Clara

Ballet by Cathy Marston

Music by Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann,
Johannes Brahms, and Philip Feeney

From 13. December 2025 until 24. April 2026

Dates & Tickets
  • Duration :
    2 H. 45 Min. Inkl. Pausen after 1st part after approx. 45 Min.  and after 2nd part after approx. 1 H. 45 Min.
  • More information:
    Introduction 45 min before the performance.
Choreography:
Cathy Marston

Cathy Marston

The internationally renowned choreographer Cathy Marston holds both British and Swiss citizenship. Since August 2023, she is the director of the Ballett Zürich. She received her dance training in Cambridge and at the Royal Ballet School in London. Between 1994 and 1999, she danced with Ballett Zürich, the Luzerner Theater Ballet, and Konzert Theater Bern. From 2002 to 2006, she was an Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House in London, and from 2007 to 2013, she served as ballet director at Konzert Theater Bern. Cathy Marston has been working as a highly successful freelance choreographer for many years and has been invited to work with numerous renowned international companies and institutions. She has created works, among others, for The Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet Black, the National Ballet of Cuba, as well as Opera Australia and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. In recent years, she has increasingly worked in the United States, with commissions for San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. In her choreographic works, she brings major literary classics to life through dance, and approaches significant historical figures in unexpected and original ways. She achieved great success with her ballet adaptations "Mrs. Robinson" (Charles Webb), "Snowblind" (Ethan Frome), "Jane Eyre" (Charlotte Brontë), and "Of Mice and Men" (John Steinbeck). Unconventional perspectives also shape her biographically inspired works "The Cellist", "Victoria", and "Witch-Hunt". Cathy Marston has received multiple awards for her choreographic work, including a South Bank Sky Arts Award and the British National Dance Award. In 2020, the International Institute for Dance and Theatre honored her with an award for excellence in international dance. The highlight of her first season as director of Ballett Zürich was the 2024 world premiere of "Atonement", based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan (a co-production with Joffrey Ballet). In addition, her pieces "The Cellist" and "Snowblind" were performed in Zurich. In the previous season, her Clara Schumann ballet "Clara" premiered. In 2026, she will choreograph "Romeo and Juliet" for Ballett Zürich.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 The Butterfly Effect4 / 13 / 23 Apr 2026 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026
Music Direction:
Daniel Capps

Daniel Capps

Daniel Capps is in demand worldwide primarily as a ballet conductor. He studied at the Royal College of Music and the Royal Academy of Music in London and continued his training under renowned mentors such as Colin Metters, Sir Colin Davis, Sir Charles Mackerras, Mark Wigglesworth, Péter Eötvös, and Thomas Adès. From 2003 onward he assisted Sir John Eliot Gardiner with the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique, including for Berlioz’s "Les Troyens" at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris. In 2008 he made his debut with the Royal Ballet at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden and has since been a regular guest conductor there. Daniel Capps has been associated with the New York City Ballet since 2011, and in 2012 he was appointed Resident Conductor. Also in 2011 he made his debut with the National Ballet of Canada, where he conducted Christopher Wheeldon’s ballet "Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland". He has worked with orchestras such as the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, the Royal Danish Orchestra, the Brighton Philharmonic, the Tokyo Philharmonic, the New Japan Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra of Colombia, the Washington Opera Orchestra, the National Symphony Orchestra of Taiwan, the Orchestre national d'Île-de-France, as well as with the Monteverdi Choir. His artistic work has earned him distinctions including the Ernest Read Conducting Prize and the Fred Southhall Memorial Prize for Conducting. In recent seasons he made his debut with Ballet Zürich ("Walkways"), the Australian Ballet, and the Spanish Compañía Nacional de Danza, all of which have repeatedly invited him back. Tours have taken him to China, Japan, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Cuba, France, Spain, Mexico, Denmark, Australia, Colombia, and throughout the United States.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026
Composer:
Philip Feeney

Philip Feeney

Philip Feeney studied composition with Robin Holloway and Hugh Wood at the University of Cambridge and with Franco Donatoni in Rome. He has written a large number of works for ballet and dance and has collaborated as a pianist with numerous ensembles, including the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Rambert, Acosta Danza, Adventures in Motion Pictures, and the Martha Graham Dance Company. As a composer he has worked with choreographers such as Christopher Gable, David Nixon, Michael Pink, Didy Veldman, Michael Keegan-Dolan, Derek Williams, Adam Cooper, Sara Matthews, and the hip-hop artist Jonzi D. His music has been performed by companies such as English National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Scottish Dance Theatre, Bern Ballett, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and Fabulous Beast Dance Theatre. For the latter he wrote the scores for the critically acclaimed ballet "Giselle" (2003) and the award-winning "The Bull" (2005). Philip Feeney’s association with Northern Ballet in Leeds, England, spans more than 25 years. For this company he has written eight full-length scores, including Gable’s "Cinderella", Gable and Pink’s "Dracula" and "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", Veldman’s "A Streetcar Named Desire", Nixon’s "Hamlet" and "Cinderella", and Marston’s "Jane Eyre" and "Victoria". In 2020 he worked for the first time with American Ballet Theatre and arranged the music for the premiere of Alexei Ratmansky’s "Of Love and Rage", which was taken up by the Vienna State Ballet in autumn 2025.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026
Scenario:
Cathy Marston,

Cathy Marston

The internationally renowned choreographer Cathy Marston holds both British and Swiss citizenship. Since August 2023, she is the director of the Ballett Zürich. She received her dance training in Cambridge and at the Royal Ballet School in London. Between 1994 and 1999, she danced with Ballett Zürich, the Luzerner Theater Ballet, and Konzert Theater Bern. From 2002 to 2006, she was an Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House in London, and from 2007 to 2013, she served as ballet director at Konzert Theater Bern. Cathy Marston has been working as a highly successful freelance choreographer for many years and has been invited to work with numerous renowned international companies and institutions. She has created works, among others, for The Royal Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet, English National Ballet, Northern Ballet, Finnish National Ballet, Ballet Black, the National Ballet of Cuba, as well as Opera Australia and the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts. In recent years, she has increasingly worked in the United States, with commissions for San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Houston Ballet, and Joffrey Ballet Chicago. In her choreographic works, she brings major literary classics to life through dance, and approaches significant historical figures in unexpected and original ways. She achieved great success with her ballet adaptations "Mrs. Robinson" (Charles Webb), "Snowblind" (Ethan Frome), "Jane Eyre" (Charlotte Brontë), and "Of Mice and Men" (John Steinbeck). Unconventional perspectives also shape her biographically inspired works "The Cellist", "Victoria", and "Witch-Hunt". Cathy Marston has received multiple awards for her choreographic work, including a South Bank Sky Arts Award and the British National Dance Award. In 2020, the International Institute for Dance and Theatre honored her with an award for excellence in international dance. The highlight of her first season as director of Ballett Zürich was the 2024 world premiere of "Atonement", based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan (a co-production with Joffrey Ballet). In addition, her pieces "The Cellist" and "Snowblind" were performed in Zurich. In the previous season, her Clara Schumann ballet "Clara" premiered. In 2026, she will choreograph "Romeo and Juliet" for Ballett Zürich.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 The Butterfly Effect4 / 13 / 23 Apr 2026 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026
Edward Kemp

