Der Sandmann

After the eponymous short story by E.T.A. Hoffmann
Music by Robert Schumann, Alfred Schnittke and Martin Donner
Swiss première

From 28. May 2016 until 30. June 2016

Schweizerische Erstaufführung
Uraufführung 7. April 2006, Stuttgarter Ballett

  • Duration :
    1 H. 45 Min. Inkl. Pause after 1st part after approx. 50 Min.
  • More information:
    Introduction 45 min before the performance.

Choreography:
Christian Spuck

Christian Spuck

Christian Spuck stammt aus Marburg und wurde an der John Cranko Schule in Stuttgart ausgebildet. Seine tänzerische Laufbahn begann er in Jan Lauwers’ Needcompany und Anne Teresa de Keersmaekers Ensemble «Rosas». 1995 wurde er Mitglied des Stuttgarter Balletts und war von 2001 bis 2012 Hauschoreograf der Compagnie. In Stuttgart kreierte er fünfzehn Uraufführungen, darunter die Handlungsballette Lulu. Eine Monstretragödie nach Frank Wedekind, Der Sandmann und Das Fräulein von S. nach E.T.A. Hoffmann. Darüber hinaus hat Christian Spuck mit zahlreichen namhaften Ballettcompagnien in Europa und den USA gearbeitet. Für das Königliche Ballett Flandern entstand 2006 The Return of Ulysses, beim Norwegischen Nationalballett Oslo wurde Woyzeck nach Georg Büchner uraufgeführt. Das Ballett Die Kinder beim Aalto Ballett Essen wurde für den «Prix Benois de la Danse» nominiert, das ebenfalls in Essen uraufgeführte Ballett Leonce und Lena nach Georg Büchner wurde von den Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, dem Charlotte Ballet, USA, dem Tschechischen Nationalballett Prag und vom Stuttgarter Ballett übernommen. Die Uraufführung von Poppea//Poppea für Gauthier Dance am Theaterhaus Stuttgart wurde 2010 von der Zeitschrift «Dance Europe» zu den zehn erfolgreichsten Tanzproduktionen weltweit gewählt sowie mit dem deutschen Theaterpreis Der Faust 2011 und dem italienischen «Danza/Danza-Award» ausgezeichnet. Christian Spuck hat auch Opern inszeniert: Auf Glucks Orphée et Euridice an der Staatsoper Stuttgart folgten Verdis Falstaff am Staatstheater Wiesbaden sowie Berlioz’ La Damnation de Faust und Wagners Fliegender Holländer an der Deutschen Oper Berlin. Von 2012 bis 2023 war Christian Spuck Direktor des Balletts Zürich. Hier waren seine Choreografien Romeo und Julia, Leonce und Lena, Woyzeck, Der Sandmann, Messa da Requiem, Nussknacker und Mausekönig, Dornröschen und Monteverdi zu sehen. Das 2014 in Zürich uraufgeführte Ballett Anna Karenina nach Lew Tolstoi wurde in Oslo, am Moskauer Stanislawski-Theater, vom Koreanischen Nationalballett und vom Bayerischen Staatsballett ins Repertoire übernommen. 2018 hatte in Zürich Spucks Ballett Winterreise Premiere, für das er mit dem «Prix Benois de la Danse 2019» ausgezeichnet wurde. 2019 folgte beim Ballett Zürich Helmut Lachenmanns Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern (Auszeichnung als «Produktion des Jahres und Kompanie des Jahres für das Ballett Zürich durch die Zeitschrift tanz). Für das Moskauer Bolschoitheater kreierte er 2021 sein Ballett Orlando nach Virginia Woolf. Spucks Messa da Requiem wurde nicht nur zum Adelaide Festival nach Australien eingeladen, sondern auch vom Het Nationale Oper & Ballet Amsterdam und vom Finnischen Nationalballett übernommen. Seit Beginn der Saison 2023/24 ist Christian Spuck Intendant des Staatsballetts Berlin.

