The Bavarian State Ballet (Bayerisches Staatsballett) is one of Europe's leading ballet companies, based at the National Theatre in Munich, Germany. Established as an independent company in 1988 under the founding direction of Konstanze Vernon, it grew rapidly from the ballet ensemble of the Bavarian State Opera into an internationally recognised force in both classical and contemporary dance.
Under the long directorship of Ivan Liška (1998–2016), the company earned a reputation for exceptional classical standards and adventurous programming, expanding its touring activity and commissioning new works. Igor Zelensky led the company from 2016 to 2022, before Laurent Hilaire, former dancer and director of the Stanislavski Ballet in Moscow, was appointed Artistic Director in 2022.
The Bavarian State Ballet performs the full range of classical ballet repertoire, from 19th-century masterpieces such as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, and Giselle to 20th-century works by Balanchine, MacMillan, and Forsythe. With a roster of approximately 100 dancers drawn from around the world, it performs at both the National Theatre and the Prinzregententheater in Munich, reaching hundreds of thousands of audience members annually.