Edward Kemp

Edward Kemp, born in Oxford, has collaborated with Cathy Marston on more than twenty ballets, including seven for Bern Ballett. Recent collaborations include "Summer & Smoke" (Houston/American Ballet Theatre), "Of Mice and Men" (Joffrey), "Mrs. Robinson" (San Francisco), "The Cellist" (Royal Ballet), "The Suit" (Ballet Black), "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal), "Liaisons Dangereuses" (Royal Danish Ballet), and a screenplay for Disney+. He has written texts for composers such as Sally Beamish, Victoria Borisova Ollas, Jason Carr, Tansy Davies, Terry Davies, Péter Eötvös, Stuart MacRae, Julian Philips, and Gary Yershon. In theatre, his works include "King James Bible" (National Theatre), "The Mysteries" (Royal Shakespeare Company), as well as stage adaptations of Bulgakov’s "The Master and Margarita" (Chichester/Complicite/Avignon), Lessing’s "Nathan the Wise" (Chichester/Off-Broadway/Shaw Festival), and Faulkner’s "As I Lay Dying" (Baton Rouge). He also adapted works by Brecht, Goldoni, Kleist, Lorca, Prokofiev, Molière, Racine, and Sibelius for the stage and translated novels by Paul Auster, Eça de Queirós, Charles Dickens, Knut Hamsun, Ted Hughes, Salman Rushdie, and W. G. Sebald. He has written dramas and comedies for BBC Radio and directed plays and musicals in the United Kingdom and the United States, from authors such as Gertrude Stein and William Shakespeare to Alan Bennett and Stephen Sondheim. From 2008 to 2021 he was Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Today he is Chief Executive of the Royal Literary Fund, the oldest literary charity in the United Kingdom.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026
Stage design:
Hildegard Bechtler

Hildegard Bechtler

The internationally active stage designer Hildegard Bechtler lives in London. Her work in opera and ballet includes productions for the Metropolitan Opera, the Santa Fe Opera, the Canadian Opera Company, the Sydney Opera House, the Opéra National de Paris, La Scala in Milan, the Glyndebourne Festival, the Edinburgh International Festival, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, and the Amsterdam Muziektheater. These include the world premieres of Cathy Marston’s "The Cellist" for The Royal Ballet and Thomas Adès’s opera "The Exterminating Angel", which was performed at the Salzburg Festival, the Met, and the Royal Opera House. Further work includes "La damnation de Faust" at the Schiller Theater in Berlin – a revival of the award-winning ENO production – as well as "Dido and Aeneas" and "Acis and Galatea", choreographed and directed by Wayne McGregor, for the Royal Opera House and La Scala in Milan. For her design of "Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk" at the Sydney Opera House, she received the Australian Green Room Award. She has also worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Old Vic, the Donmar Warehouse, on Broadway, and in London’s West End. "Top Hat" (2012) and "Oresteia" (2016) were nominated for the Olivier Award. For the Royal National Theatre she designed "Antony and Cleopatra", "Hansard", "After the Dance" (Olivier Award), "Iphigenia at Aulis", and most recently "Dr. Strangelove". Together with director Robert Icke she created, among other works, "Hamlet", "The Doctor", and "Oedipus". In opera she most recently designed the sets for "La traviata" at the Glyndebourne Festival and, in summer 2025, for "Don Giovanni" at the Festival d’Aix-en-Provence.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026
Costumes:
Bregje van Balen

Bregje van Balen

Bregje van Balen was born in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and trained as a dancer at the National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam. She was a member of Nederlands Dans Theater for eighteen years. Even during her active career as a dancer, she repeatedly worked as a costume designer, and after retiring from the stage she completed her studies at the Baruch Fashion Academy in Amsterdam. She has created costume designs for dance and theatre, including for Nederlands Dans Theater, the Norwegian National Ballet, the Gothenburg Ballet, Hamburg Ballett, Introdans, Aterballetto, the Győr Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, the Royal Danish Ballet, the Bolshoi Theatre, the Stanislavsky Theatre in Moscow, the Opéra de Lyon, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Alvin Ailey Dance Theater, Staatstheater Mainz, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz, the dance company of St. Gallen, Bern Ballett, and the Nationaltheater Mannheim. She has worked with choreographers such as Patrick Delcroix, Jorma Elo, Medhi Walerski, Cathy Marston, Alexander Ekman, Johan Inger, and Jo Strømgren. At Zurich Opera House she most recently created the costumes for parts of the triple bills "Timekeepers" and "Countertime" as well as for "Atonement" and "Clara".

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025
Lighting designer:
Martin Gebhardt

Martin Gebhardt

Martin Gebhardt was lighting designer and master electrician for John Neumeier’s Hamburg Ballet. From 2002 onward he collaborated with Heinz Spoerli and Ballett Zürich. Ballet productions of both companies took him to renowned theatres across Europe, Asia, and the Americas. At Zurich Opera House he created the lighting design for productions by Jürgen Flimm, David Alden, Jan Philipp Gloger, Grischa Asagaroff, Matthias Hartmann, David Pountney, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, and Achim Freyer. At the Salzburg Festival he designed the lighting for "La bohème" and for a new version of Spoerli’s "Der Tod und das Mädchen". Since the 2012/13 season Martin Gebhardt has been Head of Lighting at Zurich Opera House. He maintains a close collaboration with choreographer Christian Spuck (including "Winterreise", "Nussknacker und Mausekönig", "Messa da Requiem", "Anna Karenina", "Woyzeck", "Der Sandmann", "Leonce und Lena", "Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern"). He has also worked as lighting designer for choreographers Edward Clug (including "Strings", "Le Sacre du printemps" and "Faust" in Zurich), Alexei Ratmansky, Wayne McGregor, Marco Goecke, and Douglas Lee. He collaborated with Christoph Marthaler and Anna Viebrock on Handel’s "Sale" and Rossini’s "Il viaggio a Reims" in Zurich as well as on "Lulu" at the Hamburg State Opera, and with Jossi Wieler and Sergio Morabito at the Grand Théâtre de Genève for "Les Huguenots". In 2023 he designed the lighting for Spuck’s ballet "Bovary" at Staatsballett Berlin and in 2024 for Rossini’s "Tancredi" at the Bregenz Festival. He was also the lighting designer for Cathy Marston’s "Atonement" at Zurich Opera House.