Messa da Requiem20 / 22 / 28 Feb / 1 / 5 / 7 Mar / 6 Apr 2026
Music Direction:
Riccardo Minasi

Riccardo Minasi

Riccardo Minasi wurde in Rom geboren. 2022 wurde er zum Musikdirektor des Teatro Carlo Felice sowie zum Künstlerischen Leiter des Orchestra La Scintilla ernannt, mit dem er bisher Opern wie Don Giovanni und Die Entführung aus dem Serail, das Ballett Monteverdi sowie zahlreiche Konzertprogramme, das Album Mozart mit Juan Diego Flórez und eine CD mit Werken von Vivaldi und Verdi realisiert hat. Von 2012 bis 2015 war er Dirigent des von ihm mitbegründeten Ensembles Il pomo d’oro und von 2016 bis 2022 Chefdirigent des Mozarteumorchesters Salzburg. 2016 war er an vier mit dem Echo Klassik ausgezeichneten Alben beteiligt, darunter Haydn-Konzerte sowie Leonardo Vincis Catone in Utica. Als Sologeiger nahm er u.a. die Rosenkranz-Sonaten von Biber auf. Zuletzt wurden seine Aufnahmen von Joseph Haydns Die sieben letzten Worte Christi am Kreuz und C.P.E. Bachs Cellokonzerten mit Jean-Guihen Queyras bei Harmonia Mundi (beide mit dem Ensemble Resonanz) mit dem Diapason d'Or de l'Année ausgezeichnet. Er stand dem Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal als musikhistorischer Berater zur Seite und gab zusammen mit Maurizio Biondi die kritische Ausgabe von Bellinis Norma bei Bärenreiter heraus. Als Dirigent leitete er u.a. das Sinfonieorchester des Bayerischen Rundfunks, das Concertgebouw Orchester, die Staatskapelle Dresden sowie zahlreiche Opernorchester. Jüngst debütierte er mit einem Mozart-Abend bei den Berliner Philharmonikern. Als Solist und Konzertmeister trat er mit dem Orchestra dell’Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, der Accademia Bizantina, Il Giardino Armonico und Le Concert des Nations auf.

Bezuidenhout & Minasi15 Mar 2026
Stage design:
Dirk Becker

Dirk Becker

Dirk Becker studierte am Mozarteum in Salzburg Bühnenbild und ist seitdem als freier Bühnenbildner für Oper, Schauspiel, Ballett und Musical tätig. Eine enge Zusammenarbeit verbindet ihn mit Regisseuren wie Christof Loy, Michael Schulz, Peter Hailer, Christian Spuck, David Bösch, Avishai Milstein, Markus Lobbes und Erich Sidler. Mit Christof Loy erarbeitete er 2007 die Eröffnung der Salzburger Festspiele mit Haydns Armida. 2008 wurde Der Ring des Nibelungen am Nationaltheater Weimar in der Regie von Michael Schulz fertiggestellt, für Alfonso Romero Mora entstand 2009 die Bühne von Don Carlo in Darmstadt. Es folgten Arbeiten für das Theater an der Wien (Der Prinz von Homburg) sowie 2010 u.a. Vivaldis Orlando furioso in Frankfurt und Glucks Alceste für das Musikfestival in Aix-en-Provence, Kopenhagen und die Wiener Staatsoper. 2011 stattete er Schrekers Der ferne Klang am Staatstheater Nürnberg und Schostakowitschs Lady Macbeth von Mzensk am Staatstheater Kassel aus. Das Wagner-Jahr 2013 beschäftigte ihn mit Tristan und Isolde für Nürnberg, Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg für Budapest und Parsifal für Stockholm. Am Musiktheater im Revier schuf er u.a. die Bühnen für Die Dreigroschenoper, Mefistofele und La traviata.

