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| Richard Siegal | |
|---|---|
| Name | Richard Siegal |
| Birth date | 1977 |
| Birth place | London, England |
| Occupation | Choreographer, dancer, artistic director, teacher, writer |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Known for | Choreography, Nederlands Dans Theater II, Ballet of Difference |
Richard Siegal is an English-born choreographer, dancer, teacher, and writer known for hybrid contemporary ballet and interdisciplinary projects that bridge contemporary dance, classical ballet, visual arts, theatre, and music. He has created works for international companies and institutions and founded companies exploring alternative modes of production and presentation. Siegal’s practice has engaged with festivals, museums, and opera houses across Europe and the Americas.
Siegal was born in London and raised in the United Kingdom, receiving early training at regional conservatories before attending professional programs associated with institutions like the Royal Ballet School and the London Contemporary Dance School. He pursued advanced study and professional apprenticeships with companies including Nederlands Dans Theater and studied repertory by choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, and Mats Ek. His formative encounters included workshops and residencies at venues like Bates Dance Festival, Jacob's Pillow, Stella Adler Studio of Acting, and conservatories linked to New York University, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Codarts.
Siegal’s early professional years included dancing with ensembles such as Nederlands Dans Theater II and freelancing with groups tied to choreographers like William Forsythe, Jirí Kylián, Ohad Naharin, Sharon Eyal, and Marco Goecke. He established a choreographic trajectory that led to commissions from institutions including Ballet Frankfurt, Deutsche Oper Berlin, Staatsballett Berlin, Nederlands Dans Theater, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Batsheva Dance Company, Het Nationale Ballet, Los Angeles Dance Project, Royal Danish Ballet, Stuttgart Ballet, Wiener Staatsoper, and the Municipal Theatre of Santiago. Siegal’s interdisciplinary projects have been presented at festivals like Spoleto Festival USA, Performa Biennial, Venice Biennale, Edinburgh International Festival, Schleswig-Holstein Musik Festival, and Aldeburgh Festival.
Siegal’s choreography synthesizes techniques and choreographic philosophies drawing on traditions associated with ballet, contemporary dance, and the experimental methods of choreographers like William Forsythe, Merce Cunningham, Pina Bausch, Trisha Brown, and Alvin Ailey. His work often intersects with visual artists such as Olafur Eliasson, Tatiana Trouvé, Marcel Duchamp-inspired conceptual frameworks, and collaborations with composers in the lineages of Steve Reich, John Adams, Philip Glass, and Gustavo Santaolalla. Siegal’s practice engages dramaturgs, set designers, and costume designers connected to museums and theatres including the Museum of Modern Art, Tate Modern, Kunsthalle Zürich, Centre Pompidou, and the Hayward Gallery.
Notable choreographies include evening-length and chamber pieces created for companies such as Nederlands Dans Theater II, Ballet of Difference, Staatsballett Berlin, Royal Opera House, Nationaltheatret, BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), and the Bolshoi Theatre’s contemporary initiatives. He has collaborated with composers and musicians affiliated with ensembles like the London Sinfonietta, Ensemble Modern, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Kronos Quartet, and soloists connected to the Juilliard School and Royal Academy of Music. Visual and stage collaborations have involved designers from institutions including the Royal Opera House, Volksbühne, Theatre du Chatelet, Wuppertal Tanztheater, and galleries such as Gagosian Gallery and Serpentine Galleries.
Siegal founded companies and collectives to explore pluralistic production models, including an ensemble known as Ballet of Difference and project-based companies that worked with producers from Sadler's Wells, Royal Opera House, La Scala, Cologne Opera, DeLaMar Theater, and Théâtre de la Ville. He has held artistic leadership and guest artistic director roles at institutions and festivals such as Nederlands Dans Theater, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, BAM, Leipzig Opera, Bregenz Festival, and university-based centers like NYU Tisch, Royal Conservatoire The Hague, and the Zurich University of the Arts.
Siegal’s work has received awards, nominations, and prizes from organizations such as the Prince Claus Fund, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, European Cultural Foundation, Prix Benois de la Danse considerations, and recognition from national arts councils including the Arts Council England, the Netherlands Performing Arts Fund, and the Staatsministerium Baden-Württemberg. He has been honored with fellowships, commissioning grants, and critiques in leading cultural outlets tied to institutions like The Guardian, New York Times, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Le Monde, and Die Zeit.
Siegal has taught at conservatories and universities connected to Royal Ballet School, Nederlands Dans Theater's school programs, Codarts Rotterdam, NYU Tisch School of the Arts, Juilliard School, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, and summer programs at Jacob's Pillow and Bates College. His writings and talks have appeared in publications and platforms associated with organizations such as Dance Magazine, Ballet Review, Theatre Communications Group, European Dancehouse Network, International Theatre Institute, and conferences at institutions like MIT, Columbia University, and Goldsmiths, University of London.
Category:Choreographers Category:British dancers Category:Contemporary dance