The Jungle book

Premiere Announcement

Children love stories and fairy tales.

A ballet in images and music is one of the most beautiful ways to present meaningful content through imaginative expression.

“The Jungle Book”

Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, Kaa, Akela, and Shir Khan. Not to forget King Louie! And the wise old Hathi! And finally, Shanti, the girl from the village who touches Mowgli’s heart.

Is it not every child’s dream to romp through the jungle with the animals of Rudyard Kipling’s tale, to play with the wolves, and to stand up bravely to the mighty tiger Shir Khan?

Michael Kropf – choreographer and president of the ÖTR/ADC – has taken this enchanting story, based on one of the world’s most beloved tales, and created a new ballet production. It is designed for audiences of all ages, but especially for children who wish to discover the world of dance and experience an adventure full of fantasy, feelings, and wonder.

Premiere: April 18, 2026

On the stage of the Europa Ballet St. Pölten.

In addition, several cities in Austria as well as international partners have already expressed their interest in presenting this Jungle Book production with children from their own ballet schools. This opens up promising national and international perspectives for the project as a dance production of both artistic and educational value.

Every year, at mid-year, the Austrian Dance Council (ÖTR) organizes the Ballet and Dance Festival! Whether you are an amateur or a professional, we warmly invite you to take part in this exciting event. This festival is exclusively for members of the ÖTR.

Our festival offers a platform for dancers of all levels to showcase their talent and grow in a supportive and inspiring environment. From classical ballet to modern dance, contemporary styles, jazz, and hip-hop – every form of dance is welcome and celebrated!

We firmly believe that dance is a universal language that connects people of all ages and backgrounds. That is why we encourage everyone who shares the joy of dancing to join us and become part of this unforgettable event.

Get ready to ignite your passion on stage and captivate your audience. We will inform you in good time on our homepage about the venue and date – be prepared to dance together with us!

For more information, feel free to contact us by phone, send us an email, or fill out the contact form on our website.

We look forward to welcoming you to the Ballet and Dance Festival of the Austrian Dance Council!

What is the ÖTR Quality Seal?
An examiner appointed by ÖTR assesses the school at regular intervals (usually annually) based on defined criteria regarding:

• The quality of the training (body-appropriate, health-oriented, professional)
• The trainers
• The provision of stage experience
• The technical facilities

The quality seal can be awarded for the following disciplines:

• Classical ballet and stylized folklore dance
• Musical dance
• Art Jazz / Modern dance

Depending on the results, the quality seal is awarded in Bronze, Silver, or Gold. Additionally, agreements are made with the management on areas for improvement.

What does the ÖTR Quality Seal mean for ballet and dance schools in Austria?

It benefits:

• Children and young people: They can trust their ballet/dance school.
• Parents: They value their children attending a certified training institution.
• ÖTR-certified ballet and dance schools: They showcase solid, qualified training in a ballet- and dance-appropriate environment.
• Ballet and dance education in Austria: The quality criteria of the ÖTR Quality Seal promote and foster the continuous improvement of ballet and dance education in Austria.

Cooperation Partners

European Dance Association (EuDance)

About Us – European Dance Association (EuDance)

“Founded in 2009, EuDance fosters international collaboration and cultural exchange through dance. Under the leadership of President Ms. Sophia Li and Honorary Chairman Mr. Vladimir Malakhov, the nonprofit connects artists from Europe and Asia, promoting harmony and artistic growth.

EuDance partners with dance organizations and schools to advance dance education and support talented dancers. Key milestones include hosting prestigious events like the Vienna International Ballet Competition (2013) and Ballet Grand Prix Vienna (2019-2024).

Since 2012, EuDance has collaborated with the Beijing Dance Academy and Liaoning Ballet Academy, building an esteemed reputation through masterclasses, scholarships, and international summer camps.

In 2025, EuDance will hold its inaugural Summer Masterclasses from July 10th to 21st at Europaballett Studios in St. Pölten, for dancers aged 8 to 26. The program will culminate in a gala performance and scholarship opportunities from leading European academies.”

Europaballett St.Pölten

HU-National Dance Teachers

Minea Kropf

IntelliDance is a dance school dedicated to provide quality dance education from an early age.
The school is based in the Hungarian city of Szolnok, offers preparatory classical ballet classes, modern dance and theatre dance classes for both children, adults and for the elderly in the near future. 

