Matilda Poláková
Matilda Poláková was born in Bratislava. She received her ballet training at first at the Dance Conservatory of Eva Jazcova (TKEJ) in her hometown and danced already in productions of the Slovak National Theatre such as The Nutcracker, Le Corsaire und From Fairytale to Fairytale. From 2016 to 2021 she studied at the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera. Afterwards she was a member of the Youth Company of the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy. She also continued her education in International Ballet Masterclasses of Daria Klimentová in Prague. Furthermore, Matilda Poláková took part in several ballet competitions and was honoured with the »Nádej Baletu– Young Talent Prize« in 2018 at the »Hope of Ballet« competition in Slovakia. At the Vienna International Ballet Experience (VIBE) she won a 1st and 2nd prize in 2017 and 2019.
Her previous stage experiences include performances in the Matinees of the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera where Christiana Stefanou created for her the role of the Contessa in Gioconda’s Smile in 2022 and Martin Schläpfer a part in Jamie (2022 and 2023). With the Vienna State Ballet she danced in Rudolf Nureyev’s Swan Lake, Elena Tchernichova’s Giselle and George Balanchine’s Symphony in C. Moreover, she performed in the operas Aida, L’Orfeo, Lady Macbeth von Mzensk and the operetta Die Fledermaus at the Vienna State Opera, in Capriccio she embodied a young ballerina. At the Volksoper Wien she took part in Anatevka. Since the 2023/24 season Matilda Poláková has been a member of the Corps de ballet of the Vienna State Ballet (maternity leave replacement). She danced in Martin Schläpfer's Drittes Klavierkonzert, Karole Armitage's Ligeti Essays and Lotte de Beerʼs & Andrey Kaydanovskiy's Jolanthe and the Nutcracker, among others.