Frederick Ashton
Sir Frederick Ashton was born in 1904 and spent his childhood in South America. He studied with Leonide Massine and Marie Rambert, who also gave him his first opportunities as a choreographer.

A Tragedy of Fashion, a commission in 1926, was his first ballet to be staged as part of a revue entitled Riverside Nights. In 1928, he joined Ida Rubinstein's company in Paris, where he also came under the influence of Bronislava Nijinska from whom, he acknowledged, he learned his craft. He came to England in 1929 to choreograph for Rambert and the Camargo Society. He also danced with the Rambert Company in both the classics and modern works, and partnered Tamara Karsavina, Lydia Lopokova and Alicia Markova, at the same time pursuing a successful career as a dancer in musicals and revues.

In 1931, he created his first work, Regatta, for Ninette de Valois' Vic-Wells Ballet, and four years later was invited to become Resident Choreographer. Ashton remained De Valois' associate until 1948 when his position as Associate Director was publicly recognized. In 1963, he succeeded Dame Ninette as Director of the company (now called The Royal Ballet), a position he held until he retired in 1970. In 1935, Ashton began his association with Margot Fonteyn, creating the Bride in Le Baiser de la Fée for her. Among the ballets he has since made with her in mind are Nocturne, Horoscope, Dante Sonata, Symphonic Variations, his first ballet for the Covent Garden stage Daphnis and Chloë, Ondine and Marguerite and Armand (for Fonteyn and Nureyev). Ashton's choreography has caused an unmistakably lyrical style to emerge in British ballet. In addition to comic and dramatic ballets and those of "pure" dance, his innate sense of theatre is always apparent.

Of nearly 100 ballets, many have been landmarks, including Cinderella, Daphnis and Chloë, The Two Pigeons, and Birthday Offering for the company's Silver Jubilee. In addition to the inspiration of Fonteyn, he created The Dream for Anotinette Sibley and Anthony Dowell. La Fille mal gardée, has been a brilliant success throughout the world, often mounted by Ashton himself.

More recent full scale ballets have been Rhapsody, created for Mikhail Baryshnikov, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother’s 80th birthday; Verdi Capricci, premiered on April 19, 1983, the opening night of The Royal Ballet's season at the Metropolitan Opera House, New York; and before that, A Month in the Country.

During 1985, Ashton choreographed a solo for Merle Park, La Chatte Metamorphoses en Femme, for a gala in honor of Fanny Elssler in Vienna and supervised London Festival Ballet's revival of his Romeo and Juliet. Ashton first worked in opera in 1934, when he staged Virgil Thomson's Four Saints in Three Acts, in the United States. In 1953, he staged Gluck's Orfeo at Covent Garden, with Kathleen Ferrier singing the title role in her last appearance. Benjamin Britten's last opera Death in Venice, also includes dances choreographed by Ashton. In 1981, he created choreography for the Nightingale and the Fisherman (on Natalia Makarova and Anthony Dowell) for Igor Stravinsky's opera Le Rossignol for the Metropolitan Opera's triple-bill Stravinsky Centenary evening. In September, 1983, this production, with designs by David Hockney, was taken into the repertoire of the Royal Opera at Covent Garden.

Frederick Ashton was made a CBE in 1950, and knighted in 1962. In 1970, he became a Companion of Honour, and in October 1977, he was invited by The Queen to become a member of the Order of Merit. France admitted Ashton to the Legion d'Honneur in 1962 and Denmark made him a Commander of the Order of the Dannebrog in 1963. Recognition of his achievement came in 1959 from the Royal Academy of Dancing, which gave him its Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Award; in 1972 from the Carina Aria Foundation in Sweden with its Gold Medal; and with honorary degrees: as Doctor of Letters in the Universities of Durham (1962) and East Anglia (1967), and as Doctor of Music in the Universities of London (1970) and Oxford (1976).

On August, 19, 1988, Frederick Ashton died in his sleep at his country home in Eye, Suffolk. He was 83.

Ashton's works remain sparingly represented in Munich repertoire. The German premiere of his masterpiece La Fille mal gardée at the Nationaltheater in 1971, starring Gislinde Skroblin, Heinz Bosl and Ferenc Barbay in the leading roles, was a sensational success. The ballet remained in the repertory for decades until its restaging at the Bavarian State Ballet in 1994. After a prolonged break, this beloved ballet comedy returns to Munich in 2012 as part of the season "Very British?!".

In 1972, Ashton's Les Rendezvous was premiered at the Nationaltheater. The charming and brief work dissappeared from the repertoire shortly afterwards. Frederick Ashton's Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan was first seen at the Nationaltheater Munich in 1996, danced by Evelyn Hart. Ten years later, with Sherelle Charge and Stephanie Hancox as dancers, it was added to the repertory and is part of the mixed bill premiere Steps & Times in December 2011. The latter, a homage to British Dance, brings one of Ashton's most important works, Scènes de ballet to Munich for the first time. Completing the bill will be Voices of spring, Frederick Ashton's delightful and captivating pas de deux which was first seen in Munich in 2006 during the Terpsichore-Gala IV.

