- Kenneth von Heidecke
Kenneth von Heidecke (born in
December 30 ,1952 inChicago ) is an Americandancer ,choreographer , and thefounder andartistic director ofVon Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet and Von Heidecke School of Ballet.Dance career
Von Heidecke's professional career was launched in 1975, when he was chosen as one of two male dancers for
George Balanchine ’s world premier of “Orfeo ed Euridice ” withLyric Opera Ballet inChicago [ Smith, Sid. "Tallchief puts stamp on 'Nutcracker'" [http://www.chicagotribune.com/ Chicago Tribune] ,December 4 ,2005 Retrieved on2007 -10-16 . ] . During production of “Orfeo ed Euridice ,” von Heidecke was trained by legendaryprima ballerina Maria Tallchief , one of the greatest Americanballerina s [ Maria Tallchief with Larry Kaplan, "Maria Tallchief: America's Prima Ballerina",Henry Holt and Co. , publishedApril 15 ,1997 , ISBN 0-8050-3302-5. ] . Von Heidecke continued his studies with Tallchief after theOrfeo production, and Tallchief became his mentor, coaching him in the theBalanchine method and repertoire.Von Heidecke continued dancing professionally with
Chicago City Ballet ,Lyric Opera Ballet , Columbus’Ballet Met ,National Ballet of Italy , andArena di Verona ofItaly . In 1981, however, a mid-air collision with another dancer completely severed the ligaments in his knees and his professional dance career ended [ Alleman, Annie. "From tragedy to triumph" [http://www.jolietheraldnews.com/ Joliet Herald News] ,November 28 ,2000 Retrieved on2007 -10-16 . ] .Choreography career
In 1983, von Heidecke returned to the world of dance as a
choreographer and began staging works forChicago City Ballet andRockford Dance Company . In 1989, he commenced his international choreography career with the world premier of "Les Sirenes " atScotland ’sEdinburgh Festival . His work received rave reviews from Britaindance critic ,Nicholas Dromgoole , in London’s Sunday "Daily Telegraph ". [ Nicholas, Dromgoole. London’s "Daily Telegraph " [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/ website] Retrieved on2007 -10-11 .]From 1990 – 1996, von Heidecke choreographed for
Kennedy Music Center Opera ,Los Angeles Music Center Opera , and the 1996 U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team. In 1997, he was invited tochoreograph four premieres for "An Evening of Ballet" at theBadisches Staatstheater inKarlsruhe, Germany .During the next decade, he choreographed for groups such as
New York City Opera ,San Francisco Opera ,Dallas Opera ,Lyric Opera of Chicago ,National Ballet of Panama andSan Diego Opera .Von Heidecke has also coached numerous opera stars in stylized movement, including
Placido Domingo ,Luciano Pavarotti ,Denyce Graves ,June Anderson ,Viktoria Vizzen andKarita Mattila .Chicago Festival Ballet and School
In 1990, von Heidecke received a grant from the
Chicago Artists' Coalition , which he used to found his professionalballet company ,Chicago Festival Ballet , a troupe performing a repertoire of classical, romantic and neoclassical works in venues around theUnited States .Also in 1990, von Heidecke opened the doors to the Von Heidecke School of Ballet in
Naperville, Illinois , later expanding the school to include locations inJoliet, Illinois andChicago, Illinois . The school provides professional instruction in the RussianVaganova method andBalanchine method , with curriculum designed for students wishing to pursue a professional career in dance.Maria Tallchief has served as artistic advisor to theChicago Festival Ballet and Von Heidecke School of Ballet since its founding [ Mauro, Lucia. "Ballet bounty" [http://www.dance-teacher.com/ "Dance Teacher Magazine"] , September, 2001 Retrieved on2007 -10-16 .] . OnNovember 7 2006 , TheMetropolitan Museum of Art inNew York presented a special tribute toMaria Tallchief titled "A Tribute to Ballet Great Maria Tallchief" whereTallchief officially named von Heidecke as herprotégé . [ Dawn, Aulet. "Around Town: a high honor" [http://www.suburbanchicagonews.com/heraldnews/index.html/ "Joliet Herald News"] ,November 19 ,2006 Retrieved on2007 -10-11 .]Selected choreography
*
Von Heidecke’s Chicago Festival Ballet
**"The Nutcracker "
**"Cinderella "
*San Diego Opera
**"Aida "(2008)
** "Samson and Delilah" (2007)
**"Ariodante "(2002)
**"Romeo et Juliette "(1996)
*National Ballet of Panama
**"Dracula "(2006)
*Lyric Opera of Chicago
**"Carmen "(2005-2006)
**"Don Giovanni "(2004-2005)
**"Samson and Delilah "(2003-2004)
**"Lucia di Lammermoor " (2003-2004)
**"Le nozze di Figaro "(2003-2004)
**"Die Fledermaus "(1999-2000)
**"Carmen "(1999-2000)
**"La Gioconda "(1998-1999)
**"Le nozze di Figaro" (1997-1998)
*"The Ghosts of Versailles "(1996-1997)
**"Aida "(1994-1995)
**"The Bartered Bride " (1992-1993)
**"Un ballo in maschera "(1992-1993)
**"Mefistofele "(1991-1992)
**"Antony and Cleopatra "(1991-1992)
**"Le nozze di Figaro "(1991-1992)
**"L'elisir d'amore "(1991-1992)
**"Alceste "(1990-1991)
**"Eugene Onegin "(1990-1991)
**"The Voyage of Edgar Allan Poe " (1990-1991)
**"Lucia di Lammermoor (1990-1991)
**"Rigoletto "(1990-1991)
**"Samson and Delilah (1989-1990)
**"Die Fledermaus (1989-1990)
**"Hamlet "(1989-1990)
**"La sonnambula "(1988-1989)
**"La traviata "(1988-1989)
**"Aida "(1988-1989)
**"Faust "(1987-1988)
**"Le nozze di Figaro "(1987-1988)
**"La forza del destino "(1987-1988)
**"Un ballo in maschera "(1986-1987)
*Dallas Opera
**"Don Giovanni "(2003)
**"Turandot "(2003)
**"Le nozze di Figaro "(2002)
**"La traviata "(2000)
**"Die Fledermaus "(1999)
**"Un ballo in maschera "(1998)
**"Ariodante "(1998)
**"Turandot "(1997)
*"Carmen "(1996)
**"The Tempest "(1996)
**"Romeo et Juliette "(1995)
**"La Traviata "(1993)
**"Jenufa "(1993)
**"Eugene Onegin "(1992)
**"Le nozze di Figaro "(1991)
*San Francisco Opera
**"Samson and Delilah "(2007)
**"Jenufa "(2001)
*New York City Opera "
**"Ariodante] "(1999)
**"An Evening of Ballet" atBadisches Staatstheater ,Karlsruhe, Germany (1997)
**"Palazzo d'oro "
**"Elegie "
**"Les Sirenes "
**"Classical Symphony ".
*U.S. Olympic Gymnastics Team (1996)
*Los Angeles Music Center Opera (1990-1995)
*"Le nozze di Figaro"
*"Rigoletto "
*Kennedy Music Center Opera
**"Aida" (1990)
*Scotland ’sEdinburgh Festival
**"Les Sirenes" (1989)References and footnotes
External links
* [http://www.chicagofestivalballet.com/home.htm Chicago Festival Ballet website]
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