May 27th, 2010 OBT REVIVES FONTE'S TOUR DE FORCE JUNE 4 - 6
The OBT revival of Bolero is Fonte's last production of a very busy 2009-2010 season - one that included creations for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, The Dutch National Ballet and The Royal Ballet of Flanders as well as new productions of both "Bolero" at The Washington Ballet and "Cornered" at The Finnish National Ballet. Another highlight of this season was the Aspen Sante Fe Ballet premiere of his "In Hidden Seconds", from 1999. The company has been earning rave reviews for this emotionally subtle yet powerful work on their tours around the US this spring, including one in which the reviewer flat out begged for her local ballet company to acquire "several" of Fonte's works as, in her words, "His work is too important to be unknown to Philadelphia ballet lovers"!
April 14th, 2010 ECSTATIC REVIEWS FOR FONTE'S MADE MAN - NEW BOLERO OPENING IN WASHINGTON DC
The roar of the audience that followed the premiere of Nicolo Fonte's latest creation for The Royal Ballet of Flanders, "Made Man" was yet another sign that this choreographer is connecting with audiences hungry for dynamic choreography that not only thrills but also provides food for thought.
In his review of the performance, Belgian critic Bert Hertogs writes that "the intensity built so strongly from beginning to end that you could hear a pin drop in the Flemish Opera House."
He also called the RBF performance of "Made Man" "PHEN-O-MEN-AL presentation of thrilling choreography."
Next up: The Washington Ballet premiere of Fonte's "Bolero", created for Oregon Ballet Theater in 2008. Reviewers in Portland called Fonte's work "innovative" and "breath-taking" and also noted the "volcanic approval" of the public to this work - exactly the kind of response that greeted the choreographer when the curtain fell on "Made Man". The Washington Ballet can reasonably expect to generate the same excitement. Premiere April 15, The Harman Center, Washington DC, more info on www.washingtonballet.org.
March 10th, 2010 "MADE MAN" - FONTE'S 4TH CREATION FOR THE ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS PREMIERES ON MARCH 19
The Royal Ballet of Flanders performs "Made Man", a ballet for 12 men and 1 woman, at The Vlaamse Opera in Antwerp on the 19, 20, 21, 26, 27, and 28 of March.
Nicolo Fonte's relationship with The Royal Ballet of Flanders dates back to "Like You" - created in 2002. "Violin Concerto" followed in 2004 and his most recent work for the outstanding dancers of Antwerp was "Cornered" in 2007. Each of these ballets has received subsequent restaging in North America and Europe- with The Finnish National Ballet premiering "Cornered" in May.
February 1st, 2010 FONTE CELEBRATES 10 YEARS OF INSPIRATION
Nicolo Fonte has been proving to audiences and critics alike for the past ten years that his approach to dance is powerfully inspiring- he has had successful productions of his work premiere all over the world since leaving the stage in 2000 to dedicate himself full time to his choreographic career. One of the very first companies to recognize Fonte's unique vision of dance was Aspen Santa Fe Ballet, which commissioned him to create "Everyday Incarnation" in 2000. This February, Nicolo returns to Aspen for a seventh production - the staging of the ballet that first caught the attention of directors Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Pierre Malaty: "In Hidden Seconds". This ballet, created for Nacho Duato's CND in 1999 while Fonte was still a member of the prestigious Spanish company, was largely responsible for Fonte's success in the European dance panorama. Writing in Dance Europe on its premiere, Michelle Mann called "In Hidden Seconds" "a piece where liquid images and quality of movement create contemplative food for thought". When it was subsequently staged for The Gothenburg Ballet in Sweden, critics unanimously praised it with phrases like
"an exquisite piece and an almost mesmerizing experience" (Borås Tidning)
"a nearly perfect scenographic and choreographic gem" (Dagens Nyheter)
"astounding" (GT)
It is easy to see why Aspen Santa Fe Ballet is excited to have the chance to give "In Hidden Seconds" its US premiere. Fonte and the dancers of ASFB have developed an especially close relationship over the past ten years and Fonte could not be happier to see this ballet interpreted by them as he celebrates a milestone in his choreographic career.
The ASFB premiere of "In Hidden Seconds" will take place at The District Theater in Aspen on February 12. The company will perform the work in both its home cities and on tour throughout North America this spring.
