Mats Ek is a renowned Swedish choreographer and dancer. He was born on April 18, 1945, in Malmo, Sweden. Mats Ek is known for his innovative and avant-garde approach to contemporary dance.
As the son of legendary choreographer Birgit Cullberg, Mats Ek was exposed to the world of dance from a young age. He began his dance training in Stockholm and later joined his mother’s company, Cullberg Ballet, where he danced as a soloist.
In the 1980s, Mats Ek transitioned from dancing to choreographing and gained international recognition for his unique style. He has created numerous acclaimed works, including “Giselle,” “Swan Lake,” “Carmen,” and “Appartement.” Mats Ek’s choreographic style often combines classical ballet techniques with modern movements, and he is known for his ability to portray complex emotions through dance.
Throughout his career, Mats Ek has received numerous awards and honors for his contributions to the field of dance. He has served as the artistic director of Cullberg Ballet and has also collaborated with other prominent dance companies around the world. Mats Ek’s artistic vision continues to inspire and influence dancers and choreographers globally.
titles
-
Five duets, four dialogues between two dancers on stage – between the dancers and the audience. For its second edition, Dialogues promises a dreamy evening of Pas de deux by four choreographers who define both the present and the future of contemporary dance. Mats Ek and Akram Khan Ballet’s master storyteller Mats Ek has enchanted…
-
In this experimental film conceived by Sylvie Guillem, the choreographers become dancers or photographers: William Forsythe dances a superb solo and Mats Ek films his brother and Sylvie Guillem in Smoke, an oniric and sensual duet. Ballerina Sylvie Guillem demonstrates her ideas about dance and movement on film. Using her favourite choreographers and directors the…
-
Giselle is one of the oldest preserved ballets. It premiered in Paris in 1841. The music, libretto and much of the choreography have remained intact. Therefore, the ballet has preserved its uniqueness and has much to tell about the time when it was created. Well performed, a contemporary audience also responds to it and its…
-
After Giselle, Sleeping Beauty, and Carmen, Mats Ek put together yet another groundbreaking production with his 2013 Stockholm Opera version of Shakespeare’s mythic drama, part of the opera company’s celebrations of its 240th anniversary. The Swedish choreographer interprets Romeo and Juliet as less the story of a rivalry between two warring families (the Montagues and…
-
Mats Ek‘s ten-minute esoteric premier Woman with Water, inspired by two earlier works, Wet Woman (1996) and Place (2008), a pas de deux created for Mikhail Baryshnikov and Ana Laguna. With a haunting presence and technical flair, Madeline Woo performs the lead character of the Woman. She pieces together Ek’s signature moves: deep pliés in…
