“I think, that our task as choreographers is to search the extremities of our souls,” says Jiří Kylián. Since the early 1970s, the celebrated Czech choreographer has created more than 100 works – most of them for the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). His creations are inspired by many different sources, combine diverse art forms and defy categorisation.

First smitten with the magic of circus, young Kylián started his studies as an acrobat. At the age of nine, he began to train at Prague National Theatre ballet school. Six years later, in 1962, he was accepted at Prague Conservatory and, in 1967, won a one-year-scholarship for London’s Royal Ballet School. There he met the influential choreographer John Cranko, who not only offered him a contract with Stuttgart Ballet but also encouraged him to embark in a career as a choreographer.

In 1975, Kylián left Germany to become artistic co-director at Nederlands Dans Theater, for which had created several pieces before. After the successful premiere of Sinfonietta (1978) at the “Festival of two worlds” in Charleston, South Carolina, he was given full responsibility for NDT’s artistic direction. Symphony of Psalms (also 1978) was the second significant creation of this time. This work had a decisive influence on the further development of the company and its international reputation. In the mid-1980s, Kylián’s work became more abstract as can be seen in the Black and White choreographies. This was due to an encounter with Australian Aboriginals that shaped his understanding of dance as an important “corner stone” of our social structure and an inevitable facet of our “artistic horizon”. Kylián marked NDT’s 35th anniversary by creating Arcimboldo (1994) for the three companies of NDT. The three-dimensional structure of the NDT is unique. Each company employs dancers of a different age, making the NDT one of the most diverse ensembles in the world. Unfortunately, in 2006, NDT III, which was for dancers older than 40, had to be closed due to financial shortages.

In 1999, Kylián resigned from his position as NDT’s artistic director but kept on working as resident choreographer until 2009.

In the course of his career, Kylián received many international honors, including “Officer of the Orange Order”, a doctorate at Juillard School New York, three Nijinsky Awards (Best Choreographer, Best Company, Best Work), the Prix Benoit de la Danse, the Honory Medal of the President of the Czech R Republic, and “Commander of the Legion d’honneur”. In 2008, he was distinguished with one of the highest royal honours, the Medal of the Order of the House of Orange, given to him by Her Majesty the Queen Beatrix from the Netherlands.

In 2009, Kylián created Zugvögel for Bavarian State Ballet. Three years later, in 2012, the ensemble will perform another work of the Czech choreographer: Gods and Dogs which premiered in November 2008 with NDT. 

“I think, that our task as choreographers is to search the extremities of our souls,” says Jiří Kylián. Since the early 1970s, the celebrated Czech choreographer has created more than 100 works – most of them for the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). His creations are inspired by many different sources, combine diverse art forms and defy categorisation.

First smitten with the magic of circus, young Kylián started his studies as an acrobat. At the age of nine, he began to train at Prague National Theatre ballet school. Six years later, in 1962, he was accepted at Prague Conservatory and, in 1967, won a one-year-scholarship for London’s Royal Ballet School. There he met the influential choreographer John Cranko, who not only offered him a contract with Stuttgart Ballet but also encouraged him to embark in a career as a choreographer.

In 1975, Kylián left Germany to become artistic co-director at Nederlands Dans Theater, for which had created several pieces before. After the successful premiere of Sinfonietta (1978) at the “Festival of two worlds” in Charleston, South Carolina, he was given full responsibility for NDT’s artistic direction. Symphony of Psalms (also 1978) was the second significant creation of this time. This work had a decisive influence on the further development of the company and its international reputation. In the mid-1980s, Kylián’s work became more abstract as can be seen in the Black and White choreographies. This was due to an encounter with Australian Aboriginals that shaped his understanding of dance as an important “corner stone” of our social structure and an inevitable facet of our “artistic horizon”. Kylián marked NDT’s 35th anniversary by creating Arcimboldo (1994) for the three companies of NDT. The three-dimensional structure of the NDT is unique. Each company employs dancers of a different age, making the NDT one of the most diverse ensembles in the world. Unfortunately, in 2006, NDT III, which was for dancers older than 40, had to be closed due to financial shortages.

In 1999, Kylián resigned from his position as NDT’s artistic director but kept on working as resident choreographer until 2009.

In the course of his career, Kylián received many international honors, including “Officer of the Orange Order”, a doctorate at Juillard School New York, three Nijinsky Awards (Best Choreographer, Best Company, Best Work), the Prix Benoit de la Danse, the Honory Medal of the President of the Czech R Republic, and “Commander of the Legion d’honneur”. In 2008, he was distinguished with one of the highest royal honours, the Medal of the Order of the House of Orange, given to him by Her Majesty the Queen Beatrix from the Netherlands.