Tannhäuser21 / 24 / 27 Jun / 2 / 5 / 8 / 11 Jul 2026 Le nozze di Figaro24 / 29 Jan / 1 / 5 / 7 / 10 / 14 Feb 2026 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 18 / 23 / 25 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Die Fledermaus7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 18 / 26 / 28 / 31 Dec 2025 / 2 / 4 / 6 / 10 Jan 2026 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Timeframed17 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 30 Jan / 1 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 11 / 12 Feb 2026 Scylla et Glaucus27 / 29 / 31 Mar / 2 / 6 / 30 Apr / 2 May 2026 The Butterfly Effect4 / 13 / 23 Apr 2026 Messa da Requiem20 / 22 / 28 Feb / 1 / 5 / 7 Mar / 6 Apr 2026 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026 Nachtträume20 / 25 / 28 / 30 Jun / 4 Jul 2026
Dramaturgy:
Edward Kemp,

Edward Kemp

Edward Kemp, born in Oxford, has collaborated with Cathy Marston on more than twenty ballets, including seven for Bern Ballett. Recent collaborations include "Summer & Smoke" (Houston/American Ballet Theatre), "Of Mice and Men" (Joffrey), "Mrs. Robinson" (San Francisco), "The Cellist" (Royal Ballet), "The Suit" (Ballet Black), "Lady Chatterley’s Lover" (Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal), "Liaisons Dangereuses" (Royal Danish Ballet), and a screenplay for Disney+. He has written texts for composers such as Sally Beamish, Victoria Borisova Ollas, Jason Carr, Tansy Davies, Terry Davies, Péter Eötvös, Stuart MacRae, Julian Philips, and Gary Yershon. In theatre, his works include "King James Bible" (National Theatre), "The Mysteries" (Royal Shakespeare Company), as well as stage adaptations of Bulgakov’s "The Master and Margarita" (Chichester/Complicite/Avignon), Lessing’s "Nathan the Wise" (Chichester/Off-Broadway/Shaw Festival), and Faulkner’s "As I Lay Dying" (Baton Rouge). He also adapted works by Brecht, Goldoni, Kleist, Lorca, Prokofiev, Molière, Racine, and Sibelius for the stage and translated novels by Paul Auster, Eça de Queirós, Charles Dickens, Knut Hamsun, Ted Hughes, Salman Rushdie, and W. G. Sebald. He has written dramas and comedies for BBC Radio and directed plays and musicals in the United Kingdom and the United States, from authors such as Gertrude Stein and William Shakespeare to Alan Bennett and Stephen Sondheim. From 2008 to 2021 he was Director and Chief Executive of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA). Today he is Chief Executive of the Royal Literary Fund, the oldest literary charity in the United Kingdom.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026
Michael Küster

Michael Küster

Michael Küster is from Germany. After studying German studies, art, and speech science at the University of Halle, he worked as a presenter, author, and speaker at various broadcasting stations in Germany. There, he hosted numerous classical music programs and live broadcasts of major concert events, including those from the Metropolitan Opera New York, the Semperoper Dresden, and the Leipzig Gewandhaus.
Since 2002, he has been a dramaturg at the Zurich Opera House, working with directors such as Matthias Hartmann, David Alden, Robert Carsen, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, David Pountney, Johannes Schaaf, and Graham Vick.
As dramaturg of Ballett Zürich, Michael Küster has collaborated since 2012 with Cathy Marston, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Kim Brandstrup, Edward Clug, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Hans van Manen. Together with Christian Spuck, he worked on productions including «Winterreise» («Prix Benois de la Danse»), «Romeo and Juliet», «Messa da Requiem», and «The Sleeping Beauty».
At La Scala in Milan, Michael Küster was dramaturg for Matthias Hartmann’s opera productions of «Der Freischütz», «Idomeneo», and «The Queen of Spades».

Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 18 / 23 / 25 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026 Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Timeframed17 / 18 / 22 / 25 / 30 Jan / 1 / 4 / 6 / 8 / 11 / 12 Feb 2026 The Butterfly Effect4 / 13 / 23 Apr 2026 Messa da Requiem20 / 22 / 28 Feb / 1 / 5 / 7 Mar / 6 Apr 2026 Romeo und Julia23 / 29 / 30 May / 4 / 6 / 7 / 10 / 12 / 14 / 23 / 26 Jun 2026 Nachtträume20 / 25 / 28 / 30 Jun / 4 Jul 2026

