Elisabeth Tonev
Photo: Jan Willem Kaldenbach

Elisabeth Tonev

Soloist

No, it wasn’t a dreamy Swan Lake or festive Nutcracker that introduced ballet to Elisabeth Tonev as a child. “I think in my case it happened in a more realistic way”, she laughs. Both her parents – a Bulgarian father and a Spanish mother – were members of the Staatsballett Berlin for many years. “When my elder sister was born, they were still dancing, but they stopped soon after my birth and set up a ballet school in Berlin.”

So Elisabeth can’t remember a time that her parents weren’t preparing classes at home, or taking her to the ballet school or the company where they used to dance. Whereas her sister only took ballet classes for a short time and her younger brother didn’t even want to try, Elisabeth’s choice for ballet seemed meant to be. “Not because my parents pushed me. On the contrary, they actually took a step back, as they thought the passion should really come from within me. After all, they knew only too well how tough the dancing profession is.” 

Elisabeth Tonev en Riho Sakamoto in 7e Symfonie (2021) | Foto: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev and Riho Sakamoto in 7th Symphony (2021) | Photo: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev in Mata Hari (2021) | Foto: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev in Mata Hari (2021) | Photo: Altin Kaftira

Own path 

At the age of ten, Elisabeth left her parents’ ballet school to go to the Staatliche Ballettschule in Berlin. Her training there went extremely smoothly. “I had great teachers and lots of friends, and of course it helped that I could just keep living at home.” From the age of sixteen, when she was still a student, she regularly danced in the big classical productions by Staatsballett Berlin. “That felt like a huge honour: performing with such a fantastic company, and one where both my parents had danced too.” But at the same time, the latter fact was also a reason for Elisabeth not wanting to remain in Berlin after completing her training. “Rather than following in their footsteps in every single respect, I wanted to choose my own path.” 

During her final year of training, she met Rachel Beaujean (associate artistic director of Dutch National Ballet) at a ballet intensive in Paris. Rachel invited her to audition for the Junior Company. “On agreement with Rachel, I first completed my education, then went to Amsterdam. I could hardly believe I was offered a contract. I thought I’d have to do loads of auditions, but I was so fortunate that a ‘door’ opened straight away.” 

Elisabeth Tonev en Artur Shesterikov in The Four Seasons (2022) | Foto: Nina Tonoli
Elisabeth Tonev and Artur Shesterikov in The Four Seasons (2022) | Photo: Nina Tonoli
Elisabeth Tonev in The Four Seasons (voorgenerale repetitie, 2022) | Foto: Yan Revazov
Elisabeth Tonev in The Four Seasons (pre-dress rehearsal, 2022) | Photo: Yan Revazov
Elisabeth Tonev en Davi Ramos in The Sleeping Beauty (2022) | Foto: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev and Davi Ramos in The Sleeping Beauty (2022) | Photo: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev en Davi Ramos in The Sleeping Beauty (2022) | Foto: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev and Davi Ramos in The Sleeping Beauty (2022) | Photo: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev, Olga Smirnova en Salome Leverashvili in Raymonda (2022) | Foto: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev, Olga Smirnova and Salome Leverashvili in Raymonda (2022) | Photo: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev en Vito Mazzeo in Adagio Hammerklavier (2021) | Foto: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev and Vito Mazzeo in Adagio Hammerklavier (2021) | Photo: Hans Gerritsen
Edo Wijnen, Elisabeth Tonev, Chloë Réveillon en Erica Horwood in Mata Hari (2021) | Foto: Altin Kaftira
Edo Wijnen, Elisabeth Tonev, Chloë Réveillon and Erica Horwood in Mata Hari (2021) | Photo: Altin Kaftira
Elisabeth Tonev en Davi Ramos in Replay (2021) | Foto: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev en Davi Ramos in Replay (2021) | Photo: Hans Gerritsen

Hans van Manen's Live 

Her memories of her time with the Junior Company, in the 2019/2020 season, are all good ones. “It’s so wonderful to have a transition like that between school and a professional company. And apart from that, I made friends for life.” After just one year, Elisabeth was given an élève contract with Dutch National Ballet, and immediately in her first season she and fellow élève Davi Ramos were chosen by Rachel Beaujean to dance Hans van Manen’s Live. “I was so new to the group”, she says, “that I barely realised what an exceptional chance I’d been given. But that’s probably as well, because it meant I could dance the ballet with relatively little anxiety.” She immediately fell for Van Manen and his work. “Although in the beginning, I was a bit intimidated, because Hans is such a legend; his style and approach are totally unique. I especially love the absolute gender equality in his ballets and his aversion to acting and mannerisms. He wants to see your true, raw, pure self.”

Elisabeth Tonev in LIVE (2020) | Foto: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev in LIVE (2020) | Photo: Hans Gerritsen
Elisabeth Tonev in Grand Pas Classique (2023) | Foto: Angela Sterling
Elisabeth Tonev in the Grand Pas Classique (2023) | Photo: Angela Sterling

Great heights 

After that, promotions followed in rapid succession, and in July 2023 Elisabeth moved up to the rank of soloist, after replacing an injured dancer in Grand Pas Classique on Dutch National Ballet’s tour of the United States. “It was an unforgettable experience. We were dancing at a wonderful open-air theatre in Sun Valley, and even had to be given extra oxygen because of the high altitude.” 

She could never have imagined her career taking off so fast, she says. “I’ve had so many opportunities, and with each new season and each new role I love this profession even more.” Highlights up to now, besides the ballets of Van Manen, also include her collaborations with David Dawson and William Forsythe. And certainly also her first Sleeping Beauty and her first rehearsals for The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. “Even though I never got to dance the latter ballet, due to the corona restrictions at the time, it was so fantastic just to be working on the role of Clara with ballet master Guillaume Graffin.” 
 

Sincere and individual 

As a dancer, Elisabeth wants to be as sincere and as individual as possible. “There are so many fantastic dancers, and of course it’s very inspiring to watch others – but not to imitate them. When you dance, you have to get personally involved and dare to be yourself. That’s something I’ve learnt from Hans van Manen, because let’s face it, in the end that individuality is what it’s all about!”

CV

Place of birth: 
Berlin (Germany)


With Dutch National Ballet since: 
2019


Career with Dutch National Ballet: 
Soloist (2023), grand sujet (2022), coryphée (2021), élève (2020), Junior Company (2019) 


Training: 
Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin (Germany)


Awards: 

  • 2017: iBstage OWPD Junior Prix, giving her the opportunity to dance a solo at the famous Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona (Spain) 

Honourable mentions: 

  • 2021, ‘New name to watch’, Critics’ Choice Dance Europe