Companhia Nacional de Bailado

What Companhia Nacional de Bailado does

Companhia Nacional de Bailado (CNB) is Portugal's national ballet company, founded by the Portuguese State in 1977 and headquartered at Teatro Camões in Lisbon. Operated as a state-owned public enterprise (Empresa Pública) and managed since 2007 within OPART – Organismo de Produção Artística, E.P.E. alongside Teatro Nacional São Carlos and Estúdios Victor Córdon, CNB falls under the supervision of the Portuguese Ministries of Culture and Finance. The company maintains a resident ensemble of approximately 75 professional dancers (6 principals, 13 soloists, 18 corifeus, plus corps de ballet) supported by 4 ballet masters, a professor, repetiteurs, a musical coordinator, and dedicated technical, wardrobe, production, communications, and administrative staff. Its repertoire spans classical ballet (O Lago dos Cisnes, La Sylphide, Coppélia, Romeu e Julieta), neoclassical works (Balanchine), and contemporary commissions (Forsythe, Kylián, Naharin, Shechter, Bigonzetti, Eyal), alongside pieces by Portuguese choreographers (Wellenkamp, Roriz, Duarte).

CNB generates value through live performance production, audience development, and educational outreach rather than through proprietary technology. Its product surface comprises ~7 main stage productions per season, a national Circuito program that tours works to 15+ Portuguese cities (Porto, Coimbra, Faro, Almada, Aveiro, Sintra, Vila Real, Bragança, among others), the annual Millennium Festival ao Largo (a free outdoor festival co-produced with OPART entities and sponsored by Millennium bcp), and structured educational programming (Aproximação à Dança, ateliers, Vamos Falar de Dança, No Final Falamos, Clube de Leituras Dançadas, Ensaio Geral Solidário, the Programa de Desenvolvimento de Talento). Distribution runs through the Teatro Camões box office, partner venue box offices, the third-party Ticketline platform, and digital channels (cnb.pt, social media across Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, YouTube, LinkedIn, Spotify). The company has begun international engagements, including a planned tour to Poland in 2026 and guest appearances by international dancers.

CNB's revenue model is dominated by state appropriations from the Portuguese government, supplemented by ticketed box office (€5–€32 per seat across venues), free and subsidized educational outreach (ateliers €2–€10, free school sessions, free outdoor performances), and limited corporate sponsorship (notably Millennium bcp for the Millennium Festival). It is not privately funded, has no external shareholders or venture investors, and does not disclose detailed financials. Pricing is set per production and tier; no subscription or recurring membership model is described beyond pay-as-you-go ticketing. Customer segments are horizontal: general performing-arts audiences, schools (1st and 2nd cycles), families with children, and cultural professionals/aficionados. The institutional counterparty on the revenue side is therefore concentrated on a single funder (the Portuguese State via OPART), even though end audiences are diffuse.

Name

Companhia Nacional de Bailado

Legal name

Companhia Nacional de Bailado

Website

https://cnb.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Companhia Nacional de Bailado is Portugal's state-funded national ballet company, founded in 1977 and based at Teatro Camões in Lisbon. It presents classical and contemporary dance productions for general audiences, schools, and families, touring nationally across 15+ Portuguese cities and engaging in international festival appearances.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Performing Arts (Ballet and Contemporary Dance)

NAICS

Dance Companies (71112), Dance Companies (711120)

SIC

Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Classical Ballet (Full-Length & Repertoire) (MPAGADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Contemporary & Modern Dance (MPAGADAB), Dance Education (Ballet, Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Cultural Dance) (EDAMAAAH), Dance Performances (THAJAFAD)

Keywords

• Classical ballet performances
• Contemporary dance productions
• National ballet company
• Dance education programs
• Ballet touring productions

Headquarters

HQ city

Lisbon

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public funding and service: CNB is a state-funded cultural institution (Organismo de Produção Artística, E.P.E.) under the Portuguese Ministry of Culture and Finance, providing public service in dance through professional creation, production, and presentation of ballet and contemporary dance works.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Companhia Nacional de Bailado (CNB) is Portugal's national ballet company, producing and presenting professional classical ballet, neoclassical, and contemporary dance works at Teatro Camões in Lisbon and through a national circulation program across Portuguese cities. The company operates an ensemble of approximately 75 dancers and complements its performance programming with educational ateliers, masterclasses, conversation series, and the free annual Millennium Festival ao Largo outdoor festival.

Product overview

Companhia Nacional de Bailado (CNB) is Portugal's national ballet company operating as a single integrated performing arts organization. The company offers a portfolio of ballet and contemporary dance productions, including classical works (O Lago dos Cisnes, La Sylphide, Coppélia, Romeu e Julieta), contemporary pieces (Shechter/Wellenkamp/Naharin, Supernova/The Look, Forsythe/McNicol/Balanchine), and original commissions (Os Maias). These productions are supported by educational programs (Clube de Leituras Dançadas, Atelier workshops, Vamos Falar de Dança conversations), national touring (Circuito CNB), and the annual Millennium Festival ao Largo. The company is administered by OPART alongside Teatro Nacional São Carlos and Estúdios Victor Córdon, with performances held primarily at Teatro Camões in Lisbon and touring nationally.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Os Maias A ballet production based on Eça de Queirós' classic Portuguese novel 'Os Maias', performed with live orchestral accompaniment and presented as a contemporary dance interpretation of the literary work.
• O Lago dos Cisnes (Swan Lake) The classic ballet Swan Lake performed by CNB with live orchestral accompaniment; multiple production versions are in repertoire, including stagings by Mehmet Balkan and Fernando Duarte.
• Romeu e Julieta (Romeo and Juliet) Ballet production based on Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, choreographed by John Cranko, performed with live orchestral accompaniment.

