigious World Ballet festival in Tokyo, Japan with Tokyo Ballet and 2008 Japan tour with Vladimir Malakhov and Friends.
In December 08 and January 09 he was guest artist with English National Ballet in MacMillan’s Sleeping Beauty and Manon.
Konvalina is currently the principal dancer of National Ballet of Canada since 2006.
For more info on Konvalina:
National Ballet of Canada
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