Cast


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Max Richter


Robert Schumann Karen Azatyan


Johannes Brahms Chandler Dalton


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Pablo Octávio


Mariane Wieck Shelby Williams


Adolph Bargiel Joel Woellner


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Shelby Williams


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Sujung Lim


Robert Schumann Charles-Louis Yoshiyama


Johannes Brahms Marià Huguet


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Kilian Smith


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Ayaka Kano


Die Künstlerin Breanna Foad


Die Ehefrau Daniela Gómez Pérez


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin Caroline Perry


Die Muse Yun-Su Park


Robert Schumann Brandon Lawrence


Johannes Brahms Joel Woellner


Friedrich Wieck Mlindi Kulashe


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Irmina Kopaczynska


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Shelby Williams


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Sujung Lim


Robert Schumann Charles-Louis Yoshiyama


Johannes Brahms Marià Huguet


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Kilian Smith


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Max Richter


Robert Schumann Karen Azatyan


Johannes Brahms Chandler Dalton


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Shelby Williams


Adolph Bargiel Joel Woellner


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Max Richter


Robert Schumann Karen Azatyan


Johannes Brahms Chandler Dalton


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Shelby Williams


Adolph Bargiel Joel Woellner


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Max Richter


Robert Schumann Karen Azatyan


Johannes Brahms Chandler Dalton


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Shelby Williams


Adolph Bargiel Joel Woellner


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Ayaka Kano


Die Künstlerin Breanna Foad


Die Ehefrau Daniela Gómez Pérez


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin Caroline Perry


Die Muse Yun-Su Park


Robert Schumann Brandon Lawrence


Johannes Brahms Joel Woellner


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Irmina Kopaczynska


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Shelby Williams


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Sujung Lim


Robert Schumann Charles-Louis Yoshiyama


Johannes Brahms Marià Huguet


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Kilian Smith


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Max Richter


Robert Schumann Karen Azatyan


Johannes Brahms Chandler Dalton


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Shelby Williams


Adolph Bargiel Joel Woellner


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Alyssa Pratt


Die Künstlerin Nehanda Péguillan


Die Ehefrau Nancy Osbaldeston


Die Mutter Shelby Williams


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin McKhayla Pettingill


Die Muse Sujung Lim


Robert Schumann Charles-Louis Yoshiyama


Johannes Brahms Marià Huguet


Friedrich Wieck Esteban Berlanga


Joseph Joachim Kilian Smith


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Daniela Gómez Pérez


Klavier Ragna Schirmer


Das Wunderkind Ayaka Kano


Die Künstlerin Breanna Foad


Die Ehefrau Daniela Gómez Pérez


Die Mutter Sujung Lim


Die Pflegerin Inna Bilash


Die Managerin Caroline Perry


Die Muse Yun-Su Park


Robert Schumann Brandon Lawrence


Johannes Brahms Joel Woellner


Friedrich Wieck Mlindi Kulashe


Joseph Joachim Wei Chen


Mariane Wieck Max Richter


Adolph Bargiel Sean Bates


Christel Irmina Kopaczynska


Klavier Ragna Schirmer

Alyssa Pratt

Alyssa Pratt is American. She trained at the Dance Institute Austin and the Houston Ballet Academy. From 2021 to 2023, she was a member of Houston Ballet II and already performed in productions of the Houston Ballet. After two seasons in the Junior Ballet, she is dancing this season as a guest with the Ballett Zürich. She has appeared in choreographies by Cathy Marston, George Balanchine, Marco Goecke, Patrice Bart, and Jerome Robbins.

Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Ayaka Kano

Ayaka Kano is from Japan. She received her dance training at the Fairy Ballet Theatre in Toyama (Japan) and at the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes. After two seasons in the Junior Ballet, she has been a member of the Ballett Zürich since the 2025/26 season.

Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Nehanda Péguillan

Nehanda Péguillan holds French and South African citizenship. She received her dance training in Johannesburg and at the Pôle National Supérieur de Danse Rosella Hightower in Cannes. With Cannes Jeune Ballet, she performed in choreographies by Jean-Christophe Maillot, Carolyn Carlson, and Thierry Malandin. In 2023, she danced in the Dutch company De Theater BV’s production of «Nureyev». After one season in the Junior Ballet, she has been a member of the Ballett Zürich since the 2024/25 season. Here, she has performed in choreographies by Crystal Pite, William Forsythe, Cathy Marston, and Wayne McGregor.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 Nov / 5 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Breanna Foad

Breanna Foad is Australian. From 2018 to 2025, she danced with English National Ballet. There, she performed leading roles in choreographies by Mats Ek, Johan Inger, and Andrea Miller. She also appeared in works by Akram Khan, William Forsythe, Christopher Wheeldon, Derek Deane, and Arielle Smith. In 2024, she won the «English National Opera’s Emerging Dancer Competition». Since the 2025/26 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich.

Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Nancy Osbaldeston

Nancy Osbaldeston holds both Belgian and British citizenship. She completed her dance training at the English National Ballet School in London. In 2008, she joined the English National Ballet, where she was awarded the «Emerging Dance Award» in 2013. In 2014, she moved to the Royal Ballet of Flanders, where she was promoted to principal dancer. She was regularly a guest performer with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich and later danced at the Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse.
Her repertoire includes leading roles in choreographies by Yuri Grigorovich (Aegina in «Spartacus»), John Neumeier (Marie in «The Nutcracker»), Akram Khan («Giselle»), Kader Belarbi (Kitri in «Don Quixote»), and Pina Bausch («Café Müller»). Additionally, she has appeared in works by George Balanchine, Ohad Naharin, Jiří Kylián, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, and Andonis Foniadakis.
Since the 2024/25 season, she has been principal dancer at Ballett Zürich. Here, she danced leading roles in choreographies by Cathy Marston («Clara», Cecilia in «Atonement», «Mrs. Robinson»), Patrice Bart («Giselle»), William Forsythe («In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated»), Kenneth MacMillan («Concerto»), and Bryan Arias («Colorful Darkness»).

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 6 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Daniela Gómez Pérez

Daniela Gómez Pérez is from Cuba. She studied at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School and the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba. From 2015 to 2023, she was Principal Dancer at the Cuban National Ballet. Under Alicia Alonso’s direction, she danced leading roles in «Coppélia», «Giselle», «Swan Lake», and «The Nutcracker». She also appeared in choreographies by Peter Quanz, Brian McDonald, George Balanchine, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Cathy Marston, Ricardo Amarante, Alexei Ratmansky, Uwe Scholz, Ben Stevenson, Mikhail Fokine, and Gemma Bond. For her interpretation of Daniel Proietto’s «Cigne», she was entered into the Golden Book of the Gran Teatro de La Habana. Since the 2023/24 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich.

Countertime7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Sujung Lim

Sujung Lim is from South Korea. She trained at Yewon Arts High School and the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts. She won gold medals at the Tanzolymp Berlin in 2008 and 2011. From 2011 to 2018, she danced as a soloist with Ballett Karlsruhe, performing in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Romeo and Juliet», John Cranko’s «The Taming of the Shrew», Peter Wright’s «Giselle», and Christopher Wheeldon’s «Swan Lake». Since the 2018/19 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich, appearing in many choreographies by Cathy Marston, Christian Spuck, Wayne McGregor, Patrice Bart, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylián, Marcos Morau, and Crystal Pite. In 2025, she was awarded the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Shelby Williams

Shelby Williams holds American and Italian citizenship. She studied at Houston Ballet Academy, Washington School of Ballet, and Dancer’s Workshop Baton Rouge (Louisiana, USA). After engagements with Semperoper Ballet, Corella Ballet, and Ballet d’Europe, she was a soloist at Ballett Mainz, Hessisches Staatsballett Wiesbaden, and from 2016 to 2023 at Royal Ballet of Flanders. In 2017 and 2018, she was nominated for «Best Performance by a Female Dancer» and «Best News» in the «Critic’s Choice Awards» by Dance Europe Magazine. She danced Pina/Malou in Pina Bausch’s «Café Müller», Rusalka in the choreography by Alan Lucien Øyen, Myrtha in Akram Khan’s «Giselle», as well as leading roles in choreographies by Martha Graham, Johan Inger, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Andonis Foniadakis, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Édouard Lock, and Jermaine Spivey. Since the 2023/24 season, Shelby Williams has been a member of Ballett Zürich, where she has danced leading roles in creations by Meryl Tankard, Bryan Arias, and Cathy Marston, and important roles in the repertoire of Marcos Morau, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe, and Mats Ek.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Inna Bilash

