Alexander Ekman
Alexander Ekman is an international choreographer/director creating dance pieces for opera houses, theaters, and museums. He also directs films and music videos as well as live performances in pop-up locations.
Ekman is known for his fast-paced timing, witty humor, and clever transitions. He aims to create work with which the majority can relate and connect. Since 2006, he has devoted his time to creating pieces that both entertain and question the observer. He aims to transform the atmosphere in the performance hall and to always surprise the audience.
Around 50 dance companies worldwide have performed works by Ekman. A few of them are the Royal Swedish Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Compañia Nacional de Danza, Göteborg Ballet, Iceland Dance Company, Bern Ballet, Ballet de l’Opéra National du Rhin, Norwegian National Ballet, Boston Ballet, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Sydney Dance Company, Royal Danish Ballet, and Vienna Ballet. He has also created for festivals such as the French Europa Danse and the Athens International Dance Festival.
His work Cacti has become a worldwide hit and has been performed by 18 dance companies. Cacti was nominated for the 2010 Dutch dance prize Zwaan, for the 2012 National Dance Award (UK), and for the 2013 Olivier Award (UK). Cacti continues to entertain audiences around the world with its important message.
In 2014, Ekman created his own version of Swan Lake, a new take of the most famous ballet of them all. A Swan Lake received enormous attention worldwide. Ekman filled the stage with 6,000 liters of water, creating a real lake on stage. A Swan Lake is available on DVD, and the documentary Rare Birds by T.M. Rives shows the process of how it became possible to create a lake inside an opera house. Ekman has also collaborated closely with top fashion designer Henrik Vibskov, who created the costumes for his A Swan Lake. Vibskov then adapted the choreography for his fall collection, which was shown in Paris and Copenhagen during Fashion Week.
In 2015, Ekman created his own version of Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Royal Swedish Ballet, which became an instant hit with the audience and critics. He received the Swedish MEDEA Inventor and Renewer Award in September 2015 as well as the Såstaholm Award and the Birgit Cullberg Scholarship, and in 2016, he received the German Der Faust theater award for his ballet COW for the Semperoper Ballet.