• Charlie. Choreography Ricardo Fernando. Photo Jan-Pieter Fuhr

  • Charlie. Choreography Ricardo Fernando. Photo Jan-Pieter Fuhr

Ballett des Staatstheater Augsburg

Portrait

Since the 2017/18 season, the long-standing ballet director of Theater Hagen , Ricardo Fernando, is director of the ballet ensemble at Staatstheater Augsburg. He presents a young, international ensemble with great diversity of dance. Alongside modern interpretations of classic narrative ballets and new creations from Ricardo Fernando himself, the programme also includes the work of other nationally or internationally acclaimed choreographers as part of the series “Dimensions of Dance“. Ricardo Fernando continues the tradition of the international dance galas and carries on working with young choreographers for example in the series “New Comer”. The ensemble presents at brechtbühne (chamber dance evenings) as well as in the large interim venue, Martini-Park (big productions), and also performs in a production with the Augsburger Philharmonic once each season.  Additionally, the ensemble experiments with the possibilities of digital ballet and can be seen in several ballets for virtual reality since summer 2020.

 

List of ensemble members
Season 2023/2024

Ricardo Fernando, Ballet Director & Chief Choreographer
Carla Silva, Debuty of Ballet Director, 1st Choreographic Assistant
Demis Moretti, Head Trainer & Choreographic Assistant
Wesley D’Alessandro, Music Attendant

Dancers: Brandi Baker | Nikolaos Doede | Gabriela Finardi | Martina Maria Gheza | Ria Girard | Alfonso López González | Terra Kell | Kako Kijima| Giovanni Napoli | David Nigro | Afonso Pereira | Martina Piacentino | Cosmo Sancilio | Tomona Seike | Gonçalo Martins da Silva | Adrià Vilar Algueró | Vito Damiano Volpicella | Chiara Zincone

 

History and biography

On the ensemble’s history
Staatstheater Augsburg boasts a long line of renowned ballet directors.
In recent decades, artistic directors such as Günther Pick, Erich Payer, Philip Taylor, Eva-Maria Lerchenberg-Thöny, Jochen Heckmann and Robert Conn have influenced the artistic profile of the ensemble with very individual stylistic signatures. Since season 2017/18 the long-standing ballet director of Theater Hagen, Ricardo Fernando, directs the ballet ensemble of Staatstheater Augsburg.

Ricardo Fernando started his career as a ballet director and chief choreographer in 1993 in Bremerhaven. Within seven years of holding this position, he realised several full-length ballets and contemporary choreographies and initiated one of the first AIDS Benefit Galas in Germany, which later on he transferred over to Regensburg and Hagen. While directing the company in Bremerhaven, he became ballet director in Chemnitz beginning in 1998 until 2000 as well. After this he worked as ballet director in Pforzheim and one year later in Regensburg. During the season 2003/04 with the premiere of the dance piece »Tango«, Ricardo Fernando started as ballet director at Theater Hagen. Soon narrative ballets such as Sergej Prokovjew’s »Romeo und Julia«, Tschaikowsky’s »Nussknacker« and Adolphe Adam’s »Giselle« were shown, as well as classical modern ballets like Strawinsky’s »Feuervogel«. Ricardo Fernando creates numerous dance pieces, in which he intensely focusses on music of the 20th century, such as works by Ezio Bosso and Ólafur Arnalds. The works he initiated with guest choreographers, did not just offer new impulses and perspectives, but also gained great recognition far beyond the local limits regarding evening pieces like »Three Faces«, »Nighthawks«, »Drei-mal-Tanz«, »Shortcuts« or »TanzTrilogie«. Ricardo Fernando works as guest choreographer himself in Germany, Japan, Brazil, Austria, Italy, Turkey and Switzerland. In 2015 he was honoured with a recognition award by the German Dance Awards (Deutscher Tanzpreis).

"I want to tell stories with dance, with the big story ballets, for which I create my own versions, as well as with modern dance. The choice of interesting music to which I can think of choreographies in contemporary dance is very wide today!"