Dance International Magazine does an in depth interview with Nicolo in the Fall 2009 Issue.
September 4th, 2009 NICOLO FONTE RETURNS TO THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET WITH "RECORD OF JOY"
Choreographer Nicolo Fonte will premiere his second creation for The Dutch National Ballet on Thursday, September 10th at Amsterdam's Het Muziektheater. "Record Of Joy" is a ballet that takes its inspiration from the heavenly music of Ludwig von Beethoven and is for a cast of eight soloists and a corps of eleven women. Using the second movements from Beethoven's 2nd, 4th and 5th Piano Concertos, Fonte once again bridges the gap between what is classical and what is contemporary in dance by using a classical vocabulary in an expressive and sensitive manner that critics have called wholly unique.
Part of a program called "In The Footsteps of Balanchine", Fonte's creation shares the bill with the master's "Stravinsky Violin Concerto" along with works by Hans Van Manen and Christopher Wheeldon and will be performed through September 19th. The Holland Symfonia will be conducted by Otto Tausk, with Olga Khoziainova as the piano soloist.
September 3rd, 2009 FONTE TALKS 'RECORD OF JOY' - PART 1
Nicolo Fonte talks about the music he has chosen for his new choreography which Nicolo is making especially for Dutch National.
July 2nd, 2009 FONTE'S "QUIET BANG" PREMIERES IN MONTE CARLO JULY 14, 2009
Nicolo Fonte's first commission from Les Ballets de Monte Carlo will receive its world premiere at Les Terrasses du Casino de Monte Carlo in front of Monaco's Grand Casino, on July 14.
In "Quiet Bang", with music by Alva Noto and Ryuichi Sakamoto, Fonte places the cast of nine dancers in a stark yet soft environment in which to explore the possibilities of movement without aggression, without violence. The themes of protection and salvation, always potent in Fonte's work, are here brought out in a touching and somewhat hopeful context. With only the barest hints of a narrative, Nicolo evokes the poetry of the senses and a longing to be at peace.
Fonte is thrilled with the opportunity to work with some of the finest dancers in the world - his experience of collaboration with the cast of "Quiet Bang" is directly reflected in the DNA of the finished work. Performances continue in Monte Carlo through July 18th.
May 10th, 2009 THE BUZZ ABOUT CHOREOGRAPHER NICOLO FONTE KEEPS GROWING
Anyone's list of the most exciting and interesting choreographers working in ballet today has to include Nicolo Fonte, who keeps generating more and more buzz with each new production. Nicolo is one of only a handful of choreographers whose work is consistently seen and produced by major companies in both Europe and the U.S. - consistently sharing bills with giants such as Balanchine, Forsythe and Kylian and creating works for a veritable host of companies around the world.
Fonte's newest work, "The Immeasurable Cadences Within", for Ballet West, will premiere May 14 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City. This dance for 12, to music for solo cello by Philip Glass, follows on the heels of Nicolo's hugely successful narrative ballet for North Carolina Dance Theatre, "Spellbound By Beauty" - inspired by the life and films of Alfred Hitchcock. That daring work, premiered in February, inspired critics to use the words "riveting" "gorgeous" and "extraordinary", and then pair them with "eerie", "creepy" and the phrase "causes the hair to stand up on your arms" - so you know something special has been created.
In between these two creations, Nicolo has staged his "Left Unsaid" for both Ballet Austin and Oregon Ballet Theatre. The critics in Oregon (and the audiences everywhere) were ecstatic in their praise - but don't take my word for it, read the reviews yourself at these links:
After spending the entire winter/spring working with US companies, Nicolo returns to Europe in July to complete his first commission for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and then, in September returns to the Dutch National Ballet for his second work there. Other upcoming productions in Europe include a fourth creation for The Royal Ballet of Flanders and a staging of "Cornered" for The Finnish National Ballet. Productions in the US for next season include OBT's revival of his hit "Bolero" from last year, a new production of the same work for The Washington Ballet and the staging of his break-through work "In Hidden Seconds" for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet.
