Stuttgart Ballet

Stuttgart Ballet is a leading German ballet company. Dating back to 1609, then the court ballet of the dukes of Württemberg, the modern company was founded by John Cranko and is known for full-length narrative ballets. The company received the Laurence Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 1981.

History

The Stuttgart Ballet evolved from the court ballet of the Duke of Württemberg, dating back to 1609. The modern company was founded and shaped from 1961 by the South African born British dancer John Cranko "into a group with an exciting and visually arresting style". He created full-length narrative ballets including Romeo and Juliet, Onegin and The Taming of the Shrew,John Neumeier created for the company Die Kameliendame and A Streetcar Named Desire. The first tour to the US in 1969 resulted in international fame.

Dancers who have emerged from the company became well-known choreographers, including Neumeier, William Forsythe, Foofwa d’Imobilité, Uwe Scholz, Jiří Kylián and Renato Zanella.