Costumes:
Emma Ryott

Emma Ryott

Emma Ryott trained at Trent Polytechnic with a BA in Theatre Design. Ever since their first collaboration in 2003, Emma Ryott and Christian Spuck continued working together for ballet and opera productions, such as Lulu. Eine Monstretragödie in Stuttgart, Anna Karenina in Zurich, Oslo and Moscow, Romeo und Julia in Zurich, Woyzeck in Oslo and Zurich, Das Fräulein von S. in Stuttgart, Leonce und Lena in Montréal, Stuttgart und Zurich, Der Sandmann in Stuttgart und Zurich, Poppea/Poppea und Don Q. for Gauthier Dance, The Return of Ulysses for das Royal Ballet of Flanders, La Damnation de Faust at the Deutsche Oper Berlin, Falstaff in Wiesbaden and Orfeo ed Euridice in Stuttgart. She also works closely with director Keith Warner. Their collaborations include Mathis der Maler at Theater an der Wien, Manon Lescaut at the English National Opera as well as La Damnation de Faust and Harbison’s The Great Gatsby at the Semperoper Dresden. Other designs were created for Sunset Boulevard and Manon Lescaut (Goteborg), Otello (Salzburg), The Heart of Robin Hood for the Royal Shakespeare Company (awarded with Elliot Norton Award for outstanding design), Rock ‘n Roll by Tom Stoppard (London Royal Court, West End and Broadway), Chekhov-trilogy directed by Jonathan Kent (National Theatre, London) and the New Year’s Day Concert, Vienna, 2016.

Messa da Requiem20 / 22 / 28 Feb / 1 / 5 / 7 Mar / 6 Apr 2026
Lighting designer:
Martin Gebhardt

Martin Gebhardt

Martin Gebhardt war Lichtgestalter und Beleuchtungsmeister bei John Neumeiers Hamburg Ballett. Ab 2002 arbeitete er mit Heinz Spoerli und dem Ballett Zürich zusammen. Ballettpro­duk­­­tionen der bei­den Compagnien führten ihn an re­­­­nom­­­mierte Theater in Eu­ro­­pa, Asien und Amerika. Am Opernhaus Zürich schuf er das Lichtdesign für In­szenie­run­gen von Jürgen Flimm, David Alden, Jan Philipp Gloger, Grischa Asagaroff, Matthias Hartmann, David Pountney, Moshe Leiser/Patrice Caurier, Da­miano Mi­chie­­letto und Achim Freyer. Bei den Salzburger Festspielen kreierte er die Lichtgestaltung für La bohème und eine Neufassung von Spoerlis Der Tod und das Mädchen. Seit der Spielzeit 2012/13 ist Martin Gebhardt Leiter des Beleuchtungswesens am Opernhaus Zürich. Eine enge Zu­sam­men­arbeit verbindet ihn heute mit dem Cho­reo­grafen Christian Spuck (u.a. Win­ter­­reise, Nussknacker und Mause­könig, Messa da Requiem, Anna Karenina, Woy­zeck, Der Sandmann, Leonce und Lena, Das Mädchen mit den Schwefelhölzern). Er war ausserdem Lichtdesigner für die Choreografen Edward Clug (u.a. Strings, Le Sacre du printemps und Faust in Zürich), Alexei Ratmansky, Wayne McGregor, Marco Goecke, und Douglas Lee. Mit Christoph Mar­tha­ler und Anna Viebrock arbeitete er beim Händel-Abend Sale und Rossinis Il viaggio a Reims in Zürich sowie bei Lulu an der Hamburgischen Staatsoper zu­sam­men und mit Jossi Wieler und Sergio Morabito an der Oper Genf für Les Huguenots. 2023 gestaltete er das Licht für Spucks Ballett Bovary beim Staatsballett Berlin und 2024 Rossinis Tancredi an den Bregenzer Festspielen. Ausserdem war er Lichtdesigner bei Atonement von Cathy Marston am Opernhaus Zürich.

