JacBallet Professional Ballet and Dance Academy: Training the Next Generation on Harlequin floors

Built on years of dedication and excellence, JacBallet has established itself as one of Spain’s most ambitious and dynamic ballet training academies.

Founded in Madrid in 2017 by José Antonio Checa, a graduate of the prestigious Vaganova Academy in Saint Petersburg and former soloist with the Mikhailovsky Theatre, Tulsa Ballet, and Sarasota Ballet, the JacBallet Professional Ballet and Dance Academy prepares the next generation of dancers for professional careers worldwide.

Under Checa’s leadership and with an international faculty composed of highly accomplished professionals from some of Europe’s most renowned institutions, JacBallet has developed an educational model based on technical rigour, artistic discipline, and a profound understanding of the dancer’s profession.

Today, the academy welcomes students from numerous countries, creating an international artistic environment where cultural diversity and the pursuit of excellence are part of everyday life. Its curriculum combines a strong foundation in classical ballet with contemporary and neoclassical dance studies, essential disciplines for twenty-first-century performers.

Supporting this high level of training is a purpose-built studio environment featuring a Harlequin Liberty™ sprung floor with a Harlequin Cascade™ vinyl performance surface. The specialist flooring system delivers consistent shock absorption, energy return and controlled traction to support dancers throughout the demands of daily training and rehearsal.

A defining aspect of JacBallet’s training is its emphasis on stage experience. The academy believes dancers develop not only in the studio, but also through live performance, interpretation and the experience of connecting with an audience.

Performance is central to JacBallet’s training. Each season, students take part in around 30 performances, giving them valuable stage experience from an early stage in their artistic development.

Over the past several years, JacBallet has staged large-scale productions featuring dozens of dancers and renowned works from the classical ballet repertoire. Productions include The Nutcracker, performed by nearly 70 academy dancers; Grand Pas de Paquita; Act II of Giselle; and Rasputin: The Shadow of the Crown, an original production choreographed by Alessandro Alfonzetti for JacBallet and performed to a sold-out audience at Madrid’s Círculo de Bellas Artes with more than 50 performers on stage.

The academy’s success is reflected in the achievements of its students. Graduates have earned places at leading institutions including the Vaganova Academy in Saint Petersburg, The Royal Ballet School in London and the English National Ballet School. Others have secured professional contracts with companies including the Paris Opera Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Spain’s National Dance Company, the Greek National Ballet, Ballet Nacional del Sodre, the Croatian National Ballet, the Serbian National Ballet and the National Theatre Brno.

Beyond these accomplishments, JacBallet’s true value lies in its long-term vision. At a time when artistic education requires a balance between tradition, excellence, and adaptability, the academy is committed to passing on the legacy of classical ballet while embracing the languages and sensibilities of contemporary dance.

Its growth over recent years, the recognition it has received from specialised critics, and the increasing presence of its students in international institutions all confirm the strength of a project that continues to evolve without losing sight of its original purpose.

Beyond training exceptional dancers, JacBallet is committed to helping shape the future of dance in Spain.