ALEXANDER EKMAN BIOGRAPHY
CND ARCHIVE REPERTOIRE 90/10. GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
Alexander Ekman was born in Stockholm in 1984. He trained at the Operans Balettelevskola 1994-2001. From 2001-2002 he danced at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm. He then joined Netherlands Dans Theater II 2002-2005. During his dance career he worked with choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Nacho Duato, Johan Inger and Mats Ek.
Between 2005-2006 Alexander joined Cullberg Ballet where he had his first breakthrough receiving a prize at the international choreographic competition in Hannover for his piece The Swingle Sisters, for which he also claimed the critics’ prize. In the same year he was chosen as one of the dancers to create a work; Unknown art? for Cullberg Växtverk project, which was performed in Stockholm and Malmö in April 2006. During autumn of the same year Alexander created choreography, set and music to Flock Work for NDT II, which premiered in November 2006 and became his international breakthrough as a choreographer.
Since then Alexander has gone on to create works for Netherlands Dans Theater I, Ballet de L’Opéra du Rhin, France, Bern Ballet and Ballet Junior de Genève, Switzerland, IT-danza in Spain, the Iceland Dance Company, as well as for the Göteborg Ballet. Alexander also created choreography for Cullberg Ballet’s 40th anniversary, as well as the dance installations presented at the Moderna Museet in 2008 and at the Bildmuseet in Umeå last autumn. 2009, Alexander created the video projections for Mats Ek’s production of Roland Schimmelpfennings Hållplats at Stockholm City Theater. In March 2010, Alexander’s first dance film, 40 M UNDER premiered in collaboration with Cullberg Ballet in Stockholm. During spring and summer 2010 he will create a new work; La La Land, for the Göteborg Ballet, as well as a new piece for Cedar Lake Dance Company in New York. The work Cacti, which Ekman created for NDT II during winter 2010 was given as a gift to the Oslo Opera from Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands during a state visit. Alexander Ekman will be resident choreographer for NDT II 2011-2013.
Flockwork. Alexander Ekman 2006
CND ARCHIVE REPERTOIRE 90/10. GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
- Choreography: Alexander Ekman
- Music: Martin Schmidt & Drew Daniel (Matmos), Evan Ziporyn & Arden Trio, Alexander Ekman, traditional Hawaiian music.
- Sets: Alexander Ekman
- Costumes: Alexander Ekman and Yoke Visser
- Light design: Tom Visser
- Choreographer assistant: Nina Botkay
- Video recording: Hipocampo Films; Video editing: Alexander Ekman
- Duration: 25 min.
- World premiere by Nederlands Dans TheaterII at Lucent Danstheater, Den Haag, November 9th, 2006.
- Premiered by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro de la Zarzuela, Madrid, June 17th, 2011.
When I created Flockwork for NDT2 I was very young. It was my first bigger piece and I was thrilled to be given the chance. This is the third time that I rework Flockwork.
I find it very difficult to return to my old work and therefore have to adapt it to where I am a the moment, and also to adapt it onto the new dancers that will perform it.
Flockwork is a rhythmical, somewhat humorous and visual work. The title Flockwork actually describes the piece very well. A large group flocking around creating patterns and scenarios around three large tables. A group that gathered to create something together, to participate and create a massive installation together.
A mirror of societies flocking around everywhere, and people that need to do something all the time. The music by Matmos is a piece of music I have listened to for many years now. I enjoy music that has a journey, and this piece goes through unexpected ways, which surprise. In my work I always see it as a mission to surprise and make the audience feel something or forget about their own lives for a second. I hope you will enjoy this quirky visual baby of mine...
Sincerely / Alexander Ekman.
MATS EK BIOGRAPHY
CND ARCHIVE REPERTOIRE 90/10. GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
Born in Malmö, Sweden, on April 18th 1945. From 1962 to 1965 he studied ballet with Donya Feuer in Stockholm. In 1965 he studied dramatic art at the Marleborg School of Art, Norrköping, Sweden. From 1973 on he continued his ballet studies with different masters. He worked as Staging Director for the Puppet Theatre and for the Royal Dramatic Theater of Stockholm during 1966-1973. Since 1973 he has had a contract with the Cullberg Ballet as dancer and since 1976 also as choreographer. In 1974/75 he worked as a dancer in the Deutsche Oper am Rhein, in Düsseldorf-Duisburg. During the season 1980/1981 he worked as a dancer and choreographer at the Nederlands Dans Theater in The Hague. In 1988, he was appointed as artistic director of the Cullberg Ballet, a position that he held until the 1993/1994 season.
Aluminum. Mats Ek 2005
CND ARCHIVE REPERTOIRE 90/10. GUEST CHOREOGRAPHERS
- Choreography: Mats Ek
- Music: John Adams (Shaker Loops)
- Sets and Costumes: Peder Freiij
- Light Design: Eric Berglund
- Choreographer Attendee: Ana Laguna
- World Premiere by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real of Madrid, April 23th, 2005.
The audience will immediately understand why the ballet is called Aluminum. However this title does not explain what the piece is about. The key word is “resistance”. Not in the political sense but rather a mental state that one creates to avoid stagnation or to not take things for granted. A state of anxiety and of uneasiness that help guide one towards a new beginning. The architecture of music has been fundamental for establishing the concept of this work. Aluminum is the first original piece created by Mats Ek for Compañía Nacional de Danza. CDN has already premiered Grass (1994), Old Children (1994) and Solo For Two (2002) by the prestigious Swedish choreographer.
Örjan Andersson, nacido en 1964, estudió en la Academia de Ballet de Estocolmo. Su primer contrato profesional lo obtuvo en la Östgöta Ballet en Norrköping, Suecia, donce bailó con coreógrafos como Birgit Cullberg, Mats Ek y Per Jonsson. Se unió entonces a la Batsheva Dance Company en Tel Aviv, donde bailó trabajos de Ohad Naharin, Angelin Preljocaj, Jirí Kylián, Herve Robbe y Mark Morris. Creó su primera coreografía, Nemo Saltat Sobrius (1992), durante su estancia en Israel. Desde 1995 su actividad como coreógrafo se estabiliza y en 1996 forma su propia compañía Andersson Dance Company con base en Estocolmo. Ha recibido encargos coreográficos de compañías como Cullberg Ballet, el Royal Swedish Ballet, Luzerner Ballet en Berna, Nye Carte Blanche en Noruega, Helsinki City Theatre, la Poznan Dance Company en Polonia, Skånes Dansteater, Suecia y Nederlands Dans Theater I. Su película de danza para la televisión sueca, 252 días, creada para dos bailarinas embarazadas, fue galardonada en el festival de cine de Praga 2002. Andersson también ha estrenado una coreografía basada en una obra teatral de August Strindberg en el Royal Dramatic Theatre de Estocolmo. Durante 2003 regresa a NDT1 con un nuevo encargo para inmediatamente después unirse en Madrid a la Compañía Nacional de Danza. Más tarde, ya en otoño regresará a Estocolmo y a la Casa de la Danza donde un grupo de bailarines del Royal Swedish Ballet, 59° North, representará una nueva creación de Andersson. En 2004 presentará un nuevo trabajo con su compañía en Estocolmo y realizará distintos encargos para el Ballet de la Ópera de Göteborgs y el Royal Swedish Ballet.
