Featuring: Kolsimcha
The members of the ensemble: Olivier Truan – piano, Michael Heitzler – clarinet, Simon Girard – trombone, Barak Mori – double bass, Christoph Staudenman – drums
Music: Olivier Truan
Set: Bruce French
Costumes: Catherine Voeffray
Animation: Andreas Guzman, Bruce French, Rubén Bañol Herrera
Lighting: Jordan Tuinman
Dramaturgy: Hans Kaspar Hort, Bettina Fischer
Choreographer: Richard Wherlock
The story of Tevye, the milkman became known the world over thanks to the famous musical, Fiddler on the Roof. This ballet, which is based on the motifs of Sólem Aléchem’s novel, and the music of Kolsimcha, a Swiss band that plays authentic klezmer, was premiered by Ballet Theatre Basel in the autumn of 2015. Evoking the life of East European Jews in an intensive and engaging manner, the production was enthusiastically received by audiences and critics alike.
The British Richard Wherlock, who choreographed the production, has led the Ballet Theater Basel since 2001. Formerly, he was the director of Lucerne Ballet and the artistic director of the ballet company of Komische Oper Berlin. “Choreography is my love and my passion,” he said once. “I can't imagine my life without dance.”
“You must respect a company’s way of thinking. We all come from different places, have different stories. I’m not especially politically minded, but I consider theatre an amazing opportunity to experience diversity.”
Ballet Theatre Basel’s exclusive partners are the Basellandschaftliche Kantonbank and the Pro Helvetia Swiss Foundation for Culture.