Another significant work of Sir Frederick Ashton will be performed as part of a guest appearance by the Birmingham Royal Ballet during the Ballet Festival Week 2012. Ashton's version of Shakespeare's The Dream has only been performed in part during the Ballet Festival Week Gala in 1972.

 

Ferdinand Herold

 

John Lanchbery

 

Osbert Lancaster

Wolfgang Heinz

Ivy Amista
First soloist

Ivy Amista, grew up in São Paolo, Brasil, where she acchieved professional level at the Camilla Ballet School. She won the gold medal at the IX. International Seminar of Dance in Brasilia. Receiving a scholarship for the Munich Ballet Academy/Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung she came to Munich and became a member of the company of the Bavarian State Ballet in 2001.

In October of the same year she was invited by the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung to perform Paquita under the assembly of Konstanze Vernon. At the beginning of the season 2004/2005 Ivan Liška made her Soloist. She was promoted to First Soloist at the beginning of the season 2007/2008.

In autumn 2005 Ivy Amista was awarded with the Bayerischer Kunstförderpreis-Dance.

Debut 2003/2004
Pas Fabergé, Fairy Fleur de farine, Fairy Miettes qui tombent in Sleeping Beauty (M.Petipa/I. Liška)
Six Dances (J. Kylián)
Friends in Raymonda (R. Barra)
3 Solo Ladies in Brahms-Schönberg-Quartett (G. Balanchine)
Olympia in The Lady of the Camelias (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2004/2005
Princess Florine in The Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa/I. Liska)
First Shadow Variation and Nikija in La Bayadère (P. Bart)

Debut 2006/2007
Pas de six in Giselle (P. Wright)
Charlotte, fiancé of Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake (R. Barra)
Odaliske and Gulnara in Le Corsaire (M. Petipa, I. Liska)
Solo in Song of the Earth (K. MacMillan)

Debut 2007/2008
Olga in Onegin (J. Cranko)
Solo-Ariel in Der Sturm (J. Mannes)
Pas de deux in the third movement of Brahms-Schönberg-Quartett (G. Balanchine)
Große Fuge (H. van Manen)
Ebony Concerto (J. Cranko)

Debut 2008/2009
Second Variation in Once Upon An Ever After (T. Kohler), creation
Lady in blue in Les Biches (B. Nijinska)
Manon Lescaut in Die Kameliendame (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2010/2011
Nympf in My Ravel: Daphnis and Chloé (T. Kohler)
Solo in Pas Fabergé 3rd Act in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Princess Aurora in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Princess Claire in Illusions - like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)
Kitri in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)

Debut 2011/2012
Second Dream Variation in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)

Debut 2012/2013
1. Solo-Girl in Choreartium (L. Massine)
Lise in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)
Gamzatti, Radscha´s daughter in La Bayadère (Marius Petipa, Patrice Bart)
2. Variation in Birthday Offering (F. Ashton)

Lukáš Slavický

Principal dancer

Lukáš Slavický was born in Prague and received his training at the conservatory where his father Jaroslav Slavický is director of the dance department. Since both his parents were ballet dancers dance was in his blood from boyhood and he very soon attracted attention. While still a student he danced solo parts in Nutcracker and La Fille mal gardée. When the school guested at the theatre in Brno he danced the Don Quixote pas de deux. For this and many other performances he chose Zuzana Zahradníková as his partner and together they came to Munich in 1999, Zuzana as apprentice and Lukáš as corps de ballet dancer.

In 1997 Lukáš Slavický won the first prize at the ballet competition in Vienna, was in the finals of the Prix de Lausanne in 1998 and was awarded the third prize at the Nureyev competition in Budapest the same year, and again, one year later, in Nagoya, Japan. Even before his first professional engagement he was invited to dance at galas, e.g. in 1997 and 1998 in Ludwigsburg for the Birgit-Keil-Foundation, and again at the gala on the occasion of the award of the German Tanzpreis to Birgit Keil. In 1999 he appeared at the Kremlin Palace in Moscow with the Jeune Ballet de France and at the Nureyev memorial gala in Budapest.

Since the season 1999/2000 Lukáš Slavický has been a member of the Bavarian State Ballet. Even in his first year in the corps de ballet he was given small solo parts, e.g. in the pas de six in Giselle and as Bird-Spirit in A Cinderella Story by Neumeier. At the beginning of the 2000/2001 season he made his debut as Romeo in John Cranko’s ballet Romeo and Juliet and as Prince in Neumeier’s A Cinderella Story, in both cases as partner of Anna Villadolid. The same season Lucinda Childs created one of the leads in her Händel/Corelli for him. In December 2001 he danced Jean de Brienne in Raymonda for the first time and danced in Balanchine’s Brahms-Schönberg Quartett as well a created role in Jacopo Godani’s After Dark. With the beginning of the 2002/2003 season he was appointed first soloist and in 2003/2004 he was appointed principal.