March 31st, 2009 NICOLO FEATURED IN DANCE EUROPE
A feature interview with Nicolo Fonte is in the new issue of Dance Europe, April 2009. The article discusses Nicolo's recent premiere in North Carolina, the highly acclaimed "Spellbound By Beauty" as well as his upcoming premiere for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo. Critics called Nicolo's work in North Carolina, which was inspired by the obsessions of Alfred Hitchcock, "extraordinary" and "riveting" - so it is not surprising that Dance Europe was so interested in hearing more about this noteworthy project.
Fonte has been extremely busy of late - overseeing productions for Ballet Austin and Oregon Ballet Theater and at the same time he is preparing the work for Monte Carlo, his first commission for Jean-Cristophe Maillot's world-class company. That premiere is July 14th, 2009 at La Terrase, Monte Carlo.
February 20th, 2009 HITCHCOCK BY FONTE IN NORTH CAROLINA
Nicolo Fonte is set to begin work on his first creation of the year, a commission to bring the obsessions and twisted worlds of Alfred Hitchcock to the stage for North Carolina Dance Theatre. The new work is part of NCDT's program A Night At The Movies, premiering in Charlotte on March 5th, 2009. Finding inspiration in three of the late master's most acclaimed films, Fonte is preparing a work that evokes the director's famous "need" to control and subsequently "destroy" his female leads. By weaving together story lines from "Vertigo", "Psycho" and "The Birds" Nicolo Fonte pays homage to the iconoclastic film-maker who was known for a wry sense of humor, impeccable technique and ruthless manipulation. In bringing this world to life Nicolo enlists the rich and memorable music of Bernard Herrmann, Hitchcock's frequent collaborator and one of the most acclaimed composers of cinema. With this new work audiences can expect the same combination of daring theatricality and the distinct approach to movement that sets Nicolo's work apart.
September 22nd, 2008 FONTE'S 08-09 SEASON BEGINS WITH RAVES "DOWN UNDER"
The 08-09 ballet season has just begun but already American choreographer Nicolo Fonte has had his first successful premiere - "The Possibility Space", choreographed for The Australian Ballet. Critics hailed the beauty and power of the dancing as well as the fascinating emotional resonance of the ballet, set to a commissioned score by Australian Ross Edwards. (http://www.nicolofonte.com/index.php?m=reviews) This creation is just the first stop on Fonte's agenda for this season as he will be creating and staging works across the US and in Europe over the course of the coming year. Fonte is surely one of very few American choreographers living today whose work is regularly seen across such a wide expanse of the dance landscape.
In the US Fonte will work for the first time ever with Ballet Austin and Ballet West this season -these are two companies that have been reinvigorated by the arrival of new artistic directors: Stephen Mills in Austin (since 2000) and Adam Sklute in Salt Lake City (in 2007). Ballet Austin is to premiere Fonte's sweet and quirky "Left Unsaid", while Nicolo is to create a new work for Ballet West. Fonte returns to both North Carolina Dance Theater (his third visit to Charlotte) and Oregon Ballet Theater this season as well. Fonte staged a highly successful production of his "Spoken In Red" for NCDT in 2002 and created "Brave" there in 2003. Nicolo's "Bolero" for OBT, which premiered this past February, was a huge success that elicited a "volcanic approval" from audiences there, according to press reports. OBT, like Ballet Austin, will be presenting "Left Unsaid".
In Charlotte, Nicolo has been invited to create a new work that will be performed in a program series focusing on film; he has chosen as his starting point the obsessions and highly stylized drama of the world according to Alfred Hitchcock - taking special note of the films "Vertigo", "Psycho and "The Birds". Finally (for this brings him to July of 2009), Nicolo will create a new ballet for Les Ballets de Monte Carlo, one of the premiere dance institutions in the world. It is, to say the least, an exciting and action-packed season for Nicolo Fonte and one that is sure to win him more admirers around the world.
Look for updates on all of Nicolo's current and future projects, including news on his return to both The Dutch National Ballet and The Royal Ballet of Flanders (in 2009 and 2010 respectively) by checking back often at this website!