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
Choreographic producer:
Birgit Deharde,
Rolando D'Alesio
Dramaturgy:
Jens Schroth,
Michael Küster

Michael Küster

Michael Küster stammt aus Wernigerode (Harz). Nach dem Studium der Germanistik, Kunst- und Sprechwissenschaft an der Universität Halle war er Moderator, Autor und Sprecher bei verschiedenen Rundfunkanstalten in Deutschland. Dort präsentierte er eine Vielzahl von Klassik-Programmen und Live-Übertragungen wichtiger Konzertereignisse, u. a. aus der Metropolitan Opera New York, der Semperoper Dresden und dem Leipziger Gewandhaus. Seit 2002 ist er Dramaturg am Opernhaus Zürich, u. a. für Regisseure wie Matthias Hartmann, David Alden, Robert Carsen, Moshe Leiser/ Patrice Caurier, Damiano Michieletto, David Pountney, Johannes Schaaf und Graham Vick. Als Dramaturg des Balletts Zürich arbeitete Michael Küster seit 2012 u. a. mit Cathy Marston, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Edward Clug, Alexei Ratmansky, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián und Hans van Manen, vor allem aber mit Christian Spuck zusammen (u. a. Romeo und Julia, Messa da Requiem, Winterreise, Dornröschen). An der Mailänder Scala war er Dramaturg für Matthias Hartmanns Operninszenierungen von Der Freischütz, Idomeneo und Pique Dame.

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 Countertime7 / 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


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Coppola William Moore


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Bartlomiej Niziol

2. Violine Xiaoming Wang

Viola Karen Forster

Violoncello Xavier Pignat

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Alexander Jones


Olimpia Anna Khamzina


Coppelius Wei Chen


Spalanzani Dmitry Khamzin


Mutter Irmina Kopaczynska


Vater Jesse Fraser


Siegmund Daniel Mulligan

1. Violine Bartlomiej Niziol

2. Violine Xiaoming Wang

Viola Karen Forster

Violoncello Xavier Pignat

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Coppola William Moore


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Ada Pesch

2. Violine Keisuke Okazaki

Viola Valérie Szlávik

Violoncello Xavier Pignat

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Coppola William Moore


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Ada Pesch

2. Violine Keisuke Okazaki

Viola Karen Forster

Violoncello Claudius Herrmann

Klavier Thomas Schuch


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Coppola William Moore


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Bartlomiej Niziol

2. Violine Xiaoming Wang

Viola Karen Forster

Violoncello Xavier Pignat

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Coppola William Moore


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Ada Pesch

2. Violine Keisuke Okazaki

Viola Valérie Szlávik

Violoncello Claudius Herrmann

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Alexander Jones


Olimpia Anna Khamzina


Coppelius Wei Chen


Spalanzani Dmitry Khamzin


Mutter Irmina Kopaczynska


Vater Jesse Fraser


Siegmund Daniel Mulligan

1. Violine Ada Pesch

2. Violine Keisuke Okazaki

Viola Valérie Szlávik

Violoncello Claudius Herrmann

Klavier Adrian Oetiker


Nathanael Matthew Knight


Clara Katja Wünsche


Olimpia Viktorina Kapitonova


Coppelius Dominik White Slavkovský


Mutter Francesca Dell'Aria


Vater Tars Vandebeek


Siegmund Wei Chen

1. Violine Bartlomiej Niziol

2. Violine Xiaoming Wang

Viola Karen Forster

Violoncello Xavier Pignat

Klavier Adrian Oetiker

Matthew Knight

Matthew Knight is British. He completed his training at the Elmhurst School and the Royal Ballet School in London. After a season with the Junior Ballett, he joined Ballett Zürich in the 2014/15 season. He presented Jane Doe and Mocambo as part of the «Junge Choreografen» series. He has danced in choreographies by Mats Ek (Cavalier in Dornröschen), William Forsythe, Marco Goecke (Moor in Petruschka), Jiří Kylián, Douglas Lee, Sol León/Paul Lightfoot, Hans van Manen, Wayne McGregor, Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite, and Filipe Portugal. He was Leonce in Christian Spuck’s Leonce und Lena, Nathanael in Spuck’s Der Sandmann and the Clown in Spuck’s Nussknacker und Mausekönig. In 2018 he also appeared as the title roles in Edward Clug’s Faust and in Marco Goecke’s Nijinski. In 2016 he was awarded the «Tanzpreis der Freunde des Balletts Zürich».