Inna Bilash is from Ukraine. She completed her ballet training at Kharkov Choreographic School, Perm State Choreographic College, and Perm State Academy of Arts and Culture. She was a soloist with Ballet Perm, where she danced Julia in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Romeo and Juliet», Odette/Odile in Natalia Makrova’s «Swan Lake», Giselle in the choreography by Perrot/Coralli/Petipa, the Bride in Jiří Kylián’s «Les Noces», and Masha in MacMillan’s «Winter Dreams». She also performed solo roles in choreographies by Jerome Robbins, George Balanchine, and Douglas Lee. She won the Arabesque competition in Perm and the Bolshoi Ballet TV competition. In 2017, she received the «Soul of Dance» award from the ballet magazine. Since the 2018/19 season, Inna Bilash has been a member of Ballett Zürich and appeared as Briony in Cathy Marston’s «Atonement» and in the title role of Patrice Bart’s «Giselle». In 2024, she received the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

McKhayla Pettingill

McKhayla Pettingill is Filipino-American. She trained at Houston Ballet Academy. At Houston Ballet, she danced in choreographies by Jerome Robbins, Stanton Welch, James Kudelka, Disha Zang, John Neumeier, and George Balanchine. At the National Ballet of Canada, she appeared in works by Crystal Pite, David Dawson, and Kenneth MacMillan. Since the 2023/24 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich, performing as Clara in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», in the Peasant Pas de Deux in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and solo in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Christian Spuck, Kenneth MacMillan, and William Forsythe.

Countertime7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Caroline Perry

Caroline Perry is from the USA. She trained at the Houston Ballet Academy and Houston Ballet II. In her first engagement with Houston Ballet, she danced in choreographies by George Balanchine, Jerome Robbins, Kenneth MacMillan, Ben Stevenson, Stanton Welch, and Christopher Wheeldon. From 2022 to 2024, she was a member of Cincinnati Ballet, where she performed in choreographies by Jiří Kylián, Alejandro Cerrudo, William Forsythe, Peter Chu, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, and Cathy Marston. Since the 2024/25 season, Caroline Perry has been a member of the Ballett Zürich. Here, she appeared in Bryan Arias’ «Colorful Darkness», Wayne McGregor’s «Infra», and William Forsythe’s «In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated».

Countertime14 Sept 2025 Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Max Richter

Max Richter is from the USA and trained at the International City School of Ballet and Houston Ballet II. Important choreographies during her engagement at Houston Ballet included Cathy Marston’s «Summer and Smoke», Ben Stevenson’s «Sleeping Beauty», and Balanchine’s «Diamonds». Since the 2023/24 season, Max Richter has been a member of Ballett Zürich. Here, she danced leading roles in Cathy Marston’s ballets «Atonement» and «Clara». She also appeared in the title role of Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», as the Bride in Bronislava Nijinska’s «Les Noces», and in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Jerome Robbins, Marcos Morau, Meryl Tankard, Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe, Kim Brandstrup, and Kenneth MacMillan.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Sujung Lim

Sujung Lim is from South Korea. She trained at Yewon Arts High School and the Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts. She won gold medals at the Tanzolymp Berlin in 2008 and 2011. From 2011 to 2018, she danced as a soloist with Ballett Karlsruhe, performing in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Romeo and Juliet», John Cranko’s «The Taming of the Shrew», Peter Wright’s «Giselle», and Christopher Wheeldon’s «Swan Lake». Since the 2018/19 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich, appearing in many choreographies by Cathy Marston, Christian Spuck, Wayne McGregor, Patrice Bart, William Forsythe, Johan Inger, Jiří Kylián, Marcos Morau, and Crystal Pite. In 2025, she was awarded the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Yun-Su Park

Yun-Su Park is from Korea. She trained at Shunwa Arts School and the Hamburg Ballet School. From 2007 to 2024, she danced with Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier, where she was promoted to soloist in 2018. She appeared in numerous ballets by John Neumeier, including Lady Capulet in «Romeo and Juliet», Diana in «Sylvia», Elisabeth in «Preludes CV», and in «Nocturnes», «Messiah», and «Beethoven Project». She also danced in ballets by Rudolf Nureyev and George Balanchine. Since the 2024/25 season, she has been a guest dancer with Ballett Zürich, performing the title role in Cathy Marston’s ballet «Mrs. Robinson».

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Karen Azatyan

Karen Azatyan is originally from Armenia. Trained at the Yerevan Dancing Art State College and the Dance Academy Zurich, he won the Prix de Lausanne in 2005. From 2007 to 2014, he was a member of the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich (promoted to soloist in 2012). In 2014, he joined the Hamburg Ballet as a principal dancer, where he maintained a close collaboration with John Neumeier until the latter’s departure in 2024. He danced leading roles and solos in many of Neumeier’s ballets, including: «Illusions» – like «Swan Lake», «The Nutcracker», «A Midsummer Night’s Dream», «A Streetcar Named Desire», «Death in Venice», «Peer Gynt», «Romeo and Juliet», «Nijinsky», «Liliom», «The Seagull», «Winterreise», «St. Matthew Passion», «The Song of the Earth» and Mahler’s «Third Symphony».
His repertoire also includes works by Frederick Ashton, Nacho Duato, Mats Ek, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, Marius Petipa, Jerome Robbins, and Christopher Wheeldon.
Since the 2024/25 season, Karen Azatyan has been a principal dancer with Ballett Zürich. Here, he has appeared as Robert Schumann in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», Hilarion in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and as the Shadow in Kim Brandstrup’s «Of Light, Wind and Waters».

