Coeur de la ville de Bruxelles
Join Brussels City Ballet on Place de Brouckère during Brussels Dance Festival! Enjoy a captivating ballet performance and take part in a ballet lesson for all levels.
This is a unique chance to experience the beauty of classical dance in the heart of Brussels — fun, fancy and for everyone.
Aki Nishio is a respected choreographer, ballet mistress and former professional dancer whose work blends the elegant aesthetic of classical ballet with the emotional depth of contemporary storytelling. Born in Japan but based in Belgium, she is known for her sophisticated choreographic style, narrative sensibility and commitment to fostering the next generation of ballet talents.
Trained in the United States, Europe and Japan, Aki graduated from the Royal Ballet School Antwerp. Her artistic foundation was built on the Vaganova method and classical ballet tradition, which she has honed over years of professional experience and dedicated teaching. Her dance career boasts engagements at the Royal Ballet of Flanders and Czech National Theatre Brno, amongst others, where she performed a broad classical and neoclassical repertoire before turning to choreography and artistic direction.
Since 2016, Aki has become a major figure on the Belgian ballet scene, particularly through her leadership of Brussels City Ballet. She has created and staged several critically hailed productions, such as The Nutcracker (2016), Most Wanted (2017) and Angels and Devils (2018) in Mechelen. In 2024, she was back with an enhanced version of The Nutcracker — bigger, brighter and better than ever.
Her first performance in Brussels came in 2023 with Figures in Travlin’ Light, followed by Snow White and Carmen in 2024. For 2025, her repertoire includes the delicate Classical Symphony, Concerto and a new staging of the traditional ballet La Bayadère, marking an exciting step for ballet in Belgium.
Aki’s choreographic work is renowned for its musicality, clear lines and deep understanding of the theatre. She pays particular attention to technical accuracy and emotional nuance, creating both visually impressive and profoundly human ballets that are accessible to all audiences.
Offstage, Aki was asked to choreograph a haute couture event presented by BNP Paribas Fortis and Maison Natan, and brought her Carmen to the Royal Gallery in 2024.
Aki continues to inspire with her visionary work, shaping future ballet in Belgium with elegance, emotion and artistic excellence.
After six years away from the stage, Puggy return more inspired than ever! Their EP Radio Kitchen and a series of sold-out, unforgettable shows at Ancienne Belgique confirmed that their spark remains intact. The trio is now preparing a new tour, with key dates at the Olympia in Paris and Forest National in autumn 2025.
In the meantime, Puggy welcome the return of brighter days with On My Mind, a radiant single with an irresistible groove – a true breath of fresh air in today’s heavy news cycle. Recorded in Brussels at the Radio Kitchen studio, the track reflects the band’s creative independence, carving their path far from constraints and codes.
In the age of streaming and algorithms, Puggy continue to champion free, diverse music – a unique sound that crosses genres and brings audiences together.
Malika Benjelloun, an Italo-Moroccan dancer and choreographer, stands out for her boundless energy and distinctive teaching style. She rose to fame with the Star Academy in 2023 and, at just 19, began teaching at the Rick Odums International Jazz Dance Centre in Paris, where her classes quickly became sold out.
As a Nike ambassador, she joined a global Masterclass tour, won the Battle Nike Woman Europe, and led her group to the World Champion title in 2009 in Phoenix (USA).
She has choreographed for numerous artists and TV shows, and has also collaborated with prestigious names such as Franco Dragone and the Cirque du Soleil.
The Belgian artist Henri PFR has been captivating fans and tastemakers worldwide with his unique blend of dance-pop and melodic creativity. A classically trained composer, producer, DJ and pianist, he first broke through in 2013 with the viral La Belle Musique Mixtape: Summer Memories.
Since then, he has released a steady flow of hits, now signed with Warner Music France, with his latest singles enjoying global radio airplay.
Backed by a loyal fanbase and represented exclusively by One World Artists (Tomorrowland’s agency). Henri PFR continues his unstoppable rise with new music and projects on the horizon.
Rino Yoshimoto
From Tokyo to New York, via Europe, Japanese violinist Rino Yoshimoto captivates audiences with her virtuosity and intensity on stage. Winner of numerous international competitions, she commands a wide repertoire, performed with exceptional musicality and deep sensitivity. Her passionate playing, combined with the unique sound of the Muntz Stradivarius (1736), on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation, promises a rare and unforgettable musical experience.
Ksenia Ovsyanick
Russian-born star Ksenia Ovsyanick has performed on some of the world’s most prestigious stages: Opéra national de Paris, Royal Opera House, Bolshoi Theatre, Royal Albert Hall… A former soloist with the English National Ballet, she joined Staatsballett Berlin in 2016 as a Principal Dancer. Recipient of the Benois de la Danse Prize and the Premio Eccellenza della Danza, she now continues her career as a freelance Principal, invited to perform on leading stages worldwide.
Christine and the Queens is a boundary-pushing French artist, an innovator and a visionary. A shape-shifting performer with a deep passion for music, theatre and dance, each release is a testament to his devotion to the art form and a lesson in raw honesty.
After leaving an indelible mark at the Paris Olympic Games closing ceremony, Christine and the Queens teamed up with disco legend Cerrone to unveil their first joint manifesto track “Catching Feelings”, accompanied by a thrilling self-directed music video. An emotional firework beneath the strobe lights of the dancefloor.
Known for genre-defying music and ever-evolving personas, Christine and the Queens has received honors from GLAAD, the BRIT Awards, Q Awards and Attitude, and consistently features on best-of-the-decade lists. But above all: go see him live. It’s unforgettable.
Following La Pluie (Act I) in 2023 then Pleurez! (Act II) a year later, CRC is releasing a shorter but crucial format for his artistic evolution: L’Entracte. This five-track project produced by Armand Tournier presents as a true intermission, hinting at a future Act III.
Much more than an interval, L’Entracte marks an important step in the Belgian rapper’s journey. Here CRC explores his personal relationships with new depth and sincerity in his work.
Musically, he skilfully combines rap, chanson française, R&B and afro influences, confirming his ability to cross and fuse genres. After gracing the stages of the Dour and Grünt Festivals and twice filling the Ancienne Belgium concert hall in late 2024, CRC is now preparing for Act III. L’Entracte is the bridge: an intimate and essential auditory experience in today’s French-language rap landscape.
A young Brussels-based artist, Lovelace is part of the new alternative pop scene. She creates her unique sound in her bedroom-cum-studio, weaving a dark thread of soft, robotic and distorted sounds.
Her work is a true audio cocktail in the style of Billie Eilish, 070 Shake and Babysolo33. Lovelace has long been a lover of life, which makes her overly cheerful sometimes. Unfortunately, that love constantly clashes with the absurdity of this world. A little self-deprecation, lots of love and much melancholy are her formula for surviving the chaos.
The Junior Ballet Project (JBP) from the company Opinion Public is an intensive programme for dancers aged 17 to 25. Designed as a practical career platform, it immerses participants in a company-like working environment, developing the technical, artistic and interpersonal skills they need to grow as performers.
Launched by the company’s artistic director Sidonie Fossé in September 2024, the two-year programme provides daily training from Monday to Friday: a demanding syllabus of classical dance, contemporary dance, partnering, floorwork, acrobatics and improvisation, as well as other complementary disciplines emphasizing versatility, creativity and artistic maturity.
Throughout the year, the dancers also join performances, giving them regular opportunities to go on stage and apply what they have learnt before an audience.
