In Conversation with AARON S. WATKIN … (via Zoom)
Aaron S. Watkin is Artistic Director at English National Ballet, having previously been AD at Semperoper Ballett in Dresden for 17 years
Photo credits: Headshot by Jubal Battisti
DATE : Monday 9 October 2023 at 7pm 🇬🇧
INTERVIEWER : Graham Watts
Born in Canada, Aaron S. Watkin graduated from the National Ballet School of Canada in 1988 and went on to enjoy a full career in dance, beginning with leading classical companies including National Ballet of Canada, English National Ballet and Dutch National Ballet, where he worked his way up from Corps de Ballet to the rank of Soloist. He was then invited by world-renowned choreographer William Forsythe to become a Principal Dancer with Ballett Frankfurt; following this, Watkin went on to join Nacho Duato’s National Dance Company of Spain.
In 2002, Watkin was appointed Associate Artistic Director to Víctor Ullate Ballet in Madrid, Spain. Watkin was a Choreographic Assistant to William Forsythe, in charge of staging his ballets on dance companies throughout the world, including Kirov Ballet, Paris Opera and Dutch National Ballet, among others. Watkin was Artistic Associate Director of the annual Dance For Life AIDS Benefit Galas at the Cirque Royal Theatre in Brussels, Belgium. In 2006, Watkin was appointed Artistic Director of the Semperoper Ballett. During his seventeen-year tenure with the company, he created numerous classical full-length productions including The Sleeping Beauty, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, The Nutcracker (together with Prof. Jason Beechey) and his own creation of Don Quixote.
In August 2023, Aaron S. Watkin assumed the role of Artistic Director of English National Ballet.
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*** This event is FREE to LBC members ***
Non- members may join the Zoom interview by booking below.