2017 / 2018DIRECTOR: RICHARD WHERLOCK

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The Ballett Theater Basel is a dynamic, polyvalent and multicultural ensemble in the internatio nal class, one of the leading contemporary dance groups in Europe. The members of the Ballett Theater Basel have thoroughly mastered the vocabulary of both classical ballet and contemporary dance, combining the highest standards of dance with virtuoso dynamism and inspired ex- pressiveness. The Basel ensemble has an outstanding command of both narrative and abstract ballet. There are plenty of contem-porary Choreographers working with the Ballett in Basel – Jiri Kylian, Nacho Duato, Ohad Naharin, Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger, Hofesh Shechter – to name only a few of them, and of course the outstanding choreo graphic Œvre of the Director of the Ballett Theater Basel, Richard Wherlock.

THE BALLETT THEATER

BASEL

OUR PRODUCTIONS 2017 / 2018SHECHTER / ARIASChoreographies from Hofesch Shechter (The Fools) and Bryan Arias (this is everything)Premiere September 29, 2017

SWANLAKEChoreography by Stijn Celis Premiere November 17, 2017

TEWJEChoreography by Richard WherlockFebruar 15, 2018; March 18, 23, 2018

DEATH IN VENICEChoreography by Richard WherlockPremiere April 13, 2018

DANCELAB 9Choreographies from the dancers of the Ballett Theater BaselPremiere Mai 24, 2018

TOURING PROGRAM

SNOW WHITEby Richard Wherlock

TEWJE by Richard Wherlock

DEATH IN VENICEby Richard Wherlock

PEER GYNT by Johan Inger

SWANLAKEby Stijn Celis

SHECHTER / ARIAS / EKMAN

THE FOOLSby Hofesh Shechter

THIS IS EVERYTHINGby Bryan Arias

CACTIby Alexander Ekman

RICHARD WHERLOCKChoreographer and Director of the Ballett Theater Basel

BIOGRAPHY Born in Bristol (GB). After studying at London’s prestigious Ballet Rambert School, he joined their company as a dancer. Wherlock was Ballet Director at Hagen Theatre in Germany from 1991 to 1996, then spending three seasons as director of the Lucerne Ballet before moving to Komische Oper Berlin as artistic director and choreographer of BerlinBallett. He has been director and head choreographer of Ballett Basel since the 2001 / 2002 season, and artistic director of the renowned festival «basel tanzt» from 2004 to 2009. Richard Wherlock has been Director and Head Choreographer of Ballett Basel since 2001 / 2002 and has created many choreographies for the company. He has enjoyed particular success with his adaptations of great classics such as «A Swan Lake», «James or La Sylphide», «Traviata – a Ballet», «Carmen», «Giselle», or «Eugene Onegin» and other full- length narrative ballets which he has reinterpreted using contem porary dance techniques. He worked as choreographer with, among others, the following companies: New English Contemporary Ballet, Tanzforum Köln, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Finnish Dance Theatre Helsinki, Ballett Staatstheater Braunschweig, Romanian National Ballet, The Icelandic Ballet, Ballet National de Nancy et de Lorraine, Ballet National de Marseille, Ballet de l’Opéra de Nice, aalto ballett theater essen, Europa Danse (UNESCO), Ballett der Deutschen Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf, Singapore Dance Theatre, Ballett der Vereinigten Bühnen Graz, Introdans in Arnheim / Holland, Ballett des Badischen Staatstheaters Karlsruhe, Phoenix Dance Theatre Leeds and Ballet Contemporaneo del Teatro San Martín / Argentina. Wherlock also created a full-length ballet for Les Étoiles de l’Opéra National de Paris, for the Ballet of the Opéra National de Bordeaux and for the Seoul Ballet Theatre. His film and TV work includes the choreography for Claude Lelouch’s cinema production «Hasards ou Coïncidences», presented in 1998 at the Venice Biennale and at the Montréal and Chicago festivals. In 2000,

Wherlock received the Prix Italia for the award-winning dance film «Passengers», produced by the Swiss broadcasting company DRS,

RM Associates and 3SAT. His most recent film success «One bullet left» – also produced by Swiss broadcasting

company DRS – was awarded the Golden Rose of Montreux in 2003. In 1999 he was nominated for

the international dance award «Benois de la Danse». Richard Wherlock’s particular

interest lies in supporting talented up-and-coming dancers. He serves on the

juries of numerous international dance competitions and president

of the Migros scholarship jury.

