Francois Perron, Managing Artistic Director of Studio Maestro, is a graduate of the Paris Opera Ballet School where he studied under the direction of Claude Bessy. Francois comes from a family of dancers: his aunt Lycette Darsonval was an étoile of the Paris Opera Ballet and was in the original cast of “Symphony in C” by Balanchine. His uncle Serge Perrault was a principal with Roland Petit and his mother was part of the prestigious Paris Opera Ballet.
Before moving to the United States in 1984, Francois danced with La Scala in Milan, where Maurice Béjart invited him to Brussels as part of Les Ballets Du XXe Siecle. His first principal contract came in 1980 with the Northern Ballet Theatre of England, where he danced the entire classical repertoire, including Giselle and Sleeping Beauty. A second principal contract followed from Ballet Du Nord and principal roles with the Joffrey Ballet in New York City led him to join the New York City Ballet, where he danced for six years.

In 1993, he briefly danced with American Ballet Theatre and has since freelanced his talent. He has appeared with DanceGalaxy, Dances Patrelle, New York Theatre Ballet, Ruth Page’s Nutcracker, Los Angeles Chamber Ballet, Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, and the Colorado Chamber Ballet and in several “Dance in America” programs. He served as Ballet Master for New York Theatre Ballet as well as for Florence, Italy’s Maggio Danza. In 1997 he accepted a full faculty position at Studio Maestro in New York City where he has contributed significantly to the syllabus and teaching directive. Francois is regularly invited to guest teach at major dance schools including Miami City Ballet, the Academy of Nevada Dance Theatre, St. Louis Ballet, Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet and Point Park College (Pittsburgh) Summer Program.

Francois’ first choreography was performed at Lincoln Center’s Avery Fisher Hall for the New Year’s Vienna Celebration performed by the New York Theatre Ballet. He also choreographed part of the second act in Northeast Ballet’s Nutcracker.

For the past nine years at Studio Maestro as Head of Faculty and now as Managing Artistic Director, Francois has staged the Annual Spring Workshop Performance, including Giselle, Second Act; Sleeping Beauty, First Act; Paquita; Balanchine’s Chaconne Pas de Trois; Corsaire Pas de Deux; and Bluebird Pas de Deux. Private students have entered competitions with Francois’ choreography, including the recent Youth America Grand Prix Gold Medalist in the Contemporary Category of the Boston and New York City Competition. His private students have been accepted at the Paris Opera Ballet School and as company members at American Ballet Theatre, San Francisco Ballet and North Carolina Dance Theatre.

Francois is also part of the Eugene Lang College/New School University faculty and guest teacher at Julliard.