Ricardo Fernando

Productions

  • 2023/2024

    2023/2024

    Productions from the 2023/2024 season

    "Charlie"
    World premiere
    Premiere 30.9.23
    Dance theater by Ricardo Fernando
    Music by Charlie Chaplin, David Nigro & Richard Wagner
    18 dancers
    80 minutes without intermission

    "Supermodified"
    World premiere
    Premiere 12.1.24
    Chamber ballet by Mauro Astolfi
    Composition Davidson Jaconello
    18 dancers

    "International Ballet and Dance Gala 2024"
    Gala performances
    10. & 11.2.2024
    Various ensembles as guests

    "Dimensions of Dance. Part 5"
    Three-part ballet evening with orchestra
    Premiere 23.3.2024
    Choreographies by Andonis Foniadakis, Douglas Lee, Young Soon Hue-Simon
    Musical direction: Ivan Demidov
    18 dancers

    "New Comer"
    Chamber dance evening
    Premiere 25.5.2024
    Choreographies by members of the Augsburg Ballet ensemble

  • 2022/2023

    2022/2023

    Productions from the 2022/2023 season

    Godani - Goecke - Fernando
    Three-part ballet evening
    Premiere 22.10.2022
    Metamorphers
    Choreography by Jacopo Godani
    Music by Béla Bartók
    Le Spectre de la Rose
    Choreography by Marco Goecke
    Music by Carl Maria von Weber
    beyond
    Premiere
    Choreography by Ricardo Fernando
    Music by Lilijan Waworka
    Duration: 120 minutes incl. 2 intermissions

    Contrasts
    Two-part studio ballet evening
    Premiere 22.12.2022
    Man & Honeymoon in New York City
    Premiere
    Choreography & production by Michael Ostenrath
    Frame of View
    Choreography & production by Didy Veldman
    Duration: 90 minutes

    Dimensions of Dance. Part 4
    Two-part ballet evening
    Premiere 11.03.2023
    Tangata
    Ballet by Ricardo Fernando
    Music by Astor Piazzolla
    A Fresh Start
    Ballet by Iratxe Ansa & Igor Bacovich

    The Fairy Queen
    Ballet opera in five acts by Henry Purcell
    Premiere 2.4.2023
    Libretto by Thomas Betterton, attributed to the play "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare
    Choreography & production by Ricardo Fernando
    Musical direction by Domonkos Héja

    Internationale Ballett- und Tanzgala
    Gala performances 9.&10.04.2023

    New Comer
    Studio Dance Evening
    Premiere 12.05.2023
    Choreography Augsburg Ballet

    Moving
    Studio ballet evening
    Premiere
    Revival 22.09.2022
    Choreography by Peter Chu
    Duration: 60 minutes, no intermission

  • 2021/2022

    2021/2022

    Productions from the 2021/2022 season

    Boléro | VR production (2020)
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando
    Music: Maurice Ravel
    18 dancers
    Duration: 25 min

    shifting_perspective | VR production (2020)
    Choreography & Dance: Dancers of the Augsburg Ballet
        Title 1: Gabriela Zorzete Finardi
        Title 2: Michele Nunziata
        Title 3: Momoko Tanaka, Shori Yamamoto
        Title 4: Goncalo Martins da Silva
        Title 5: Emily Wohl
        Title 6: Sewon Ahn, Samuel Maxted
        Title 7: Cosmo Sancilio, Giovanni Napoli
        Title 8: Moeka Yugawa
        Title 9: Franco Ciculi
        Title 10: Ria Girard
        Title 11: Keiko Okawa
    Music: Robin Rimbaud alias Scanner
    18 dancers
    Duration: 40 min