July 27th, 2008 NICOLO IN MELBOURNE FOR THE AUSTRALIAN BALLET'S "INTERPLAY"
Nicolo Fonte is currently in Melbourne, Australia creating a new work for The Australian Ballet to be premiered on August 28th at The Arts Center State Theater. "The Possibility Space", for 10 dancers and to a commissioned score by well-known Australian composer Ross Edwards, is part of the "Interplay" program being presented by the Australian company in homage to the spirit of the Ballets Russes. The program of three commissioned ballets, each with an original score, will be presented until the 8th of September in Melbourne and at the Sydney Opera House from 6-25 November. This is Nicolo's 2nd time working with The Australian Ballet: his highly acclaimed "Almost Tango" was staged there in 2004 and received glowing reviews - even garnering a mention in Dance Europe's "Best of 2004" as one of the best contemporary premieres of that year. Nicolo is thrilled to be working with The Australian Ballet once again and feels that the company, under the direction of David McAllister, is wonderfully inspiring and hard-working.
"The Possibility Space" is the choreographer's development of themes first explored by the composer in his composition called "To the Green Island". The evocative score, beautifully melodic and lushly romantic at times, is the backbone of Fonte's vision of both a harsh landscape and a transcendent spirit of invention; the force and heartbreak of creation. As always, Fonte primarily uses the language and the scope of dance - sheer, technically thrilling dance - in his abstract re-interpretation of Edwards' themes. Nicolo has said about the score, "Ross' music is so gorgeously expressive; each episode is like a world unto itself". Fonte also uses the landscape of the theater in a very precise way: he reunites, in "The Possibility Space", with Markus Pysall (costumes and decor) and Brad Fields (lighting) -to create the artificial world on the stage. Both designers worked with Fonte on his full-length "Re: Tchaikovsky" (2005) as well as on numerous other projects in Europe and in the US, so they are a well-knit team. In just 5 weeks' time the result of their collaboration will be seen by thousands of Australian dance-goers in both Melbourne and Sydney.
Look for more information on the opening night and upcoming performances and projects here:
The premiere of Nicolo Fonte's latest creation for Aspen Santa Fe Ballet will take place on July 12th 2008 at the Lensic Theater in Santa Fe, New Mexico and will then travel to the District Theater in Aspen, Colorado for a further 2 performances (July 17th & 19th). "Quartet", with music by Nine Inch Nails and Zoe Keating marks the first time Fonte is working with an all-male cast in this, his sixth creation for ASFB. Also for the first time, Fonte collaborates in "Quartet" with video artist Adam Larsen, whose credits include work on Broadway and with numerous dance companies. Frequent collaborator lighting designer Michael Mazzola also joins in the production team.
Fonte has worked extensively with ASFB since his first creation in Aspen in 2000, "Everyday Incarnation". "Vertical Dream" (2001), "The Same Wall" (2002), "Left Unsaid" (2003), and "It's Not About The Numbers" (2006) have been performed frequently wherever ASFB has toured, both nationally and internationally.
"This is a model of what a small classical company should be" Clive Barnes, Dance Magazine
"Left Unsaid" will be staged next season at both Ballet Austin and Oregon Ballet Theater.
May 17th, 2008 CEDAR LAKE CONTEMPORARY BALLET REVIVES FONTE'S "LASTING IMPRINT"
"Lasting Imprint", premiered in January of 2006, receives its first revival by Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet when the company opens its New York City spring season on June 2, 2008. Cedar Lake, one of the most exciting and dynamic dance companies in the USA, originally commissioned the work by Fonte as part of a program called "Dream Collaborations" - the mysterious and fiercely energetic dance for 9 dancers was hailed for its clarity and poetic subtext, as well as for the impact of the dancers' commitment to Fonte's visceral movement language.
March 12th, 2008 STANDING OVATIONS IN PORTLAND FOR FONTE'S BOLERO
Thunderous applause and standing ovations at the Keller Auditorium performances of Nicolo Fonte's newest creation provided more proof that the internationally renowned choreographer is one of the dance world's "richest resources"1. Fonte's "Bolero", for Oregon Ballet Theater, was called "innovative"2, "dramaticand illuminating"3and "one of (OBT's) finest moments" 1 by dance critics in the local press, but the true jolt of energy felt in the hall at performances of the exciting new work was best expressed by the immediate reaction of the Portland audiences. In describing this reaction, The Portland Tribune referred to the "volcanic approval" of the public jumping to their feet at the first rise of the curtain at the ballet's end (a "breath-taking moment"1) - a description that captures the raw, almost primal response to Fonte's tour de force creation. Check back here for more information on Nicolo Fonte's upcoming projects and premieres!
