Music by Henry Vega in a new dance production by the Stuttgart Ballet.

The double bill NOVITZKY / DAWSON unites two strong choreographers of contemporary ballet.

Roman Novitzky creates his first major work for the Opera House stage. After four successful pieces for the company in the smaller Schauspielhaus, the newly appointed Artist in Residence of the Stuttgart Ballet makes the leap into the “big house”. Novitzky, a native Slovakian, is a storyteller who uses contemporary choreography to look beneath the surface, who translates his thoughts and feelings into dance in a profound and reflective way. Inspired by Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” his new piece explores a question that is currently preoccupying us all as a society: Where is humanity headed? To paradise or to hell? Do we even have a choice? And: who is showing us the way?

David Dawson is one of the leading dance makers in classical ballet today. His choreographic style transforms classical ballet in new ways, and his signature works have been praised by critics and audiences worldwide. Upon the invitation of Artistic Director Tamas Detrich, Dawson will create his first work for the Stuttgart Ballet. With a long history of inspiring artists such as Jiri Kylian, William Forsythe, Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Wayne MacGregor, Mauro Bigonzetti, Edward Clug, Martin Schläpfer, Itzik Galili, Jorma Elo and Johann Inger (not to mention founder-choreographer John Cranko), the Stuttgart Ballet is decidedly a “choreographer’s” company with a long tradition of presenting new works. Dancers and audiences alike can look forward to this collaboration.

Born in London and trained at the Royal Ballet School, among others, David Dawson danced with the English National Ballet, the Dutch National Ballet and with the Ballett Frankfurt under William Forsythe. In 2002 he began choreographing himself. His pieces are performed at the Mariinsky Ballet in St. Petersburg, Royal Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, San Francisco Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Semper Oper Ballet, Norwegian National Ballet, Ballet of La Scala in Milan, Scottish Ballet, Finnish National Ballet and Royal Swedish Ballet, among others.