    Dimensions of Dance. Part 3 (2021)
    Rain Dogs (Part 1: Rain Dogs; Part 2: Whim; Part 3: Satisfaction)
    Choreography
        Part 1: Johan Inger
        Part 2: Alexander Ekman;
        Part 3: Ricardo Fernando
    Music
        Part 1: Tom Waits
        Part 2: Edmundo Ros, Nina Simone, Antonio Vivaldi;
        Part 3: The Rolling Stones
    Number of dancers:
        Part 1: 8 dancers
        Part 2: 18 dancers
        Part 3: 12 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 12.8m wide and 8.35m deep*; orchestra pit area approx. 16m wide and 6.8m deep
    Duration: 2 h 15 min

    Creations (2021)
    Part 1: bel inconnu; Part 2: Poco
    Choreography
        Part 1: Patrick Delcroix
        Part 2: Mauro Astolfi
    Music: Ólafur Arnalds, Kate Bush, Saul City, David Lang, Zach Miskin, Scanner & Whitetree
    Number of dancers
        Part 1: 14 dancers
        Part 2: 11 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 10,94m deep and 10,3m wide
    Duration: 1 h 45 min

    Winterreise (2021)
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando
    Music: Franz Schubert & Hans Zender
    Libretto: Wilhelm Müller
    18 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 12.8m by 13.4m
    Duration: 90 min

    Kinesphere | VR production (2021)
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando
    Music: Lilijan Waworka
    17 dancers
    Duration: 30 min

    Moving (2021)
    "left behind (you) right"
    Choreography: Peter Chu
    Music: Bang on a Can, Bruxas, Matmos, Sarah Neufeld a. o.
    18 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 10.94m deep and 10.3m wide
    Duration: 60 min

    New Comer (2022)
    Choreography: Dancers of the Augsburg Ballet
    Stage dimensions: 10,94m deep and 10,3m wide

    *For the tape ballet, the dimensions of the depth must be taken together, but both areas have different widths.

  • 2020/2021

    2020/2021

    Productions from the 2020/2021 season

    Premieres
    „Winterreise“ (first showing)
    Ballet by Ricardo Fernando | Music: Franz Schubert
    Premiere 31/10/20 | martini-Park

    „Creations“ (first showing)
    Chamber dance evening in two parts
    Choreography: Mauro Astolfi, Patrick Delcroix
    Premiere 29/01/21 | brechtbühne im Gaswerk

    „Dimensions of Dance. Part 3“
    Dance evening in three parts
    Choreography: Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger, Ricardo Fernando
    Premiere 10/04/21 | martini-Park

    „New Comer“
    Choreography: dancers from Ballett Augsburg
    Premiere 28/05/21 | brechtbühne im Gaswerk

    Internationale Ballett- und Tanzgala
    Gala-shows 17-18/04/21 | martini-Park

    Ballett for children: Dance!
    Guided ballet for young audiences
    Premiere 20/03/21 | brechtbühne im Gaswerk

    Back on stage:
    „Made For Two“
    Chamber dance evening
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando, Andonis Foniadakis, Eric Gauthier, Annett Göhre, Young Soon Hue, Guillaume Hulot, Nadav Zelner
    Revival 03/12/20 | brechtbühne im Gaswerk

  • previous seasons

    Previous seasons

    Productions from the 2019/2020 season

    Premieres
    “Giselle”
    Ballet by Adolphe Adam
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando
    Premiere 26/10/19 | martini-Park

    „Made For Two“
    Chamber dance evening
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando, Andonis Foniadakis, Eric Gauthier, Annett Göhre, Young Soon Hue, Guillaume Hulot, Nadav Zelner
    Premiere 31/01/20 | brechtbühne im Gaswerk

    vr-theater@home-premieres
    “shifting_perspective”
    A Virtual-Reality Dance-Experience
    Idea: André Bücker
    Conception and musical selection: Ricardo Fernando & Carla Silva
    Choreography: dancers from Ballett Augsburg
    Music: Robin Rimbaud alias Scanner

    „Bolero“
    A Virtual-Reality Dance Project
    Choreography: Ricardo Fernando
    Premiere in July 2020

     

    Productions from the 2017/2018 season

    Schwanensee (2017)
    Choreography Ricardo Fernando, music Peter I. Tschaikowsky, musical direction: Domonkos Héja, Orchestra: Augsburger Philharmoniker
    18 dancers, stage 12 x 12 m, duration 120 min (incl. interval)

