William Forsythe

William Forsythe (born 1949, New York) has been active as a choreographer for over fifty years. He grew up in New York and received his dance training in Florida. After dancing with the Joffrey Ballet in Chicago, he later joined Stuttgart Ballet, where he became the resident choreographer in 1976. In 1984, he became the director of Ballett Frankfurt, where he created groundbreaking choreographies such as Artifact, Impressing the Czar, The Loss of Small Detail, and Decreation. After Ballett Frankfurt was disbanded in 2004, Forsythe founded a new, more independent ensemble: The Forsythe Company, which he led from 2005 to 2015. For this company, he created works such as Three Atmospheric Studies, Heterotopia, I don’t believe in outer space, and Sider.

More recently, Forsythe has created works for Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris, English National Ballet, Boston Ballet, and Sadler’s Wells Theatre (London), as well as The Barre Project (Blake Works II) for the digital stage and his latest creation Blake Works V (2023) for the Balletto del Teatro alla Scala in Milan. Forsythe’s interest in the fundamental principles of choreography has inspired a wide range of projects, including installations, films, and educational projects based on digital technologies. His stage works are in the repertoire of ensembles worldwide, and his installations, which he calls Choreographic Objects, are exhibited internationally in museums and exhibitions.

Since the 1980s, Forsythe’s work has been regularly featured at the Holland Festival. In 2010, his Angoloscuro was performed at the festival, and in 2011, his choreographies The Second Detail and Steptext were part of the Holland Festival programme Bill & Mr. B by Dutch National Ballet. In 2012, his choreographic installation City of Abstracts was presented at Amsterdam’s Central Station and Public Library. Forsythe returned in 2014 with The Forsythe Company for the Dutch premiere of The Returns, and in 2019, Dutch National Ballet performed his Pas/Parts 2018 for the first time.

In 2023, also as part of the Holland Festival, Dutch National Ballet presented the programme Forsythe, featuring three of his works. During this programme, Forsythe’s Blake Works I had its Dutch premiere.

From 11 to 25 September 2024, William Forsythe’s Blake Works I will be performed as part of the Generation Dance programme.

Last update: 09-09-2024