«Our art is … holding on and letting go, precision and disorganization. Dizzyingly fast, achingly slow, and everything in between. Back up, forth and down. Immeasurable. … I just love it.»Richard Wherlock

RUBEN DARIO BANOL HERRERA Colombia

Training: Incolballet (Colombia), Real Consérvatorio Profesional de Danza de Madrid

Previous companies: Compañía colombiana de ballet, Europadanse, Compañía Nacional de Danza 2, Ballet de la Generalitat Valenciana, Elephant in the Black Box

DIEGO BENITO GUTIERREZ Spain

Training: Real Conser­vatorio Profesional de Danza de Madrid

Previous companies: ballett du Grand Theatre de Geneve, Nafas Dance Company, Introdans

CAMILLE AUBLÉ France

Training: Centre de Danse International Rosella Hightower (Cannes), Ecole de Rudra Béjart, Lausanne

Previous company: Ballet Biarritz

ENSEMBLE

ARMANDO BRASWELL USA

Training: La Guardia Highschool of Performing Arts, School of American Ballet, The Ailey School, The Juilliard School

Previous companies: The Metropolitan Opera Ballet, Ballett Theater München, Gauthier Dance Stuttgart

LISA HORTEN­SKILBREI* Norway

Training: Oslo National Academy of The Arts (KHiO), Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Scholarships at Batsheva Dance Company and Nederlands Dans Theater

PIRAN SCOTT Australia

Training: Theatre Arts Mackay, Queensland Ballet Professional Year (Australia)

Previous company: Queensland Ballet, Leipziger Ballett

SERGIO BUSTINDUY Spain

Training: Instituto del Teatro Barcelona, Balletschool Nacional de Cuba

Previous companies: Ballet Nacional de Cuba, Zürcher Ballett, Tanz­Forum Köln, Euregio Tanz­Forum, Staatstheater Saarbrücken, BerlinBallett/Komische Oper, Hannover Ballett

ALBA CARBONELL CASTILLO Spain

Training: Conservatorio Profesional de Danzade Riba­Roja del Turia Valencia

Previous companies: Centro coreografico de Valencia, Compagñía National de Danza 2

LUNA BUSTINDUY MERTENS

France

Training: Ecole National Supérieure de Danse Marseille, Rudra Béjart Lausanne,

Hamburg Ballet School.

Previous companies: Company Igokat, Nederlands Dans Theater 2

LYDIA CARUSO Italy

Training: Rosella Hightower, Cannes

Previous companies: Compania de Danza La Mov, Ballet du Grand Théatre de Genève, Rudra Béjart LausanneISMAEL

DEL VALLE* Spain

Training: Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza de Madrid, Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin

Previous company: Larreal Madrid

MIRKO CAMPIGOTTO Italy

Training: Achillea in Rivarolo C.se., Kaos Balletto di Firenze, Codarts Rotterdam

Previous companies: Kaos Balletto di Firenze, Introdans, Saalandisches Staastheater Saarbrücken

JULIAN JUAREZ CASTAN Spain

Training: Coppelia Dance School, Instituto superior de danza Alicia Alonso

Previous companies: Ballet de Zaragoza, Ballet de Teatres de la Generalitat, Les Grand Ballets du Montreal, Scottish Dance Theater

DEBORA MAIQUES MARIN Spain

Training: Elise Lummis­School

Previous companies: Compañía Nacional de Danza España 2, Ballet Carmen Roche, Centro Coreografico de Valencia

