Mechanical — João Felipe Santana

YOUNG CHOREOGRAPHERS

AVAILABLE UNTIL: OCTOBER 28
RUNNING TIME: 5 MINS.

BALLET | THE DANCERS CREATE NEW CHOREOGRAPHIES

»great things are done by a series of small things brought together« Vincent Van Gogh

2023 saw the first edition of Young Choreographers, a project initiated by ballet director Nicolas Le Riche to »release the creativity that we have in the company and develop future talents«.
Dancers at the Royal Swedish Ballet get to develop their own choreography which is then interpreted by their colleagues. In March, the audience was treated to seven shorter works by dancers William Dugan, Sarah Erin Keaveney, Felicia Andersson, João Felipe Santana, Elisa Fossati, Jérémie Neveu and Daniel Goldsmith on the Rotundan stage. We finally have the opportunity to offer all these works digitally for those of you who didn't snag the coveted seats!

Our fourth work in the series is Mechanical by João Felipe Santana: »My piece is based on a party that takes place in The Great Gatsby: I pay homage to the costumes and flirty vibes the people give to each other during the dance.«. In the performance you will see the dancers Gabriel Barrenengoa, Yuki Nukada, Benjamin Meslier, Maya Schonbrun, Rikako Shibamoto and Celine Urquhart.

More about João:

João comes from Brazil and trained at the Dutch National Ballet School. In 2022 he received the prestigious Prix de Lausanne and in the same year he came to Sweden and the Royal Swedish Ballet.

The next piece in the Young Choreographers series: So far, yet so close by Elisa Fossati. will be released on Saturday, October 7.

DISCOVER MORE WITH THE BALLET

Flying in unison — FELICIA ANDERSSON

Our third piece in the series is Flying in unison by Felicia Andersson: »To create Flying in unison, me and the three dancers in the piece worked with the idea that no relationship really consists of just two people. We explored how our past relationships, both family, friends, colleagues and partners, in many ways influence and produce our current relationships«. In the performance you will see dancers Louise Camelbeke, Lorenzo Fernandes and Carl Sjögren perform.

More about Felicia:
Felicia comes from Sweden and trained at the Royal Swedish Ballet School. After school, she worked at the Cape Town City Ballet in South Africa and was then engaged at the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2021. She has appeared in many productions such as Escapist, Les Sylphides, La Boîte à Joujoux, Carmen, Swan Lake, Cinderella, Don Quixote, Manon, Juliet & Romeo, Cacti and Minus 16.

Finite District — SARAH ERIN KEAVENEY

Our second piece in the Young Choreographers' programme is Finite District by Sarah Erin Keaveney: »Finite distinct is a piece split into 3 sections. The idea was to create a piece that explores beauty through expression, classical lines and musicality. Each section has a different focus with one of these three aspects at the forefront but essentially the beauty lies in the combination of the three.«. In the performance you see dancers Luiza Lopes and João Felipe Santana.

More about Sarah:
Sarah Erin Keaveney came to Sweden and the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2018. She is from Great Britain and came directly from the prestigious Royal Ballet School in London. She was appointed first soloist at the Royal Swedish Ballet in June 2023 and is currently dancing the title role in Manon.

Mozart's House — WILLIAM DUGAN

First up in this series was Mozart's house by William Dugan: »My piece is about the juxtaposition of classical ballet to pop music. I like to have fun with the idea while still honoring the classical technique and mannerisms«. In the performance you see dancers Calum Lowden, Kentaro Mitsumori, Madeline Woo, Alessa Rogers, Taylor Yanke, Pauline Simon and Rikako Shibamoto. The costumes are made by Mayumi Yamaguchi.