Considered one of the most important choreographers of the late 20th century, William Forsythe led the Ballett Frankfurt from 1984 to 2004 and The Forsythe Company from 2005 to 2015, later renamed Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company. He returns to collaborate with the company for the first time, creating a new piece based on improvisation. Like a kaleidoscope, within a clear and structured framework, the choreographer lets unpredictable and surprising patterns emerge, inviting the dancers to explore the movement system they have created to its fullest extent. The audience’s task is to follow this exploration and experience the work as a living, pulsating system. In an ideal “passing of the baton”, the second part of the program features the Greek choreographer and dancer Ioannis Mandafounis, who trained in the ranks of Forsythe Company and is now the company’s director. His Lisa is an experiment in “live choreography,” in which the dancers spontaneously take possession of the stage, accompanied by the music of Gabriel Fauré and the verses of poet and essayist Osip Mandel’štam. Through text, music, and dance, the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company offers an artistic vision that intertwines its historical roots with contemporary experimentation.
William Forsythe has been active in the field of choreography for over 50 years. His work is acknowledged for reorienting the practice of ballet from its identification with classical repertoire to a dynamic 21st-century art form. Forsythe danced with the Joffrey Ballet and later the Stuttgart Ballet, where he was appointed Resident Choreographer in 1976. In 1984, he began a 20-year tenure as director of the Ballet Frankfurt, after which he founded and directed The Forsythe Company until 2015. Forsythe’s deep interest in the fundamental principles of organization of choreography has led him to produce a wide range of projects, including installations, films, and web-based knowledge creation. While his work for the stage resides in the repertoire of ensembles worldwide, his installations are presented internationally in exhibitions and museums. Forsythe has received numerous awards, including the Leone d’Oro at the Venice Biennale, Der FAUST German Theatre Award, and the Kyoto Price, all for lifetime achievement.
Ioannis Mandafounis was born in Athens and studied dance at the Paris Conservatory. He danced with GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, Nederlands Dans Theater II, and The Forsythe Company. In 2004, he began his career as a choreographer. From 2009 onwards, he was part of the successful Frankfurt-based collective Mamaza. At the same time, he led his own company in Switzerland and toured worldwide. Throughout his career, he has been commissioned to create works for a variety of international companies, including Lyon Opera Ballet, the Grand Théâtre de Genève, Corpus at the Royal Danish Ballet, the Greek National Opera Ballet, the National Theater in Athens, Theater Junge Generation Dresden, Norrdans, the Gärtnerplatztheater in Munich, and Regionteater Väst. Additionally, his works have been performed at many renowned theaters worldwide. In 2002, he received an award from the Greek Ministry of Culture, and in 2015, he was recognized with the Swiss Culture Prize in the category “Outstanding Male Dancer.” With À la carte, his first creation for the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company, he was nominated for the prestigious German theater award DER FAUST in 2024. Based on the choreographic method he has developed, Mandafounis’ work is characterized by a highly participatory approach and a constant search for innovative ways to involve the audience in his performances. Offering people an authentic and profound dance experience, thus bringing them closer to this art form, is the driving force behind his creativity.
Choreography William Forsythe
Dance Dancers of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company
Choreographic Assistant Cyril Baldy
Light Tanja Rühl
Costumes Dorothee Merg
Photo: Dominik Mentzos
In Coproduction with DE SINGEL – International Arts Centre and the Romaeuropa Festival. With support of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels.
The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company is supported by the state capital Dresden and the Free State of Saxony as well as the city of Frankfurt am Main and the state of Hesse. Company-in-Residence at HELLERAU – European Center for the Arts in Dresden and at Bockenheimer Depot in Frankfurt am Main.