1 The Portland Tribune 2 The Oregonian 3 The Vanguard
February 5th, 2008 FONTE STARTS 2008 WITH BI-COASTAL PREMIERES
Internationally acclaimed choreographer Nicolo Fonte will unveil 2 new works within the space of five days later this month - for 2 American companies separated by 3000 miles. Fonte is working with both The Washington Ballet (based in Washington D.C.) and Oregon Ballet Theater for the first time ever, in a season that is already noteworthy for the choreographer's reintroduction to the American dance scene after many years based in Europe.
On February 19 Fonte premieres a new work in The Washington Ballet's popular "7 x 7" performance series - contributing a short dance on the theme of love for one lone woman and three men, to music by Handel. Fonte juxtaposes the sacred quality of two arias (in a recording by counter-tenor David Daniels) with a light touch in this wry commentary in which he looks at love as "an accident waiting to happen".
On a much larger scale, Fonte makes his debut with Oregon Ballet Theater on February 23 with a brand new "Bolero" to the well-known score by Ravel - the closing ballet in OBT's "France" program. The dynamic west coast company is sure to pull out all the stops in this powerful work for ten dancers. Fonte and his team have taken their inspiration for this new production from comments made by Ravel himself, preferring a ballet scenario with a somewhat more industrial setting reflecting the mechanical nature of the music - despite the romantic and obvious Spanish musical figures that predominate in what is certainly one of the most popular pieces of music ever composed.
December 8th, 2007 NEW WORK FOR JUILLIARD DANCE TO PREMIERE THURSDAY 13 DECEMBER, 2007
Nicolo Fonte's newest ballet, "Proximity Effect", is a work for Juilliard Dance which will premiere the 13th - 16th of December at the Peter Jay Sharp Theater at Lincoln Center. The ballet is a large-scale work for 16 dancers to music by Alexander von Zemlinsky - a part of famed conductor James Conlon's "Recovered Voices" project. Taking inspiration from the powerful energy in both the music and the talented young dancers of the Juilliard Dance Division, Fonte has created a complex world in a dance - a world that exploits both a playful and mysterious contentiousness that seemed to spring naturally from the situation during the working process - hence the title "Proximity Effect". James Conlon conducting all programs.
November 7th, 2007 NEW FONTE WORK FOR COMPLEXIONS CONTEMPORARY BALLET TO PREMIERE AT THE JOYCE THEATER IN NEW YORK.
New York based Complexions Contemporary Ballet returns to The Joyce Theater for their annual visit this November 13 - 25 and will present a new creation by Nicolo Fonte in the first of their two programs. "Bound", a dance for one woman and two men set to music by Vivaldi and Handel, is Fonte's first collaboration with this dynamic contemporary dance company; New York audiences will have eight chances to see the exciting new dance. With "Bound" the acclaimed choreographer creates an intimate work with an atmosphere both introspective and beautiful, fluid and static, in which the dancers of Complexions are pushed to discover new facets of their dancing through Fonte's trademark movement qualities - what one critic referred to as a "shimmering, transcendental lightness (and a) strongly neoclassical choreographic style".
October 27th, 2007 FONTE'S "CORNERED" RECEIVES A "RAPTUROUS RESPONSE"
Fonte's "Cornered" received a "rapturous response" at this year's edition of Fall For Dance according The New York Times. The "austere" work also impressed the reviewer, who remarked on the "excellent Flanders dancers, (they) capture the sculptural, angled lines of the choreography... (infusing) it with passion and energy."
September 10th, 2007 NEW YORK'S CITY CENTER AND FALL FOR DANCE FEATURES FONTE
Fall For Dance, the hugely popular New York Dance Festival now in its third year at the City Center Theater in New York City will host the US premiere of Nicolo Fonte's recent creation for The Royal Ballet of Flanders, "Cornered" (in a moderately shortened version). Two performances on October 2 and 3 are scheduled, on a program that includes the New York City Ballet and Urban Bush Women, among others. These performances mark the company's US debut under the new direction of Kathryn Bennetts and will undoubtedly spark an interest in this phenomenal European group, which has commissioned three creations from the American choreographer since 2002, "Cornered" being the most recent.