JORGE GARCÍA PÉREZ Spain

Training: Escuela de danza Maria de Avila, Zaragoza, Spain

Previous companies: Biarritz Ballet II, SYBAA Ballet, Zürcher Ballett

ANNABELLE PEINTRE France

Training: Conservatoire de Danse d’Avignon

Previous companies: Compania Nacional de Danza II, Ballet Basel, Opéra de Lyon

AYAKO NAKANO Japan

Training: Tokyo, Royal Ballet School London, Prize Scholarship Prix de Lausanne 1992

Previous companies: Zürcher Ballett, Tanz­Forum Köln, Euregio Tanz­Forum, Staatstheater

Saarbrücken, BerlinBallett/Komische Oper

FLORENT MOLLET France

Training: Ecole de l’Opéra national de Paris, Ecole Atelier Rudra Béjart (Lausanne)

Previous companies: Opéra de Nice, Ballet d’Europe, Ballet Biarritz

FRANK FANNAR PEDERSEN Iceland

Training: Iceland Ballett School Reykjavik, Ballett schule der Finnischen Nationaloper (Helsinki)

Previous companies:Iceland Dance Company, IT Dansa Barcelona, Ballett des Staatstheaters Wiesbaden

ANTHONY RAMIANDRISOA France

Training: Conservatoire de Lyon

Previous company: Junior Ballet Lyon

MAX OSSENBERG­ENGELS* Germany

Training: Ballett­Akademie Hochschule für Musik und Theater München

Previous companies: Nürnberg Ballett

TANA ROSÁS SUNÉ Spain

Training: Instituto del Teatro Barcelona, Koninklijk Conservatorium (Den Haag)

Previous company: IT Dansa Barcelona

JAVIER RODRIGUEZ COBOS Spain

Training: Real Conservatorio Naci­onal de Danza de Madrid

Previous companies: Europa Dan­se, Ballet des jeunes d’Europe, Compañía National de Danza 2, Ballet de l’Opéra National du Rhin, Introdans

RAQUEL REY RAMOS Spain

Training: Real Conservatorio Profesional de Danza Madrid, Carmina Ocaña­Schule

Previous companies: Compañía Nacional de Danza España 2, Balletto di Teatro di Torino, Centro Coreografico de Valencia

DÉVI­AZELIA SELLY France

Training: Rosella Hightower (Cannes), Rudra Béjart (Lausanne)

Previous companies:Béjart Ballet, Ballett Basel, Nederlands Dans Theater 2

GAIA MENTOGLIO* Italy

Training: Art Garage Napoli, Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden

MARINA SANCHEZ GARRIGÓS

Spain

Training: Institut del Teatre (Barcelona), Central School of Ballet (London)

Previous companies: New English Contemporary Ballet, Nürnberg Ballett

MAX ZACHRISSON Sweden

Training: Royal Swedish Ballet School

Previous company: Ballett Dortmund, Schleswig­Holsteinisches Landestheater, Nürnberg Ballett