In May 2003, he received the Prix Benois in the category “best male dancer”.

In 2002/2003 he danced Basilio in Don Quijote (Ray Barra), Lenski in Onegin (John Cranko), After Dark (Jacopo Godani), Lysander in Ein Sommernachtstraum (John Neumeier) und Solo in Jupiter-Sinfonie (John Neumeier).

Debut 2003/2004
Günther in Nutcracker (J. Neumeier,)
Prinz Désiré and Blue Bird in The Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Bridegroom in Svadebka (J. Kylián)
Apartment (M. Ek)
Brahms-Schönberg Quartett (G. Balanchine) the second detail (W. Forsythe)

Debut 2004/2005
Limb`s Theorem (W. Forsythe)
Agon (G. Balanchine)
Five Tangos (H. van Manen)
Solo (H. van Manen)

Debut 2005/2006
Ricercare (I. Liška), creation for the Terpsichore-Gala V
Octavian in The silver rose (G. Muphy), creation
Century Rolls (D. Bombana)
My way (S. Toss)

Debut 2006/2007
Konrad in Le Corsaire (M.Petipa, I.Liška)

Debut 2007/2008
Ferdinand in Der Sturm (J. Mannes), creation
Große Fuge (H. van Manen)
Aus Holbergs Zeit (J. Cranko)
Adagio Hammerklavier (H. van Manen)

Debuts 2008/2009
Benvolio in Romeo and Juliet (J. Cranko)
Mercutio in Romeo und Juliet (J. Cranko)
Golden Slave in Shéhérazade (M.Fokine)
Armand and Gaston Rieux in Die Kameliendame (J. Neumeier)
Zugvögel (J. Kylián), creation

Debut 2009/2010
Hilarion in Giselle - Mats Ek (M. Ek)

Debut 2010/2011
Man 2 in My Ravel: Whichever Way he Looks... (J. Mannes)
Petruccio in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Count Alexander in Illusions - Like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2011/2012
Basilio in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)
Voices of Spring (F. Ashton)
The Eternal One in Song of the Earth (K. MacMillan)
1. Pas de deux in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)
Gods and Dogs (J. Kylián)
Colas in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)

Debut 2012/2013
Solor in La Bayadère (M. Petipa/P. Bart)
1. Solo-Boy in Choreartium (L. Massine)
The Moor's friend in The Moor's Pavane (José Limón)
Prometheus in Helden (T. Kohler)

Vittorio Alberton
Corps de ballet

Vittorio was born in Treviso, Italy. He was trained at La Scala in Milano and at the Ballet Academy/Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung in Munich.

In 2002 he became member of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich.

Debut 2002/2003
Solo part in Six Dances (J. Kylián)

Debut 2003/2004:
Tom Thumb in Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa/Ivan Liška)
Dawn (John Neumeier)
Pas de quatre in The Nutcracker (Marius Petipa/John Neumeier)
Serenade (Balanchine)

Debut 2004/2005:
Evan in Limb’s Theorem (William Forsythe)

Debut 2005/2006:
So nah, so fern (Itzik Galili)
Boys Variation in Raymonda (Wright)
Century Rolls (Bombana)

Debut 2006/2007:
Pas de six in Giselle (Wright)
Pas de six in Swan Lake (Barra)
A Tailor in The silver rose (Murphy)
Lied von der Erde (MacMillan)

Debut 2007/2008
Cambio d´abito (S. Sandroni), creation

Debut 2010/2011
Pas de Six in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Camacho in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)

Debut 2011/12
Widow Simone in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)

Ilia Sarkisov
Soloist

Ilia Sarkisov was born in Moscow and trained in Israel. At the age of 16 he came to Munich to study at the Ballet Academy/Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung.

He joined the Bavarian State Ballet in season 2004-05 as an apprentice. He received the Bavarian State Award for promising talents in the Performing Arts in autumn 2004. He joined the Corps de ballet of the Bavarian State Ballet in the season 2005/2006 and was promoted to s Soloist at the beginning of the season 2011/12.

Debut 2006/2007
Tom thumb in The Sleeping Beauty (Petipa, Liška)

Debut 2007/2008
The Golden Idol in La Bayadère (Petipa, Bart)
Cambio d´abito (S. Sandroni), creation

Debut 2008/2009
Zugvögel (J. Kylián), creation

Debut 2010/2011
Sancho Pansa in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)

Debut 2011/2012
Fritz/ "The Dancing Lieutenants" in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Russian Hip-hopper in The Girl and the Knifethrower (S. Sandroni)
2. Pas de trois in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)
Gods and Dogs (J. Kylián)
Gremio in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Alain in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)

Debut 2012/2013
Joker in Choreartium (L. Massine)
Epimetheus in Helden (T. Kohler)