Alexander Jones

Alexander Jones comes from Great Britain. He received his dance training at the Royal Ballet School in London. In 2004 he won the gold medal in the Adeline Genée Competition and the Dame Ninette de Valois Prize. In the 2005/06 season he became a member of the Stuttgart Ballet, where he was appointed principal dancer in 2011/12. In Stuttgart he has appeared as Armand Duval in Neumeier’s Kameliendame, Romeo in Cranko’s Romeo und Julia, in the title roles of Cranko’s Onegin and Kevin O’Days Hamlet, as Basilio in Maximiliano Guerra’s Don Quixote and in MacMillan’s Lied von der Erde. He has also danced in choreographies by Balanchine, Robbins, Ashton, Schaufuss, Tetley, Béjart, Haydée, van Manen, Forsythe, Lee, McGregor, Clug, and Spuck. Alexander Jones has been a first soloist of Ballett Zürich since the 2015/16 season. Here he has danced Prince Siegfried in Alexei Ratmansky’s Schwanensee reconstruction, Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s Giselle and Romeo in Romeo und Julia, Nathanael in Der Sandmann and Vronsky in Anna Karenina (all by Christian Spuck), among others.

Katja Wünsche

Katja Wünsche comes from Dresden and was trained at the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin. She has won prizes at numerous ballet competitions. From 1999 to 2012 she danced in the Stuttgart Ballet, including as a principal dance from 2006. She danced leading roles in choreographies by John Cranko (Romeo und Julia, Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung, Onegin), John Neumeier (Endstation Sehnsucht, Die Kameliendame), Marcia Haydée (Dornröschen, La Sylphide, La fille mal gardée) and Christian Spuck (Lulu, Der Sandmann, Leonce und Lena, Das Fräulein von S.) and ballets by Forsythe, Kylián, León/Lightfoot and Goecke. In 2007 she was awarded the German Dance Prize Future (for promising young artists) and the German Theater Prize Der Faust. Katja Wünsche has been a first soloist with Ballett Zürich since the 2012/13 season. She has been seen in Zurich as Julia in Spuck’s Romeo und Julia, Lena in Leonce und Lena, Marie in Woyzeck, Anna Karenina and Kitty in Anna Karenina and Clara in Der Sandmann. She has also performed in choreographies by Sol León/Paul Lightfoot, Douglas Lee, Martin Schläpfer, Wayne McGregor and Marco Goecke. In 2014 she was awarded the «Tanzpreis der Freunde des Balletts Zürich».

Viktorina Kapitonova

Viktorina Kapitonova, who is a native of Russia, studied at the Kazan Ballet School and Moscow’s Bolshoi Theatre Academy. The winner of both the Young Ballet of Russia competition and the Arabesque contest of 2008, from 2005 onwards she danced at the Jalil Opera House in Kazan, performing solo roles in Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, Don Quixote, La Bayadère, Coppélia  and The Nutcracker. She was a member of the Stanislavsky Ballet for the 2008/09 season; and she joined Ballett Zürich in 2010, since when her performances have included Odette/Odile in Heinz Spoerli’s Swan Lake, solos in Spoerli’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Wäre heute morgen und gestern jetzt, ...und mied den Wind  and Goldberg Variations, Rosetta in Christian Spuck’s Leonce and Lena, the nurse in Spuck’s Romeo and Juliet and the leading role in Spuck’s Anna Karenina. She has also been seen in choreographies by Balanchine, Ek, Forsythe, Kylián, Lee, McGregor and Schläpfer. She presented her choreography Two Bodies – One Soul as part of the company’s Young Choreographers programme. As Giselle/Myrtha she was seen in Patrice Bart’s Giselle, alongside Roberto Bolle and Friedemann Vogel. She was also the recipient of the Friends of Ballett Zürich’s Dance Prize for 2015. Last season her roles included Odette/Odile in the reconstruction of Swan Lake by Alexei Ratmansky as well as Olimpia in Christian Spuck’s Der Sandmann.