In 2009, Kylián created Zugvögel for Bavarian State Ballet. Three years later, in 2012, the ensemble will perform another work of the Czech choreographer: Gods and Dogs which premiered in November 2008 with NDT. 

“I think, that our task as choreographers is to search the extremities of our souls,” says Jiří Kylián. Since the early 1970s, the celebrated Czech choreographer has created more than 100 works – most of them for the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT). His creations are inspired by many different sources, combine diverse art forms and defy categorisation.

First smitten with the magic of circus, young Kylián started his studies as an acrobat. At the age of nine, he began to train at Prague National Theatre ballet school. Six years later, in 1962, he was accepted at Prague Conservatory and, in 1967, won a one-year-scholarship for London’s Royal Ballet School. There he met the influential choreographer John Cranko, who not only offered him a contract with Stuttgart Ballet but also encouraged him to embark in a career as a choreographer.

In 1975, Kylián left Germany to become artistic co-director at Nederlands Dans Theater, for which had created several pieces before. After the successful premiere of Sinfonietta (1978) at the “Festival of two worlds” in Charleston, South Carolina, he was given full responsibility for NDT’s artistic direction. Symphony of Psalms (also 1978) was the second significant creation of this time. This work had a decisive influence on the further development of the company and its international reputation. In the mid-1980s, Kylián’s work became more abstract as can be seen in the Black and White choreographies. This was due to an encounter with Australian Aboriginals that shaped his understanding of dance as an important “corner stone” of our social structure and an inevitable facet of our “artistic horizon”. Kylián marked NDT’s 35th anniversary by creating Arcimboldo (1994) for the three companies of NDT. The three-dimensional structure of the NDT is unique. Each company employs dancers of a different age, making the NDT one of the most diverse ensembles in the world. Unfortunately, in 2006, NDT III, which was for dancers older than 40, had to be closed due to financial shortages.

In 1999, Kylián resigned from his position as NDT’s artistic director but kept on working as resident choreographer until 2009.

In the course of his career, Kylián received many international honors, including “Officer of the Orange Order”, a doctorate at Juillard School New York, three Nijinsky Awards (Best Choreographer, Best Company, Best Work), the Prix Benoit de la Danse, the Honory Medal of the President of the Czech R Republic, and “Commander of the Legion d’honneur”. In 2008, he was distinguished with one of the highest royal honours, the Medal of the Order of the House of Orange, given to him by Her Majesty the Queen Beatrix from the Netherlands.

In 2009, Kylián created Zugvögel for Bavarian State Ballet. Three years later, in 2012, the ensemble will perform another work of the Czech choreographer: Gods and Dogs which premiered in November 2008 with NDT. 

Jerome Robbins is world renowned for his work as a choreographer of ballets as wells as for his work as choreographer and director in theater, movies and television.

He started his career in 1939 when joining the corps de ballet of American Ballet Theatre. Soon, he was casted for principal roles in the works of Fokine, Tudor, Massine, Lichine, and de Milles. In 1944, Robbins created his first ballet, Fancy Free, which premiered with ABT. More than 60 ballets followed, for example Afternoon of a Faun (1953), The Concert (1956), Les Noces (1965), Dances at a Gathering (1969), In the Night (1970), The Goldberg Variations (1971), In G Major (1975), Other Dances (1976), Glass Pieces (1983) und Ives Songs (1989) which are in the repertoires of major dance companies throughout the world. He has worked closely with New York City Ballet. In 1949, he was given the position of Associate Artistic Director and, several years later, the position of Ballet-Master-in-Chief which he shared with Frank Martin.

Simultaneously, Robbins worked as a choreographer and director for numerous Broadway musicals and plays. Among them are On the Town (1945), Billion Dollar Baby (1946), High Button Shoes (1947), Miss Liberty (1949), Call me Madame (1950), The King and I (1951), Peter Pan (1954), West Side Story (1957), for which he received two Academy Awards, Gypsy (1959) and Fiddler on the Roof (1964). His last musical Jerome Robbins’ Broadway of 1989 won him six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director.

Other awards and citations include five Donaldson Awards, an Emmy Award, the Screen Directors‘  Guild Award and the New York Drama Critics Circle Award. He is a 1981 Kennedy Center Honors Recipient and was awarded the French Chevalier dans l’Ordre National de la Legion d’Honneur.

Jerome Robbins passed away in 1998 at the age of 80 years.

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)
Der König in Illusionen - wie Schwanensee (J. Neumeier)

Corps de ballet

Dustin Klein was born in Landsberg am Lech/Germany, where he started his ballet training. Then he joined the classes of Professor Heinz Manniegel in Munich and the Jaga Antony Ballet School in Luxemburg. He completed his dance training at the Royal Ballet School in London and joined the Ballett der Deutschen Oper am Rhein for the seasons 2006 to 2008.