Quantifiable outcome

• CNB reaches audiences nationally through performances in over 15 Portuguese cities and internationally (Poland planned for 2026)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Fundação Calouste GulbenkianmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CNB partners with the Gulbenkian Foundation on the 'dança não dança – arqueologias da Nova Dança em Portugal' program, performing works by Vera Mantero and Olga Roriz. The partnership also includes training, with CNB dancers having trained at Gulbenkian's dance school and CNB having performed works originally created for the Ballet Gulbenkian.
• OPART – Organismo de Produção Artística, E.P.E.coreOthersCNB is an integral part of OPART, the public business entity responsible for managing Teatro Nacional São Carlos, Companhia Nacional de Bailado, and Estúdios Victor Córdon. OPART provides administrative, financial, communication, and operational infrastructure. CNB operates under the supervision of the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Finance.
• Teatro Nacional São CarloscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeatro Nacional São Carlos is co-managed by OPART alongside CNB. Both companies share the Largo de São Carlos venue for the Millennium Festival ao Largo, and collaborate on cross-programming including joint festival editions.
• Estúdios Victor CórdoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstúdios Victor Córdon is the third artistic entity managed by OPART and co-produces the Millennium Festival ao Largo alongside CNB and Teatro Nacional São Carlos.
• Millennium Festival ao LargocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe annual Millennium Festival ao Largo is developed and produced by OPART and the three managed artistic entities (Teatro Nacional São Carlos, CNB, Estúdios Victor Córdon). The festival is held at Largo de São Carlos in Lisbon. Millennium bcp is the principal sponsor.
• Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa (OCP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Orquestra de Câmara Portuguesa collaborates with CNB on performances. Founded in 2007 by Pedro Carneiro, Teresa Simas, Alexandre Dias and José Augusto Carneiro, OCP has collaborated with CNB in various productions and festival appearances.
• Orquestra Sinfónica PortuguesamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Orquestra Sinfónica Portuguesa provides live orchestral accompaniment for CNB productions, notably the Stravinsky Violin Concerto by George Balanchine (Forsythe/McNicol/Balanchine program, February–March 2025), directed by José Eduardo Gomes.
• Orquestra Clássica do CentromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrquestra Clássica do Centro provides live orchestral accompaniment for CNB's La Sylphide productions in Porto (Coliseu Porto Ageas) and Coimbra (Convento São Francisco), directed by Vasco Pearce de Azevedo.
• Orquestra do AlgarvemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrquestra do Algarve provides live orchestral accompaniment for La Sylphide performances in Faro (Teatro das Figuras), directed by Vasco Pearce de Azevedo.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stuttgart Ballet: Germany's internationally touring ballet company with a strong contemporary and classical repertoire, comparable choreographic range (Forsythe, Kylián, Cranko), and similar mix of full-length and triple-bill programming.
• Dutch National Ballet: The Netherlands' principal ballet company, blending Balanchine/Forsythe/Kylián contemporary works with classical repertoire — a near-exact match to CNB's choreographic programming philosophy. Performs at a national venue with touring.
• Norwegian National Ballet: Oslo-based national ballet under Norwegian National Opera & Ballet; comparable headcount scale, similar Nordic/European national mandate, and a mixed classical-contemporary season.
• English National Ballet: UK touring national ballet company with comparable headcount and a similar classical-contemporary repertoire philosophy. Active in education and outreach, paralleling CNB's Circuito and atelier programs.
• Royal Danish Ballet: Denmark's national ballet company, comparable in scale and Bournonville-based classical repertoire (La Sylphide is in both CNB and RDB's active repertoire). Similar institutional age and state-supported operating model.
• Finnish National Ballet: National ballet of Finland under the Finnish National Opera and Ballet; similar size, mixed classical and contemporary repertoire featuring international choreographers (Kylián, Balanchine), and state-supported funding.
• Compañía Nacional de Danza (Spain): Spain's national dance company under the Ministry of Culture. Closest structural analogue to CNB, with a comparable Iberian national mandate, mixed classical and contemporary repertoire, and state-funded touring across Spanish venues.

Broad incumbents

• Paris Opera Ballet: The oldest national ballet company and a global benchmark. Much larger (~150 dancers) and broader in repertoire, but the gold-standard state-subsidized ballet model with similar classical-contemporary programming.
• Royal Ballet (UK): The UK's flagship national ballet company, performing classical and contemporary works at the Royal Opera House. Significantly larger and more international, but the canonical peer for a national ballet mandate.

Emerging players

• Batsheva Dance Company: Israel's flagship contemporary dance company with a national mandate and state support. Comparable as a contemporary-leaning complement to classical work, and a relevant peer for CNB's Naharin-era programming.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CNBportugal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CNBportugal
• Facebookfacebook.com/CNBportugal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cnbportugal
• Instagraminstagram.com/cnbportugal
• TikToktiktok.com/@cnbportugal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Companhia Nacional de Bailado