Anna Khamzina

Anna Khamzina comes from Russia and received her dance education at the Natalia Trishina and Yuly Medvedev School of Classic Dance. She was a principal dancer at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Academic Music Theater in Moscow, where she appeared as Giselle, in the title role of John Neumeier's Die kleine Meerjungfrau (for which she was awarded the Golden Mask Theater Prize), as well as in Vladimir Burmeister's Schwanensee and La Esmeralda, Dmitry Bryantsev's Illusive Ball and Pierre Lacotte’s La Sylphide. She has also worked with choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Jorma Elo and Nacho Duato. From 2013 to 2015 she danced at the Aalto Ballet Theater Essen. There she was seen as the Good Fairy (Cinderella), Titania (Ein Sommernachtstraum) and Giselle (David Dawson). She has been a member of the Ballett Zürich since the 2015/16 season. She has appeared as Odette/Odile in Alexei Ratmansky's Schwanensee reconstruction, as Olympia in Christian Spuck's Der Sandmann, in Forsythe's Quintett and Godani’s rituals from another when, as well as in the title role of Christian Spuck's Anna Karenina.

Dominik White Slavkovský

Dominik White Slavkovský is Slovakian. Trained at the Bratislava Dance Conservatory, he danced for five years in the Ballet of the Slovak National Theater in Bratislava, most recently as a semi-soloist. He has been a member of Ballett Zürich since the 2014/15 season. In choreographies by Christian Spuck he performed the title role of "Woyzeck", as Drosselmeier in "Nutcracker and Mouse King", Coppelius in "The Sandman", Paris in "Romeo and Juliet" and as Death in Edward Clug's "Peer Gynt". He has also danced in choreographies by George Balanchine, Uwe Scholz, Alexei Ratmansky, Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Hans van Manen, Nacho Duato, Marco Goecke, James Kudelka, Vladimir Malakhov and many others. In the series "Young Choreographers" he showed his pieces "How to save the world", "Conspiracy" and "Boyband"

Wei Chen

Wei Chen comes from the USA and received his education at the Boston Ballet School, the Margo Marshall School of Ballet, the Walnut Hill School, and the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. At the Royal Ballet of Flanders he danced in Marcia Haydées Schwanensee (Siegfried) and Dornröschen (Prince Desiré) as well as in Cranko’s Onegin (Lensky). He has also appeared in choreographies by Balanchine, Bournonville, Dawson, Forsythe, Godani, McGregor, Nureyev, Pite, Stevenson, and Wheeldon. He has been a member of Ballett Zürich since the 2013/14 season and has performed in choreographies by Douglas Lee, Jiří Kylián, Marco Goecke, Edward Clug, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite, among others. He also danced Romeo and Mercutio in Spuck’s Romeo und Julia, Benno in Ratmansky’s Schwanensee, Coppelius in Spuck’s Der Sandmann, and Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s Giselle.

William Moore

William Moore is British and studied at the Royal Ballet School in London. He has won prizes at international ballet competitions. He has belonged to the Stuttgart Ballet since 2005 and was appointed as principal dancer there in 2010. Important roles were Siegfried in Schwanensee, Lensky in Onegin and Lucentio in Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (all by John Cranko), Armand in Neumeier’s Kameliendame, Leonce in Christian Spuck’s Leonce und Lena, the title role in Marco Goecke’s Orlando, Albrecht in Giselle by Anderson/Savina, Colas in Ashton’s La fille mal gardée. In 2012 William Moore was awarded the German Theater Prize «Der Faust». Since the 2012/13 season he has been first soloist with Ballett Zürich. Important roles include Romeo in Spuck’s Romeo und Julia, Vronsky in Anna Karenina, the Nutcracker in Spuck’s Nussknacker und Mausekönig, Mephisto in Faust by Edward Clug, Petruschka in the choreography by Marco Goecke, and Diaghilev in Goecke’s Nijinski. He has also appeared in pieces by Wayne McGregor, Sol León/Paul Lightfoot, Douglas Lee, and Jiří Kylián. In 2018 he received the «Tanzpreis der Freunde des Balletts Zürich».