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 18 / 23 / 25 / 31 Oct / 1 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 19 Apr 2026

Charles-Louis Yoshiyama

Charles-Louis Yoshiyama holds Japanese and French citizenship. He received his dance training at Trinity College London and the English Ballet School. In 2007, he joined Houston Ballet and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 2016. Important roles included Crown Prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Mayerling» and De Grieux in «Manon», as well as Oberon in John Neumeier’s «A Midsummer Night’s Dream». He also danced in Roland Petit’s «L’Arlésienne» and numerous works by George Balanchine. In choreographies by Ben Stevenson, he portrayed Basilio («Don Quixote»), Prince Florimund («Sleeping Beauty»), Franz («Coppélia»), Mercutio («Romeo and Juliet»), and the Prince («The Nutcracker»). In Stanton Welch’s works, he was Siegfried («Swan Lake»), Solor («La Bayadère»), and Albrecht («Giselle»). In John Cranko’s «The Taming of the Shrew», he danced Lucentio and Hortensio. In 2023, Charles-Louis Yoshiyama was Principal Dancer at Oregon Ballet Theatre. Since the 2023/24 season, he has been Principal Dancer at Ballett Zürich.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara14 / 20 Dec 2025 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Brandon Lawrence

Brandon Lawrence is from Great Britain. He received his ballet training at the Royal Ballet School. From 2011 to 2023, he danced with Birmingham Royal Ballet, serving as Principal Dancer since 2019. Important roles included the Prince («The Nutcracker»), Franz («Coppélia»), Prince Florimund («The Sleeping Beauty»), Prince Siegfried («Swan Lake») in choreographies by Peter Wright; Romeo in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Romeo and Juliet»; Colas in Frederick Ashton’s «La Fille mal gardée»; the Prince («Cinderella»), Beast («The Beauty and the Beast»), Albrecht («Giselle») and Otello («Shakespeare Suite») in choreographies by David Bintley.
He also performed in works by Carlos Acosta, Edward Clug, Jiří Kylián, Juliano Nunes, Twyla Tharp, and Uwe Scholz. Since the 2023/24 season, Brandon Lawrence has been Principal Dancer at Ballett Zürich and has danced leading roles in choreographies by Cathy Marston («Atonement», «The Cellist», «Snowblind», «Clara»), Marco Goecke, Wayne McGregor, Bronislava Nijinska, Mthuthuzeli November, Jerome Robbins, Christian Spuck, Kenneth MacMillan, Bryan Arias, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, and Kim Brandstrup.
In 2025, he received the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Countertime5 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 6 Dec 2025 Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Chandler Dalton

Chandler Dalton is American. He received his training at the School of Richmond Ballet and the Houston Ballet Academy. At Houston Ballet, he was promoted to Principal and danced roles such as James in Bournonville’s «La Sylphide», Bluebird and Pas de Quatre in Ben Stevenson’s «Sleeping Beauty», the Pas de trois in George Balanchine’s «Emeralds», and leading roles in ballets by John Neumeier, Jerome Robbins, Christopher Bruce, and Justin Peck.
Since the 2023/24 season, Chandler Dalton has been a member of Ballett Zürich, where he has appeared in the title role of Marco Goecke’s «Nijinski» and as Johannes Brahms in Cathy Marston’s «Clara». He has also performed in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle» (Peasant Pas de deux), William Forsythe’s «In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated», and in ballets by Crystal Pite, Christian Spuck, Wayne McGregor, Kenneth MacMillan, and Marcos Morau.

Clara13 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 19 Apr 2026

Marià Huguet

Marià Huguet is from Spain. He received his dance training at the Classical Ballet School in Girona, the Royal Ballet School, and the Hamburg Ballet School. From 2016 to 2023, he danced with the Hamburg Ballet John Neumeier, performing in Neumeier’s productions of «Anna Karenina», «Ghost Light», «Dona Nobis Pacem», «Nijinsky», «The Lady of the Camellias», and «A Midsummer Night’s Dream». Since the 2023/24 season, Marià Huguet has been a member of the Ballett Zürich. Here, he performed as Johannes Brahms in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», Kai in Kim Brandstrup’s «Of Light, Wind and Waters», Wilfried in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», as well as in choreographies by Marcos Morau, Christian Spuck, Wayne McGregor, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, and Bryan Arias.

Clara14 / 20 Dec 2025 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Joel Woellner

Joel Woellner is Australian. He completed his training at the Ben Stevenson Academy of Houston Ballet and with Houston Ballet II. In 2013, he was a two-time prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne. After performing with Houston Ballet, he was a Principal Artist with Queensland Ballet from 2015 to 2024.
Joel Woellner danced Des Grieux in «Manon» by Kenneth MacMillan, Valmont in «Dangerous Liaisons» by Liam Scarlett, Oberon in Scarlett’s «A Midsummer Night’s Dream», Prince Ivan in Scarlett’s «The Firebird», and Prince Siegfried in «Swan Lake» by Ben Stevenson, as well as in choreographies by Greg Horsman, Christopher Bruce, and Jiří Kylián.
Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich. Here, he has appeared as Johannes Brahms in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», as Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Kenneth MacMillan, Crystal Pite, Bryan Arias, and Kim Brandstrup.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 Nov / 5 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 19 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Esteban Berlanga

Esteban Berlanga is from Spain. After his training at the Royal Conservatory of Albacete and the Professional Dance Conservatory of Madrid, he danced with the English National Ballet from 2006 to 2013. There, he was promoted to principal dancer in 2012. Among other roles, he danced Prince Siegfried in Derek Dean’s «Swan Lake», the prince in Kenneth MacMillan’s «The Sleeping Beauty», Albrecht in Mary Skeaping’s «Giselle», the Nutcracker in Wayne Eagling’s choreography, and Frédéric in Roland Petit’s «L’Arlésienne». For David Dawson’s «Faun(e)», he was nominated for the «Benois de la Danse». From 2013 to 2018, he was principal dancer at the Compañia Nacional de Danza de España. Since the 2018/19 season, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich, and since 2022, a principal dancer. He appeared in the title role of Marco Goecke’s «Nijinski» and danced leading roles in choreographies by Christian Spuck (including «The Sleeping Beauty»; «Anna Karenina») and Cathy Marston («The Cellist»; «Snowblind»).
In 2024, he received the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 6 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Mlindi Kulashe

Mlindi Kulashe is from South Africa. He trained at the English National Ballet School. From 2013 to 2022, he danced with Northern Ballet in Leeds, performing many leading roles. Since early 2023, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich. Here, he appeared in choreographies by Cathy Marston, including as Cello («The Cellist»), Officer («Atonement»), and Wieck («Clara»). As part of the «Next Generation» series, he choreographed his own piece titled «Molo».

Clara19 Dec 2025 / 24 Apr 2026

Pablo Octávio

Pablo Octávio is Brazilian. He studied at Mannheim University of Music and Performing Arts. He was a finalist at the Prix de Lausanne in 2011. From 2012 to 2023, he danced at Badisches Staatsballett Karlsruhe. Important roles there included Romeo, Mercutio, and Benvolio in Kenneth MacMillan’s «Romeo and Juliet», Prince in Youri Vamos’ «The Nutcracker», Lucentio in John Cranko’s «The Taming of the Shrew», and Albrecht in David Dawson’s «Giselle». Since the 2023/24 season, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich, performing the title role in Marco Goecke’s «Nijinski», Joseph Joachim in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», the Peasant Pas de Deux in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and in choreographies by Jerome Robbins, Marcos Morau, Wayne McGregor, and Crystal Pite.

Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 6 Dec 2025 Clara13 Dec 2025

Kilian Smith

Kilian Smith holds British and Irish citizenship. He danced at the National Ballet of Portugal in choreographies by Fernando Duarte and Akram Khan. During his engagement with the Polish National Ballet, he performed in Wayne McGregor’s «Infra» as well as the roles of Mercutio («Romeo and Juliet»), Trinculo («The Tempest»), and Renfield («Dracula») by Krzysztof Pastor. Since the 2023/24 season, Kilian Smith has been a member of the Ballett Zürich.

Oiseaux Rebelles18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 Nov / 5 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara14 / 20 Dec 2025 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Wei Chen

Wei Chen is from the USA and trained at Boston Ballet School, Margo Marshall’s School of Ballet, Walnut Hill School, and Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. At the Royal Ballet of Flanders, he danced Siegfried in Marcia Haydée’s «Swan Lake» and Prince Désiré in «The Sleeping Beauty», as well as Lenski in Cranko’s «Onegin». He has also performed in choreographies by Balanchine, Bournonville, Dawson, Forsythe, Godani, McGregor, Nureyev, Pite, Stevenson, and Wheeldon. Since the 2013/14 season, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich, performing in works by Douglas Lee, Jiří Kylián, Marco Goecke, Edward Clug, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite. He also danced Romeo and Mercutio in Christian Spuck’s «Romeo and Juliet», Benno in Ratmansky’s «Swan Lake», Coppelius in Spuck’s «Sandmann», Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and the Cello in Cathy Marston’s «The Cellist». In 2023, he received the «Dance Prize of the Friends of Ballett Zürich».

Oiseaux Rebelles18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 Nov / 5 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara19 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Shelby Williams

Shelby Williams holds American and Italian citizenship. She studied at Houston Ballet Academy, Washington School of Ballet, and Dancer’s Workshop Baton Rouge (Louisiana, USA). After engagements with Semperoper Ballet, Corella Ballet, and Ballet d’Europe, she was a soloist at Ballett Mainz, Hessisches Staatsballett Wiesbaden, and from 2016 to 2023 at Royal Ballet of Flanders. In 2017 and 2018, she was nominated for «Best Performance by a Female Dancer» and «Best News» in the «Critic’s Choice Awards» by Dance Europe Magazine. She danced Pina/Malou in Pina Bausch’s «Café Müller», Rusalka in the choreography by Alan Lucien Øyen, Myrtha in Akram Khan’s «Giselle», as well as leading roles in choreographies by Martha Graham, Johan Inger, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Andonis Foniadakis, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Anne Teresa De Keersmaeker, Édouard Lock, and Jermaine Spivey. Since the 2023/24 season, Shelby Williams has been a member of Ballett Zürich, where she has danced leading roles in creations by Meryl Tankard, Bryan Arias, and Cathy Marston, and important roles in the repertoire of Marcos Morau, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe, and Mats Ek.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 23 / 25 Oct / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 17 / 19 Apr 2026

Max Richter

Max Richter is from the USA and trained at the International City School of Ballet and Houston Ballet II. Important choreographies during her engagement at Houston Ballet included Cathy Marston’s «Summer and Smoke», Ben Stevenson’s «Sleeping Beauty», and Balanchine’s «Diamonds». Since the 2023/24 season, Max Richter has been a member of Ballett Zürich. Here, she danced leading roles in Cathy Marston’s ballets «Atonement» and «Clara». She also appeared in the title role of Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», as the Bride in Bronislava Nijinska’s «Les Noces», and in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Jerome Robbins, Marcos Morau, Meryl Tankard, Christian Spuck, Marco Goecke, William Forsythe, Kim Brandstrup, and Kenneth MacMillan.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles12 / 18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 / 13 Nov / 2 / 5 / 6 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Joel Woellner

Joel Woellner is Australian. He completed his training at the Ben Stevenson Academy of Houston Ballet and with Houston Ballet II. In 2013, he was a two-time prize winner at the Prix de Lausanne. After performing with Houston Ballet, he was a Principal Artist with Queensland Ballet from 2015 to 2024.
Joel Woellner danced Des Grieux in «Manon» by Kenneth MacMillan, Valmont in «Dangerous Liaisons» by Liam Scarlett, Oberon in Scarlett’s «A Midsummer Night’s Dream», Prince Ivan in Scarlett’s «The Firebird», and Prince Siegfried in «Swan Lake» by Ben Stevenson, as well as in choreographies by Greg Horsman, Christopher Bruce, and Jiří Kylián.
Since the 2024/25 season, he has been a member of Ballett Zürich. Here, he has appeared as Johannes Brahms in Cathy Marston’s «Clara», as Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s «Giselle», and in choreographies by Wayne McGregor, Kenneth MacMillan, Crystal Pite, Bryan Arias, and Kim Brandstrup.

Countertime5 / 7 / 14 Sept 2025 Oiseaux Rebelles18 / 31 Oct / 1 / 9 Nov / 5 / 9 Dec 2025 Clara13 / 19 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Sean Bates

Sean Bates is from the United Kingdom and studied at the Royal Ballet School. He danced with Northern Ballet under the direction of David Nixon and performed in numerous leading roles, including Jay Gatsby in «The Great Gatsby», Romeo in «Romeo and Juliet», and Puck in «A Midsummer Night’s Dream».
After working with Cathy Marston on «Jane Eyre» and «Victoria», he joined Ballett Zürich at the beginning of the 2023/24 season. Here, he has appeared in soloist roles including Marco Goecke’s «Nijinski», Kenneth MacMillan’s «Concerto», as Denis in Cathy Marston’s «Snowblind», and as Bargiel in «Clara».
He has taught at Cape Town City Ballet as well as at various summer schools in the UK, and continues to coach dancers in his free time.

Countertime7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara14 / 19 / 20 Dec 2025 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Daniela Gómez Pérez

Daniela Gómez Pérez is from Cuba. She studied at the Fernando Alonso National Ballet School and the Instituto Superior de Arte de Cuba. From 2015 to 2023, she was Principal Dancer at the Cuban National Ballet. Under Alicia Alonso’s direction, she danced leading roles in «Coppélia», «Giselle», «Swan Lake», and «The Nutcracker». She also appeared in choreographies by Peter Quanz, Brian McDonald, George Balanchine, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Cathy Marston, Ricardo Amarante, Alexei Ratmansky, Uwe Scholz, Ben Stevenson, Mikhail Fokine, and Gemma Bond. For her interpretation of Daniel Proietto’s «Cigne», she was entered into the Golden Book of the Gran Teatro de La Habana. Since the 2023/24 season, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich.

