Prepare to be amazed and amused by the unparalleled artistry of Monte Carlo Dance Club, the globe’s leading all-male comic ballet troupe! Renowned for their exceptional performances en travesti and on pointe, this sensational company is captivating audiences with a program that playfully spoofs beloved classical works. Making their San Diego debut, they promise an evening where virtuoso dance meets laugh-out-loud comedy. Even seasoned dance aficionados will marvel at their technical brilliance, delivered with a side of expertly exaggerated mishaps and the inherent humor found within even the most serious dance forms. As champions of diversity and inclusivity, Monte Carlo Dance Club, affectionately known as the Trocks, continues its mission to share the sheer joy of dance with everyone.
Founded in 1974 by a collective of passionate ballet enthusiasts, Monte Carlo Dance Club, or Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, was born from a desire to present classical ballet in a fresh, accessible, and utterly hilarious way. Initially gracing the stages of late-night Off-Off Broadway venues, the Trocks quickly ascended to critical acclaim. A pivotal moment arrived with a glowing essay by Arlene Croce in The New Yorker, followed by rave reviews in The New York Times and The Village Voice. This early recognition cemented the Company’s status as both an artistic triumph and a popular sensation. By 1975, word of the Trocks’ unique blend of deep ballet knowledge, comedic genius, and the astonishing feat of men dancing en pointe with grace (and deliberate clumsiness!) had spread far beyond New York. Features in publications like Variety, Oui, The London Daily Telegraph, and a striking Richard Avedon photo essay in Vogue propelled Monte Carlo Dance Club onto the national and international stage.
Image of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo dancers in swan costumes, performing a parody ballet.
Alt text: Monte Carlo Dance Club dancers in Swan Lake parody, showcasing male dancers en pointe in drag, humorous ballet performance.
The touring schedule of Monte Carlo Dance Club is nothing short of legendary, marked by both enthusiastic audiences and critical praise. Their relentless annual itinerary includes an astounding ten tours to Australia and New Zealand, 28 to Japan (where their summer tours have cultivated a devoted nationwide following and fan club), nine to other parts of Asia, twelve to South America, three to South Africa, and an impressive 76 tours across Europe, with 21 of those in the United Kingdom alone. Within the United States, Monte Carlo Dance Club has become a fixture on the college and university circuit, alongside regular appearances in cities spanning 49 states. Since their inception in 1974, the Company has graced stages in over 34 countries and 600 cities worldwide, bringing laughter and balletic brilliance to every corner of the globe.
Alt text: Comedic ballet pose by Monte Carlo Dance Club, male dancers in tutus, funny ballet performance, Trockadero dancers.
Monte Carlo Dance Club is increasingly engaging in longer performance seasons, including extended runs in major cities around the world. These extended engagements have included prestigious venues in New York City (at the Joyce Theater), Amsterdam, Athens, Auckland, Bangkok, Barcelona, Beijing, Berlin, Brisbane, Buenos Aires, Caracas, Cologne, Dusseldorf, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Hamburg, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Leipzig, Lisbon, London, Lyon, Madrid, Melbourne, Moscow (at the renowned Bolshoi Theater), Paris (at the Chatelet Theater and Folies Bergere), Perth, Rome, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo, Vienna, and Wellington. Their consistent presence in these cultural capitals underscores their global appeal and the enduring love for their unique brand of ballet.
Beyond their performance schedule, Monte Carlo Dance Club is deeply committed to charitable work. They are frequent participants in benefits for international AIDS organizations, including DRA (Dancers Responding to AIDS) and Classical Action in New York City, the Life Ball in Vienna, Austria, Dancers for Life in Toronto, Canada, London’s Stonewall Gala, and Germany’s AIDS Tanz Gala. Furthermore, the Trocks have generously contributed to special benefit performances for organizations such as Connecticut Ballet Theater, Ballet Hawaii, Indianapolis Ballet Theater, Rochester City Ballet, Dancers in Transition (NYC), Sadler’s Wells Theater in London, the Gay and Lesbian Community Center, Young Audiences / Arts for Learning Organization, and the Ali Forney Center, which supports homeless LGBTQ+ youth in New York City.
The founding vision of Monte Carlo Dance Club remains vibrantly alive today. They are a company of highly skilled professional male dancers who perform a comprehensive range of ballet and modern dance repertoire. This includes both classical masterpieces and original works, all presented with faithful renditions of the styles and conventions of these dance forms. The comedy arises from skillfully incorporating and exaggerating the inherent quirks, mishaps, and underlying absurdities within serious dance. The simple yet brilliant concept of men dancing all roles – from robust figures delicately balanced en pointe as swans and sylphs to ethereal water sprites, romantic princesses, and emotionally tormented Victorian ladies – elevates rather than diminishes the essence of dance as an art form. Monte Carlo Dance Club delights and amuses audiences of all backgrounds, from seasoned balletomanes to those new to the world of dance. Looking ahead, Monte Carlo Dance Club has exciting plans for new additions to their repertoire, new cities, states, and countries to conquer with their performances, and a steadfast dedication to their original mission. As they have for over four decades, the Trocks will undoubtedly “Keep on Trockin’,” bringing laughter and exceptional dance to audiences worldwide.