Dmitry Khamzin

Dmitry Khamzin is from Russia. After training at the Perm Ballet School, he performed as a soloist for the Stanislavsky & Nemirovich-Danchenko Musical Theatre in Moscow, where he danced leading roles in choreographies by John Neumeier (The Seagull and The Little Mermaid), Coralli/Petipa (Albrecht in Giselle), Pierre Lacotte (James in La Sylphide), August Bournonville (Gennaro in Napoli), Vasily Vainonen (the prince in The Nutcracker) and Vladimir Burmeister (Swan Lake). He has also appeared in choreographies by Jiří Kylián, Nacho Duato and Jorma Elo. He has twice been nominated for the “Golden Mask” theatre award. After performing with Aalto Ballett Essen from 2013 to 2015, he has joined Ballett Zürich for the 2015/16 season. He has been seen as Spalanzani in Christian Spuck’s Der Sandmann and presented his choreography Work Space as part of the company’s Young Choreographers programme.

Francesca Dell'Aria

Francesca Dell’Aria comes from Italy. She received her training at the Elmhurst School and the Birmingham Royal Ballet. After an engagement with the Slovak National Ballet, she was a member of the Bayerisches Staatsballett from 2010 to 2014. She has belonged to Ballett Zürich since the 2014/15 season and has appeared in choreographies by William Forsythe (New Sleep, workwithinwork, In the middle, The Second Detail), Jiří Kylián (Gods and Dogs, Falling Angels), George Balanchine, Hans van Manen (Kammerballett) Jacopo Godani, Douglas Lee, Edward Clug, Marco Goecke (Nijinski), and Crystal Pite. She also appeared in the title role of Christian Spuck’s Anna Karenina and as Myrtha in Patrice Bart’s Giselle. She was awarded with the «Tanzpreis der Freunde des Balletts Zürich» in 2019.

Irmina Kopaczynska

Irmina Kopaczynska was born in Poland. She studied at the Polish National Ballet School Poznan. She won several prizes in the Polish National Ballet Competition. She also took part in the «Premio Roma» and the «Prix de Lausanne». After two seasons with the Junior Ballett, she became a member of Ballett Zürich starting with the 2011/12 season. She danced the Silver Fairy in Mats Ek’s Dornröschen, Betsy in Christian Spuck’s Anna Karenina, and the Nursemaid in Spuck’s Romeo und Julia. She has also appeared in choreographies by William Forsythe (In the middle, New Sleep), Hans van Manen (Kammerballett), Jiří Kylián (Gods and Dogs, Bella Figura), Iacopo Godani, Edward Clug, Marco Goecke (including the Mother in Nijinski), Douglas Lee, and Crystal Pite.

Tars Vandebeek

Tars Vandebeek was born in Belgium, and studied at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp. He won a gold medal at the International Competition of Dance in Biarritz, also earning the Biarritz City Award, and went on to perform for the Cannes Jeune Ballet and Gauthier Dance. After one year with the Junior Ballet, he joined the main company for the season 2014/15. He has already made a number of appearances on the Zurich stage, such as in Marco Goecke’s Deer Vision and as Levin in Christian Spuck’s Anna Karenina; and he danced the title role in Spuck’s Woyzeck.

Jesse Fraser

Jesse Fraser was born in Saskatoon, Canada. He trained at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School and became a member of the Stuttgart Ballet with the 2010/11 season. There he danced in choreographies by Cranko, MacMillan, Spuck, Haydée, Neumeier, Béjart, Forsythe, Cherkaoui, Goecke, Clug, Volpi, and Stiens. He created the choreographies Back and Forth and Second Self(ie) as a part of the «Young Choreographers» of the Noverre Society series. He has been a member of Ballett Zürich since the 2015/16 season. He has appeared as Paris in Christian Spuck’s Romeo und Julia, as Levin in Spuck’s Anna Karenina, as Hilarion in Patrice Bart’s Giselle, in Marco Goecke’s Petruschka and in choreographies by Jacopo Godani, Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, and Crystal Pite. In the 2019/20 season he appeared in Forsythe’s The Second Detail.