Countertime7 / 14 Sept 2025 Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026

Irmina Kopaczynska

Irmina Kopaczynska was born in Poland. She trained at the National Polish Ballet School in Poznan. She is a multiple prizewinner of the National Polish Ballet Competition and has participated in «Premio Roma» and «Prix de Lausanne». After two seasons with the Junior Ballet, she has been a member of Ballett Zürich since the 2011/12 season. She danced the Silver Fairy in Mats Ek’s «Sleeping Beauty», Betsy in Christian Spuck’s «Anna Karenina», the Nurse in Spuck’s «Romeo and Juliet», and the Mother in Marco Goecke’s «Nijinski». She has also appeared in many other works by Christian Spuck and choreographies by William Forsythe, Iacopo Godani, Marco Goecke, Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Marcos Morau, and Crystal Pite.

Clara19 Dec 2025 / 12 / 24 Apr 2026

Ragna Schirmer

Pianist Ragna Schirmer performs worldwide in major concert halls with renowned conductors and chamber music partners. Her interpretations are characterized by subtle nuance, meticulous attention to detail, and a search for hidden historical and contemporary connections. Early in her career, the award-winning artist attracted wide attention with her recording of Bach’s "Goldberg Variations," which marked a striking CD debut. For her complete recording of the keyboard suites by Georg Friedrich Händel, she was honoured with the Händel Prize of the City of Halle. In 2003 and 2009 she received the ECHO Klassik. Her discography comprises 19 CDs, 2 DVDs, and one vinyl recording. In addition to moderated piano recitals, she appears in cross-genre theatre productions written and staged specifically for her, including the 2012 premiere of "Blendwerk" with Christian Brückner and the production "Ich könnte lachen vor Todesschmerz" with Dominique Horwitz. A central focus of her artistic work is the life and music of Clara Wieck-Schumann. In 2015 she released the CD "Liebe in Variationen" exploring the relationships between Clara and Robert Schumann and Johannes Brahms; in 2017 this was followed by an album featuring the composer’s Piano Concerto Op. 7. In the 2019 Clara Schumann anniversary year, Schirmer celebrated the pianist and composer with the recording "Madame Schumann" and with more than 100 concerts, for which she received the Schumann Prize of the City of Zwickau. In 2023 she was "Artiste étoile" at the Mozartfest Würzburg. Since the 2025/26 autumn semester, Ragna Schirmer has been Professor of Piano at the Zurich University of the Arts.

Clara13 / 14 / 19 / 20 / 26 / 28 Dec 2025 / 11 / 12 / 17 / 19 / 24 Apr 2026
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Ballett Zürich
Junior Ballett
Studierende der Tanz Akademie Zürich

Abstract

Clara Schumann was very likely the most important pianist of her time. Her life – as a daughter, artist, wife, mother, carer, manager, and muse – was full of ups and downs, and she devoted it entirely to music. In a world dominated by men, she displayed a degree of independence and self-determination that was astonishing for a woman of her time.

Cathy Marston follows the path of this exceptional artist, and focuses on Clara and her divorced parents, her relationship with Robert Schumann, and her connection with Johannes Brahms in her ballet, which premiered in 2024. She tells of devotion and passion, inspiration and responsibility.

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Trailer «Clara»

Photo Gallery «Clara»

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Synopsis

Discover the heart of every story: Our synopses provide guidance on the plot of the piece and the conflicts that drive its characters.

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Synopsis

Discover the heart of every story: Our synopses provide guidance on the plot of the piece and the conflicts that drive its characters.

 

Act 1
It all begins with the keys. A wooden box. Hammers. Strings. Seven notes of the scale, from which everything else will come. Clara, daughter of musicians Friedrich and Mariane Wieck. Friedrich is a piano teacher and Clara is his project, the proof of his teaching method. Meanwhile, the marriage is failing, and Mariane is moving away to live with Adolph Bargiel, another musician. She wants Clara to come with her, but Wieck is not ready to see his brilliant daughter fall into the hands of another. Robert Schumann, precocious composer, seeks out Wieck to be his teacher and finds himself at the keyboard with Clara, two prodigious talents side by side. But Clara is still a girl and Robert is a young man and his eye is drawn towards Wieck’s maid, Christel, and his thirst towards the taverns of the town. Clara turns sixteen and premieres her own piano concerto. The man she most wants to hear her play arrives late; yet when he comes, he sees her for the first time as a woman, no longer a girl. But Wieck is not ready to see his brilliant daughter fall into the hands of another. He instructs lawyers and a chaperone and plans concert tours to keep Robert and Clara apart. Torn between her father and her love, Clara finally makes her choice: she will be Robert’s wife.

Act 2
Clara and Robert Schumann, wife and husband, wife and composer, mother and father of many children. Hard to compose when your house is so full. Hard to compose when your head is so full. Hard to live when you can’t compose. Clara can nurse him, but the world and Robert expect him to provide.  Clara, impresaria and fixer, seeks a solution: she plans a concert to showcase her husband’s work, to gain him a position that will support his family. They succeed, until Robert starts to lose control of time, of the music, of his mind. Clara Schumann, wife, mother, nurse, starts to run out of ideas. In the darkest hour an angel comes. Johannes Brahms, precocious composer, seeks out Robert to be his mentor. They play together, two prodigious talents side by side. Clara and Robert delight in their new companion, who inspires one and supports the other. Johannes and his music become Robert’s new obsession and he will not rest until the world recognises his genius. He will not rest. He will not rest. He cannot rest until he can seek an escape from the world. He heads to the banks of the Rhine.

Act 3
Robert Schumann is shut away from the world and his doctors will not permit his wife to see him. Clara Schumann, left to support her family alone, seeks help, from their friend Joseph Joachim. And from Johannes. Clara and Johannes, their shared love for Robert holds them apart. They want to be with each other, they should not be with each other – are they with each other? When Robert dies, there is no obstacle to Clara and Johannes being together apart from themselves. But Clara Schumann, Wieck’s prodigy, stellar pianist, mother, nurse, impresia, muse and Robert Schumann’s widow is more than Johannes can compass. Johannes makes his choice: he moves away to live with his music. And Clara continues to play. And to play. And to play.