    Ballett? Rock it! (2018)
    Choreography Heroes by Marguerite Donlon, Club 27 by Ricardo Fernando, Anima Fragile (UA) by Riccardo De Nigris, music Brian Jones, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Kurt Cobain, Amy Winehouse
    15 dancers, stage 14 x 10 m, duration ca. 110 min

    Dimensions of Dance. Part 1 (2018)
    Choreography Cantata by Mauro Bigonzetti, Six Breaths by Ricardo Fernando, Reminiscence (UA) by Young Soon Hue, music Trio Assurd, Ezio Bosso, Ólafur Arnalds
    17 dancers, stage 12 x 12m, duration ca. 110 min

    New Comer (2018)
    Choreography n.n, music n.n.

     

    Productions from the 2016/2017 Season

    Der Nussknacker (2016)
    Choreography: Mauro de Candia, music: Peter I. Tschaikowsky
    18 dancers, 2 children, Augsburger Philharmoniker, stage 18 x 20 m, 105 min

    (R)Evolution (2016)
    Pur un clin d’oeil / Adagio & Scherzo / Brel – Getanzte Chansons / New produktion

    Pur un clin d’oeil
    Choreography: Mario Schröder
    1 female dancer, 1 male dancer, stage 13 x 10 m, 17 min

    Adagio & Scherzo (2014)
    Choreography: Krzysztof Pastor
    8 dancers, stage 13 x 10 m, 20 min

    Brel – Getanzte Chansons (2007)
    Choreography: Lode Devos
    17 dancers, stage 13 x 10 m, 25 min

    New produktion - Titel not known yet (2016)
    Choreography: Dominique Dumais
    6 dancers, stage 13 x 10 m, 18 min


    Productions from the 2015/2016 season

    Hamlet (2015)
    Choreography: Stephen Mills, music: Philip Glass
    stage: 16 x 22 m

    Romeo und Julia (2015)
    Choreography: Young Soon Hue
    stage 16 x 22 m

    Anders-Artig (2016)
    Mobile Productions for Kids from 5 years

    Von Göttern und Menschen (2016)
    Choreography: Balanchine, Clug, De Nigris
    stage 16 x 22 m

    Soto Danza (2016)
    Choreography: Cayetano Soto
    stage 14 x 11 m

    Ballettgala 2016


    Productions from the 2014/2015 season

    Destillationen IV (2015)
    stage 14 x 11 m

    Medea (2015)
    Choreography: Angel Rodriguez
    stage 14 x 11 m

    Dans imPulse (2015)
    Choreography: Georg Reischl, Stephen Shropshire, Marco Goecke
    stage 16 x 22 m

    Romeo und Julia (2014)
    Choreography: Young Soon Hue, music: Sergej Prokofjev
    stage 16 x 22 m, 130 min


    Productions from the 2013/2014 season

    Where I end and you begin (2014)
    Choreography: Edward Clug, Katarzyna Kozielska
    stage 14 x 11 m, 120 min

    Schattenspiel (2014)
    Choreography: Itzik Galili, music: Percossa, Waits, Höfs, Prado and others
    stage 16 x 22 m, 95 min

    Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray (2013)
    Choreography: Michael Pink, music: Tobias PM Schneid
    stage 16 x 22 m, 120 min

Materials


Charlie
Trailer


Godani - Goecke - Fernando
Trailer


Kontraste
Trailer


Moving
Trailer

Contact

Staatstheater Augsburg

Besucherservice Staatstheater Augsburg
in der Bürger- und Tourist-Information

Rathausplatz 1
86150 Augsburg

Telefon: 0821 324 49 00
Email: tickets@staatstheater-augsburg.de

Spielstätten:
martini-Park
Provinostraße 52 / Halle B13
86153 Augsburg

brechtbühne im Gaswerk
Am Alten Gaswerk 8
86156 Augsburg


http://www.staatstheater-augsburg.de