Wei Chen

Wei Chen comes from the USA and received his education at the Boston Ballet School, the Margo Marshall School of Ballet, the Walnut Hill School, and the Houston Ballet’s Ben Stevenson Academy. At the Royal Ballet of Flanders he danced in Marcia Haydées Schwanensee (Siegfried) and Dornröschen (Prince Desiré) as well as in Cranko’s Onegin (Lensky). He has also appeared in choreographies by Balanchine, Bournonville, Dawson, Forsythe, Godani, McGregor, Nureyev, Pite, Stevenson, and Wheeldon. He has been a member of Ballett Zürich since the 2013/14 season and has performed in choreographies by Douglas Lee, Jiří Kylián, Marco Goecke, Edward Clug, William Forsythe, and Crystal Pite, among others. He also danced Romeo and Mercutio in Spuck’s Romeo und Julia, Benno in Ratmansky’s Schwanensee, Coppelius in Spuck’s Der Sandmann, and Albrecht in Patrice Bart’s Giselle.

Daniel Mulligan

Daniel Mulligan comes from Great Britain and studied at the Royal Ballet School in London. After two seasons with the Junior Ballett, he joined Ballett Zürich in the 2009/10 season. He has appeared as a soloist in many of Heinz Spoerli’s choreographies. He danced Mercutio/Benvolio in Christian Spuck’s Romeo und Julia as well as in ballets by Mats Ek (Dornröschen), Hans van Manen (Solo, Kammerballett), Edward Clug (Chamber Minds, Le Sacre du printemps), Sol León/Paul Lightfoot (Skew-Whiff, Speak for Yourself), William Forsythe (Quintett), Jiří Kylián (Gods and Dogs, Stepping Stones, Sweet Dreams), Ohad Naharin (Minus 16), Marco Goecke (Petruschka), Filipe Portugal (Corpus), Douglas Lee, and Crystal Pite. Recent leading roles have included Mephisto in Faust by Edward Clug, Fritz and the Clown in Spuck’s Nussknacker und Mausekönig, as well as Stiva in Spuck’s Anna Karenina.

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Abstract

The German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann owes his reputation as a master of the sinister primarily to his novella entitled The Sandman, published in Berlin in 1817 and considered a key work of Romanticism.
Every evening when the children go to bed, Nathanael’s mother tells the story of the sandman, who tears out the eyes of children who will not go to sleep. After an encounter with an unfamiliar optician, Nathanael, now a student, is once again forced to face his childhood fear of the sandman. The figure of the wicked lawyer Coppelius, who originates from a recurring nightmare that he has had since the violent death of his father, reappears in the guise of a strange man, who attempts to seduce him with the help of Olimpia – but Nathanael’s beautiful beloved turns out to be an automaton. Nathanael’s perception becomes increasingly distorted, and he becomes entangled in a web of demonic hallucinations and illusions from which even his friend Clara cannot show him the way out.
E.T.A. Hoffmann’s short story is a deliberate spoof of the trivial Gothic novels that were so popular with readers during the High Romantic period, not only in Germany, but also in Britain. This earned him the nickname of «Ghost Hoffmann». Variations on his text also found their way into Jacques Offenbach’s opera Les Contes d’Hoffmann and Léo Delibes’ ballet, Coppélia. The duplication of optical and mental delusion that informs the story is the basis of Christian Spuck’s choreographic approach. In his Sandmann, which will be a Swiss première, he finds compelling images with which to portray Nathanael’s inner conflict, accompanied by the music of Robert Schumann and Alfred Schnittke as well as the electronic strains of Martin Donner. With an unerring instinct for the irony and fragmentation of the text, Christian Spuck interprets Hoffmann’s eerie case study as a minimalist albeit opulently expansive story in dance. The sought-after Italian conductor Riccardo Minasi will be at the rostrum.

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