All tickets for the Fall for Dance Festival are $10 and go on sale on Sunday, September 9 at 11:00am.
July 25th, 2007 "LEFT UNSAID" REVIVAL IN ASPEN AND ABROAD
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet's revival of Fonte's 2003 ballet "Left Unsaid", performed in the famed music tent of the Aspen Music Festival on Monday, July 16th with virtuoso soloist Espen Lilleslåten had the capacity crowd of close to two thousand spectators roaring their appreciation of and delight in this finely crafted work for 6 dancers. The performance by the Aspen-based company, the first ever under the auspices of this prestigious annual event, was a high profile warm-up for an upcoming tour to Italy and Greece that will showcase Fonte's work in performances in four cities. This tour marks the first time Fonte's choreography, praised already by critics in Sweden, France, Holland and the USA, will be seen in the Mediterranean countries of Italy and Greece.
Commending performances of "Left Unsaid" in Sweden, Dance Europe critic Maggie Foyer wrote: "Fonte at his best - The choreography is inventive, creating expressive original shapes built on an undercurrent of implicit human relationships."
And Jack Anderson writing in The New York Times (reviewing ASF Ballet at The Joyce in 2004) had this to say: "a choreographer worth knowing... Mr. Fonte's choreography is rich in implications"
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet has conspicuously embraced the work of Nicolo Fonte ever since their first commission, "Everyday Incarnation" in 2001. Since that time Nicolo has created five ballets for the company and is credited by directors Tom Mossbrucker and Jean-Phillipe Malatay for playing an extremely instrumental role in the company's ongoing creative development - a development that has now placed this relatively small group at the forefront of contemporary ballet in America. An established favorite with both dancers and audiences in the company's dual homes, Nicolo will return to make his sixth ballet for the company in May of 2008. In the meantime, audiences on the other side of the Atlantic can see why the company is so proud of their relationship with choreographer Nicolo Fonte at the performances listed below.
July 27: Senigalia, Italy
July 28: Rovigo, Italy
July 29: Florence, Italy
August 4: Sani, Greece
June 8th, 2007 A HIGH PROFILE EVENING OF AMERICAN CHOREOGRAPHERS INTRODUCES NICOLO FONTE TO THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET
The Dutch National Ballet will take part in this year's Holland Festival with a much anticipated evening of dance by American choreographers William Forsythe, Mark Morris and Nicolo Fonte. This is the first time Nicolo is creating for the world-renowned company that is Holland's premiere dance institution, as well as his first time sharing the billing with two of this century's most admired and talked about American choreographers - Forsythe and Morris.
Fonte's work, titled, "(in) verse form" for ten of the company's soloist and principal dancers is anchored by American composer John Adams' energetic yet lyrical "Shaker Loops". The choreographer has described his approach to this ballet as a wish to create something exquisitely beautiful - but with an extra charge of electricity that only highly trained classical dancers can bring! In presenting Fonte's work alongside that of Forsythe and Morris, the Dutch National Ballet is giving its audience the chance to get to know a new voice in American choreography.
Performances of "Forsythe Morris Fonte" at Het Musik Teater June 16-24, 2007
With Holland Symfonia, Andrew Mogrelia conducting
For further information go to www.hetballet.nl
April 8th, 2007 NICOLO FONTE'S "CORNERED" PREMIERES IN ANTWERP, BELGIUM ON APRIL 14TH, 2007 WITH THE ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS.
After a successful "Rhapsody", the rock n roll inspired work made for The Royal Danish Ballet which has had audiences in Copenhagen cheering since its premiere last month, Nicolo Fonte is moving to a completely different kind of rhythm in Antwerp with The Royal Ballet of Flanders.
In "Cornered", to music by Ross Edwards, Gavin Bryars and Philip Glass, the choreographer creates a stark and emotionally riveting work for eight dancers that is suffused with a delicate beauty. Working with one of the most dynamic companies in Europe for the third time, Fonte places the emphasis on pulse-quickening duets in "Cornered", thrilled to be developing this intense work with such talented artists.
March 5th, 2007 "AMERICAN MIXTURE" BRINGS NICOLO FONTE TO THE ROYAL DANISH BALLET.
Choreographer Nicolo Fonte unveils his latest work "Rhapsody" at The Royal Opera House in Copenhagen on March 17, 2007.
