Sasha Waltz is among the world’s most appreciated choreographers, dancers, and directors. After graduating from the School of New Dance Development in Amsterdam, she focused on the new post-modern directions of New York dance. In 1986 and 1987, she collaborated with Pooh Kaye, Yoshiko Chumo & School of Hard Knocks, and Lisa Kraus & Dancers. At the beginning of the ‘90s, she returned to Berlin, where she devised new choreographic approaches. In 1993, together with Jochen Sandig, she set up Sasha Waltz & Guests. In 2000-2004, she was the director of Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz. During this time, she created the dance shows Travelogue and Körper and the immersive dance installation insideout, which were tremendously successful on an international level. In the following years, her focus was on revitalizing famous opera and ballet works through contemporary dance techniques. This endeavour resulted in three performances (Dido & Aeneas, in 2005; Medea, in 2007; Matsukaze, in 2011), giving rise to a new genre – choreographic opera. Other remarkable shows by Sasha Waltz include Sacre (2013) based on Igor Stravinski’s Rite of Spring, Kreatur (2017), created in collaboration with Soundwalk Collective and costume designer Irisvan Herpen, as well as Exodus (2018). In 2019-2020, Sasha Waltz was co-director of the Berlin State Ballet alongside Johannes Öhman.
For her special accomplishments, Sasha Waltz was granted the German Federal Cross of Merit and, in 2013, was appointed as member of the Berlin Arts Academy.
