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

Myron Romanul
Born in Baltimore,studied in Boston.
Debut as piano soloist with Boston Symphony Orcherstra at age of 11
Performed as soloist and member of Boston Symphony Orchestra and Boston Pops Orchestra with Seiji Ozawa, Kurt Mazur, Arthur Fiedler, John Williams and others
Won Grammy Award with New England Conservatory Ragtime Ensemble in 1973 for Best Classical Chamber Music.
Assistant Music Director, Boston Lyric Opera
Principal Conductor Boston Ballet
Conductor & Solo Pianist, Stuttgart Ballet, 1985-1990
2. Kapellmeister & Assistant GMD, Badische Staatstheater Karlsruhe, 1990-1994
1. Kapellmeister & Stellvertreter GMD, Staatstheater Mainz, 1994-1997
1. Kapellmeister, Aalto Theater Essen
Music Director, Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival, since 1985
Principal Guest Conductor, Central Massachusetts Symphony Orchestra, since 1985
Guest Conductor, Ankara State Theater, since 1999
Also play Cimbalom (Hungarian dulcimer), performed with Pierre Boulez & Speculum Musicae, and recorded film score to Gorky Park

http://www.myron-romanul.com/

Ilana Werner
First Soloist

Ilana Werner– whose parents were both dancers - was born in Zurich (Switzerland) and trained in her native town, in Monte Carlo and at the Munich Ballet Academy. She got a scholarship from the Ambrosoli Foundation and the Migros Kulturgenossenschaft.

Having graduated, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet in season 2003/2004 as a Corps de ballet dancer. Her repertoire includes Mats Ek’s Apartment, Forsythe’s Limb’s Theorem, one of the shadow varations in La Bayadère, Kylián's Bella Figura, a solo in van Manens Five Tangos and Balanchines Serenade.
She was promoted to soloist in February 2009 and to First Soloist in July 2012.

Debut 2006/2007
Solo in Song of the Earth (MacMillan)
Fairy variation in The Sleeping Beauty (Petipa, Liška)

Debut 2007/2008
Miranda in Der Sturm (Mannes)

Debut 2008/2009
Sister in A Cinderella Story (J. Neumeier)
Julia in Romeo and Juliet (J. Cranko)
Girl in Grey in Les Biches (B. Nijinska)
Olympia in Lady of the Camelias (J. Neumeier)
Solo in Viola Concerto II (M. Schläpfer)
Odalisque in Le Corsaire (M. Petipa/I. Liška)
Pas de six in Swan Lake (M. Petipa/L. Iwanow/R.Barra)
Clémence in Raymonda (M. Petipa)
Olga in Onegin (J. Cranko)

Debut 2009/2010
Giselle in Once Upon An Ever After (T. Kohler)
Solo in Dämmern in Terpsichore-Gala IX (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2010/2011
Princess Claire in Illusions - Like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)
2. dream variation in Don Quijote (R. Barra;  M. Petipa, A. Gorski, Tradition)
Rocio in Don Quijote (R. Barra nach M. Petipa, A. Gorski, Tradition)
Princess Florine in Sleeping Beauty (I. Liška,; M. Petipa)

Debut 2011/2012
Bianca in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Voices of Spring (F. Ashton)
Pas fabergée in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa / I. Liška)
Marie in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Solo "Of Youth" in Song of the Earth (K. MacMillan)
The Youngest Sister in Las Hermanas (K. MacMillan)
2. Pas de trois in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)
Lise in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)

Debut 2012/2013
2. Shade Variation in La Bayadère (M. Petipa/P. Bart)
1. Pas de deux in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)
3. Solo-Girl in Choreartium (L. Massine)
The Moor's wife in The Moor's Pavane (José Limón)

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)

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)

Cyril Pierre

Principal dancer

Cyril Pierre was born in Nancy, France, and trained at the Conservatoire of his native town, before joining Serge Golovine's class at the Ballet School of the Opéra National de Paris.
Having graduated, he was engaged at Roland Petit's Ballet National de Marseille, where he was promoted to first solist in 1990 and to étoile (Principal) in 1992. Four years later, Helgi Tomasson invited him to join the San Francisco Ballet as a Principal Dancer. His San Francisco repertory included all major classical roles, as well as contemporary creations by Helgi Tomasson, James Kudelka and others.

Together with his partner Lucia Lacarra he joined the Bavarian State Ballet as a Principal Dancer in autumn 2002, dancing such important roles as Onegin, Prince Siegfried (Swanlake) and Abderakhman (Raymonda) in his very first Munich season.

During season 2003-04, he enlarged his repertoire with Günther in John Neumeier's Nutcracker, Oberon/Theseus in Neumeier's Midsummer Night's Dream and Prince Désiré in The Sleeping Beauty (Marius Petipa/Ivan Liška).

As a guest dancer, Cyril appears on stages world wide, in full performances (Berlin, Prague, Naples, Milan), as well as in galas, mostly together with his partner Lucia Lacarra.

Debut 2004/2005
Romeo und Mercutio in Romeo und Julia (J. Cranko)
Gaston in Die Kameliendame (J.Neumeier)
Black Cake (H. van Manen)
Bella Figura (J. Kylián)
Agon (G. Balanchine)
Solor in La Bayadère (P.Bart)

Debut 2005/2006
Baron Ochs in The Silver Rose/Die silberne Rose (G. Murphy), creation
Century Rolls (D. Bombana), creation
Hilarion in Giselle (P. Wright)

Debut 2006/2007
Prinz Albrecht in Giselle (P. Wright)

Debut 2006/2007
Lankedem and Birbanto in Le Corsaire (M. Petipa, I. Liška)

Debut 2007/2008
Prospero in Der Sturm (J. Mannes)
Große Fuge (H. van Manen)
Adagio Hammerklavier (H. van Manen)

Debut 2008/2009
Vater in A Cinderella Story (J. Neumeier)
Tybalt in Romeo and Juliet (J. Cranko)
Shariar in Shéhérazade (M. Fokine)
Center Man in Les Biches (B. Nijinska)
Zugvögel (J. Kylián), creation

Debut 2009/2010
Abderakham in Raymonda (M. Petipa)
Freund der Ballerina des 20. Jahrhunderts in Série Noire - A choreographic murder mystery (T. Kohler)

Debut 2010/2011
Tsar in Série Noire - A choreographic murder mystery (T. Kohler)
Pas de deux in Artifact (W. Forsythe)
Man 1 in My Ravel: Whichever Way he Looks... (J. Mannes)
Carabosse in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Prince Leopold in Illusions - Like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)
Don Quijote in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)
El Trianero, Matador in Don Quijote (M. Petipa, new choreography by R. Barra, A. Gorski, Tradition)

Debut 2011/2012
Drosselmeier in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Man in Song of the Earth (K. MacMillan)
The Fiancé in Las Hermanas (K. MacMillan)
Widow Simone in La Fille mal gardée (F. Ashton)


Debut 2012/2013
1. Pas de deux in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)
The Moor in The Moor's Pavane (José Limón)
Partner der Primaballerina und Pas de deux in Birthday Offering (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)