My name is Roberto Forleo

Born in Bari, Italy, Roberto Forleo has built a distinguished international career as both a performer and a director/choreographer. Trained at the Ballet Center in Bari, Scuola di Balletto Classico Cosi-Stefanescu in Reggio Emilia and the prestigious Ecole Atelier Rudra Béjart in Lausanne, Switzerland, he studied under renowned artists such as Azari Plisetzki, Sulamith Messerer, Michel Gascard, David Howard, Silvia Humaila, and Colette Milner.

As a dancer, Mr. Forleo performed extensively with acclaimed companies across the globe, including Grupo Corpo (Brazil), Béjart Ballet Lausanne (Switzerland), Rambert Dance Company (England), Malandain Ballet Biarritz (France), and Les Ballets Grandiva (Japan). Touring six continents, he worked closely with leading choreographers such as Maurice Béjart, Jirí Kylián, Mats Ek, Christopher Bruce, Wayne McGregor, Pedro Pederneiras, and Thierry Malandain, interpreting a wide range of repertory in soloist and principal roles.

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Mr. Forleo’s transition from performance to creation has defined his recent career. As a choreographer, his works are known for blending classical technique with theatricality and emotional nuance. His choreography has been featured in productions such as Boy Meets Girl for Portland Ballet, Peter and the Wolf with the Portland Symphony Orchestra, and his acclaimed Alice (2018), created in collaboration with Portland Ballet, Portland Symphony Orchestra and Maine College of Art. In 2020, Mr. Forleo choreographed Creatures of Prometheus for The Florida Ballet School and Studio Company, a striking reimagining of Beethoven’s ballet in collaboration with the Jacksonville Symphony Orchestra.

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Since becoming Artistic Director of The Florida Ballet in July 2020, Forleo has created ten original works and restaged key pieces of the classical repertoire, including Les Sylphides, Le Spectre de la Rose, Giselle, and Act II of Swan Lake. His most recent and critically acclaimed ballet, Dracula (2023), was produced in collaboration with the Jacksonville Symphony, showcasing his capacity to create large-scale, theatrically rich productions that resonate with diverse audiences.

Forleo's choreographic work is driven by a commitment to accessibility, narrative clarity, and artistic collaboration, positioning him as a dynamic voice in the evolving landscape of contemporary ballet.

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He has held numerous leadership and teaching roles, including Artistic Director of Bangor Ballet, full-time faculty and principal dancer with Maine State Ballet, and director of the CORPS pre-professional program at Portland School of Ballet. He is also a certified teacher through the Centre National de la Danse (France) and the American Ballet Theatre National Training Curriculum (Levels Pre-Primary through Level 7). Mr. Forleo joined The Florida Ballet in 2019 as Associate Artistic Director before becoming Artistic Director in July 2020, where he continues to expand his choreographic portfolio and artistic vision.