This commission from one of the world's oldest existing ballet companies unites Fonte's acclaimed risk-taking theatricality with music from one of Denmark's best known rock artists: Kira. Fonte places Kira and her band The Kindred Spirits on stage with 12 of The Royal Ballet's most energetic and charismatic dancers in a live performance that is full of all the raw emotion and dynamic force found in the band's music. Costumes by top Danish designer Mads Nørgaard maintain the line of hard-edged sensibility combined with high-level craft. The 12 performances in the house of Bournonville are sure to be a highlight of the spring season of culture in the Danish capital.
January 7th, 2007 ASPEN SANTA FE BALLET FEATURES FONTE AT THE JOYCE
Aspen Santa Fe Ballet returns to New York City's Joyce Theater for the third time January 23 - 28, 2007 and will once again feature an original ballet by Nicolo Fonte - "It's Not About The Numbers". Since 2000 Nicolo has created 5 works for this dynamic dance company; his trademark fluid and physical dance language is an excellent match to the prowess of these magnetic dancers - The New York Times' Jack Anderson wrote that Fonte is "a choreographer worth knowing" after seeing his "Left Unsaid" performed by ASFB at the Joyce Theater in 2005.
Check out the January edition of the US-based Dance Magazine for a photo essay on Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and their performances of Nicolo's work - this is one of the most talked about small companies in the USA right now and their New York season is sure to only add to the buzz!
September 6th, 2006 THE GÖTEBORG BALLET WILL PRESENT TWO WORKS BY NICOLO FONTE IN A PROGRAM TITLED "STRAVINSKY +"
Premiering on 16 September and playing at the opera house in Gothenburg through 1 November, "Stravinsky +" features Nicolo's "Violin Concerto", a thrilling homage to neo-classical dance originally created for The Royal Ballet of Flanders in 2004, and the world premiere of Fonte's "The Waiting", to Stravinsky's masterwork "Le Sacre du Printemps".
www.opera.se
July, 2006
Nicolo Fonte's most recent creation, "It's Not About the Numbers", in collaboration with Aspen Santa Fe Ballet and renowned American sculptor James Surls, can be seen at the District Theater in Aspen, CO. July 21 - 22.
For more information call 970 925 7175 or go to www.aspensantafeballet.com
May 16th, 2006
Due to the success of the "Dream Collaborations" evening at Cedar Lake last winter you can have another chance to see Nicolo Fonte's "Lasting Imprint" danced by Cedar Lake at the Cedar Lake Theater in NYC, May 31 - June 4, 2006. For further info go to
www.cedarlakedance.com
March 10th, 2006
See Nicolo Fonte's “braver still” danced by The Göteborg Ballet at Stockholm's Dansen Hus Theater April 6 - 8, 2006.
www.dansenshus.se
March 9th, 2006 “Re-Tchaikovsky” Suite, three sections from Fonte's acclaimed full-length on the life of Tchaikovsky, will be presented at the Dance Salad Festival in Houston, Texas, April 14 - 15, 2006. Six dancers from The Göteborg Ballet will travel to Houston to give American audiences their first chance to see a part of this breath-taking work.
www.dancesalad.org
March 7th, 2006 FONTE'S “RE:TCHAIKOVSKY” TOPS CRITICS' LISTS!
Nicolo Fonte's collaboration with The Göteborg Ballet “Re:Tchaikovsky”, which premiered in March of 2005, enthused audiences in Sweden during its initial run (over 11,000 people saw it over the course of 14 performances) - and now it has been cited on two international “critic's best” lists for the last season.
The full-length ballet, Fonte's first foray into large scale narrative work, was chosen by Ballet-Tanz International, a Berlin-based publication, as one of the season's 40 “Outstanding Productions”. In Dance Europe, a London-based magazine, the work was listed as one of several “Best Premiere (contemporary)”. Lead dancer Thomas Zamolo, Fonte's Tchaikovsky in the ballet, was also cited in the same poll as outstanding male dancer.
THAT'S NOT ALL!
Fonte can be particularly happy with this year's poll as another of his productions, “Almost Tango”, staged for The Australian Ballet was also cited as “Best Premiere (contemporary)”, in Dance Europe as well.