* Supported by Rosemarie Stuzzi­Thomi­Stiftung

SIDNEY ELIZABETH TURTSCHI Switzerland

Training: Ballettschule Theater Basel

Previous company: Ballett Basel

ANDREA TORTOSA

VIDAL Spain

Training: Estudio de danza Maria de Avilar; Nederlands

Danse Theater II

Previous company: Ballett Basel; Aterballetto

CRISTIANA SCIABORDI Italy

Ballet Mistress

TOMMASO PENNACCHIO Italy

Physiotherapist

THIBAUT CHERRADI France

Ballet Master

GUESTCHOREO-

GRAPHERS

OF THE

BALLETT THEATER BASEL

Rami Beer

Mauro Bigonzetti

Christopher Bruce

Claude Brumachon

Joelle Bouvier

Stijn Celis

Patrick Delcroix

Nacho Duato

Jorma Elo

Alexander Ekman

William Forsythe

Johan Inger

Jirí Kylián

Blanca Li

Hans van Manen

Ohad Naharin

Angelin Preljocaj

Hofesh Shechter

Stephan Thoss

Ed Wubbe

REPERTOIRE OF

RICHARD WHERLOCK

Le sacre du printemps / Sidewinding 2002

Rebus 2003

Prelude à l’après-midi d’un faune 2003

Der Tod und das Mädchen 2004

Nussknacker 2004

James oder la Sylphide 2006

Danses Galantes 2006

Verdi Code 2007

A Swan Lake 2008

Casanova.. was bleibt 2009

Carmen 2010

Le spectre de la Rose / La Valse 2011

Stoned 2012

Eugen Onegin 2013

Snow White 2013

Juditha Triumphans 2014

Tewje 2015

Robin Hood 2016

Tod in Venedig 2018

RICHARD WHERLOCK –

THE GENTLE INNOVATOR

OF BALLET IN BASEL

Richard Wherlock has rewritten the history of Ballet-Company in Basel. Over 15

years of unrelenting hard work, the ambitious and highly productive head of ballet

has assembled a company of the greatest technical skill, which is up there with the

best in the world in both neoclassical dance and contemporary dance techniques

and is frequently compared with famous international companies. For years,

Wherlock has pursued the concept of a blend of small-scale, contemporary

pieces, which are abstract in the broadest sense and play with associative

images, and modern, full-length narrative ballets which tell stories, paint

characters or interpret literary works in dance.

Richard Wherlock could be described as a gentle innovator: building on the

legacy of the classic and modern vocabulary, he choreographs contemporary

dance that is brimming with energy and brings it to the stage in traditional

story-telling form, as full-length narrative ballets. His choreographies are a

mix of effervescent, athletic tension and playful virtuosity and his pas de

deux in particular reveals a highly creative imagination. Today, the

company comprises 30 male and female dancers and is hugely popular

with audiences in Basel. Particularly successful are his adaptations of the

great classics, such as A Swan Lake, Traviata-Ein Ballett, Carmen,

Giselle, Eugen Onegin, his enchanting fairy tale ballet Snow White or

his outstanding Tewje and other full-length narrative ballets, which

Wherlock has reinterpreted in his own, incomparable way.

BALLETT THEATER BASEL ON TOUR SWITZERLAND Kurtheater BadenTheater Casino ZugStadttheater Bern «akzepTanz»Kronenmattsaal BinningenBâtiment des forces motrices, Genf

ISRAEL Opera Tel Aviv

KOREA National Theatre of KoreaGwacheon Citizens’ Hall

CHINATian Qiao Theater BeijingGrand Theater TianjinKaiming Theater SuzhouMajestic Theater Shanghai

GERMANY Graf Zeppelin Haus FriedrichshafenStadthalle GüterslohTheater im Pfalzbau LudwigshafenStadthalle Recklinghausen

FRANCE«Le Temps d’Aimer la Danse», BiarritzLa Coupole, Saint-Louis

ITALYTeatro Comunale, Modena

SPANIEN / SPAINTeatro Albeniz, Festival Internacional«Madrid en Danza», Teatro Arriaga, Bilbao«Baluarte» Palacio de Congresos, PamplonaTeatro Principal Antzokia, VitoriaTeatro Breton de Los Herreros, Logroño

HUNGARYThalia Theater, «Budapest Spring Festival»

CONTACTAnne-Catherine ThomasAdministration Ballett Theater BaselTheater Basel, Postfach, 4010 Basela.thomas@theater-basel.chwww.theater-basel.ch

Tour manager: Stephan Hivert, stephanehivert@me.com

Partner des Ballett Theater Basel

Ballett Theater Basel and Richard Wherlock on VIMEO:https://vimeo.com/richardwherlockballet

Inside the Ballet Theater Basel:www.interviewenlair.com/category/inside­ballet­theater­basel

Imprint: Published by: Theater Basel, Postfach, CH­4010 Basel. Director: Andreas Beck, Administrative Director: Danièle Gross, Ballet Director: Richard Wherlock, Editorial Staff: Bettina Fischer, Photography: Portrait Cristiana Sciabordi: Armando Braswell, all other photographs: Ismael Lorenzo, graphic design: muxpp.de, Status: May 2017

www.baslerballettgilde.org