She joined the Corps de ballet of the Bavarian State Ballet in 2008.


Debut 2011/2012
Gods and Dogs (J. Kylián)
Valet in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)

First soloist

Zuzana Zahrdaníková was born in Olomouc (Moravia) and trained at the Prague Conservatory. At competitions in Vienna and Budapest she became finalist and danced in several gala-performances. After being an apprentice in season 1999-2000, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet one year later as a corps de ballet dancer. In autum 2004, Zuzana Zahradníková was promoted to soloist, in 2007/2008 to first soloist. Her repertory includes solo roles in La Bayadère (P. Bart), Don Quichote, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (G. Balanchine), the second detail and Limb´s Theorem (W. Forsythe), as well as the White Lady in Raymonda (R. Barra), Helena in Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and the fiancée in Kyliáns Svadebka.
She was promoted to first soloist at the beginning of the season 2007/2008.

Debut 2005/2006
Solopartie in Century Rolls (D. Bombana), creation
Myrtha in Giselle (P. Wright)

Debut 2006/2007
Odaliske in Le Corsaire (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Solopartie in Chamber Symphony (L. Childs)

Debut 2007/2008
Solo-Ariel in Der Sturm (J. Mannes)
Große Fuge (H. van Manen)
White Couple in Katalyse (J. Cranko)

Debut 2008/2009
Sister in A Cinderella Story (J. Neumeier)
Odaliske in Shéhérazade (M. Fokine)
Prudence in Die Kameliendame (J. Neumeier)
Zugvögel (J. Kylián), Kreation

Debut 2009/2010
Lady of the House in Les Biches (B. Nijinska)

Debut 2010/2011
Madame Larina in Onegin (J. Cranko)
Fleur de Farine Fairy and Duchess in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Lady of the Street in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Queen Mother in Illusions - like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2011/2012
Frau Konsulin Stahlbaum/ "La fille du Pharao" in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Gods and Dogs (J. Kylián)
1. Pas de trois in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)

Debut 2012/2013
Gamzatti in La Bayadère (M. Petipa/P. Bart)
2. Solo-Girl in Choreartium (L. Massine)

First soloist

Zuzana Zahrdaníková was born in Olomouc (Moravia) and trained at the Prague Conservatory. At competitions in Vienna and Budapest she became finalist and danced in several gala-performances. After being an apprentice in season 1999-2000, she joined the Bavarian State Ballet one year later as a corps de ballet dancer. In autum 2004, Zuzana Zahradníková was promoted to soloist, in 2007/2008 to first soloist. Her repertory includes solo roles in La Bayadère (P. Bart), Don Quichote, Brahms-Schoenberg Quartet (G. Balanchine), the second detail and Limb´s Theorem (W. Forsythe), as well as the White Lady in Raymonda (R. Barra), Helena in Neumeier’s Midsummer Night’s Dream and the fiancée in Kyliáns Svadebka.
She was promoted to first soloist at the beginning of the season 2007/2008.

Debut 2005/2006
Solopartie in Century Rolls (D. Bombana), creation
Myrtha in Giselle (P. Wright)

Debut 2006/2007
Odaliske in Le Corsaire (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Solopartie in Chamber Symphony (L. Childs)

Debut 2007/2008
Solo-Ariel in Der Sturm (J. Mannes)
Große Fuge (H. van Manen)
White Couple in Katalyse (J. Cranko)

Debut 2008/2009
Sister in A Cinderella Story (J. Neumeier)
Odaliske in Shéhérazade (M. Fokine)
Prudence in Die Kameliendame (J. Neumeier)
Zugvögel (J. Kylián), Kreation

Debut 2009/2010
Lady of the House in Les Biches (B. Nijinska)

Debut 2010/2011
Madame Larina in Onegin (J. Cranko)
Fleur de Farine Fairy and Duchess in Sleeping Beauty (M. Petipa, I. Liška)
Lady of the Street in The Taming of the Shrew (J. Cranko)
Queen Mother in Illusions - like Swan Lake (J. Neumeier)

Debut 2011/2012
Frau Konsulin Stahlbaum/ "La fille du Pharao" in The Nutcracker (J. Neumeier)
Gods and Dogs (J. Kylián)
1. Pas de trois in Goldberg-Variationen (J. Robbins)

Debut 2012/2013
Gamzatti in La Bayadère (M. Petipa/P. Bart)
2. Solo-Girl in Choreartium (L. Massine)

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)
Der König in Illusionen - wie Schwanensee (J. Neumeier)