Because everyone deserves to experience the joy of dancing. 

SAAM

Tanzladen

Tanzstudio-AT

The Association of Dance Studios Austria represents the economic, artistic, and social interests of Austrian dance studios, course providers, and individuals working in dance instruction.

Tschechisches Zentrum Wien

The Czech Centre Vienna (founded in 1994) is an integral part of the network of Czech Centres. Its mission is to promote the good name of the Czech Republic abroad and to strengthen cultural relations between countries.
The Czech Centre Vienna was established in 1994 and operates in Austria as the cultural department of the Embassy of the Czech Republic. It fulfills its mission in close cooperation with Austrian institutional partners both in Vienna and in the individual federal states.

One of the most important tasks of the Austrian Dance Council (ÖTR) is not only to support but also to motivate young ballet artists as well as many other dance forms. President Michael Kropf spoke about the importance of DANCE in general and also mentioned that the relevant politics are making efforts to give the genre of BALLET the attention it deserves. After a successful premiere, the solo dancers were delighted with the successful season opening.

From left to right: Samael Maurice, Sarah de Luca, Benjamin Skupien, Claudia Sachetti, Gabriel Perez, Nichika Shibata

BALLET & DANCE is important to us. This slogan was given by the newly elected president, MICHAEL KROPF, after the appointment of the new board. For Austrian ballet schools/studios/academies, there is a QUALITY SEAL from the ÖTR when certain criteria, such as: training (professional and amateur), infrastructure, and further education, are met. Inquiries should be sent via email.

Please refer to the website for further activities!

‍From left to right: Peter Rille (2nd Honorary President), Prof. Michael Fichtenbaum (Vice President), Alexandra Zehetner (International Communications), Michael Kropf (President), Prof. Evelyn Teri (1st Honorary President), Percy Kofranek (Secretary), Helmut Steiner (Treasurer)

Unlike most other artists, dancers cannot pursue their profession until retirement. The physical demands lead many of them to stop early, without a clear perspective for the future. This issue has largely remained unsolved so far, but the Austrian Dance Council (ÖTR) has now decided to take action. The new project of the ÖTR addresses this challenge and is looking for solutions to support dancers in transitioning into new phases of life. An exemplary approach will be launched with the former first solo dancer of the Vienna State Opera, Roman Lazik. Roman Lazik, who has personally experienced the highs and lows of the dance profession, will serve as the pioneer of this project. His experiences and insights will make an important contribution to how dancers can be better prepared for life after the stage in the future. The Austrian Dance Council is thus not only committed to the present but also to the future of the art of dance and its practitioners.

The planned 1st training seminar on CLASSICAL BALLET will take place on March 1st from 15:30 to 19:30 and on March 2nd, 2025, from 11:00 to 17:00 in St. Pölten.

The 1st SEMINAR of the ÖTR has been postponed to March 2025 due to the unusability of the ballet and seminar rooms at Europaballett St. Pölten. The flooding on September 9th severely damaged the ballet academy/Europaballett’s workplace in St. Pölten. Renovation work is already underway. Currently, it is not possible to foresee the restart of operations at Oriongasse 4 in St. Pölten. As of February 15th, 2025, the rooms have not been renovated. The seminar will either take place at TRAISENPARK St. Pölten (the Europaballett’s alternative location) or possibly temporarily in Oriongasse Hall 3. Please inquire at 02742/23000 Monday to Friday from 09:00 to 12:00 or email info@europaballett.at.

This seminar will discuss the fundamentals and practices of Classical Ballet for today’s times. It does not matter whether for amateurs or professionals, as anatomical knowledge and insights are essential for a broader understanding of this genre. The discussion regarding Classical Ballet training in Austria has become so diverse that this SEMINAR (ÖTR training) is considered necessary for the creation of the ÖTR QUALITY SEAL.

Michael Kropf (President) and Michael Fichtenbaum (Vice President) support such activities on behalf of the ÖTR, providing ballet children with opportunities to present themselves on stage. “The STAGE is almost more important than the training room. Only on stage does creativity emerge. A creativity that ballet children need to later embody choreographic stage roles,” both presidents agree. The ballet THE NUTCRACKER is ideally suited for this purpose. The Europaballett performs this work 10 times, with more than 20 children from the ballet academy participating (children, mice, soldiers, dolls). As a result, the motivation of the ballet children to take on more training has also increased.