List of collaborators
Thomas Mika | Set designer | Silentium, Giselle, Endstation Sehnsucht
Thomas Mika's work includes set and costume design for modern and classical ballet productions worldwide. He studied opera direction at Hamburger Hochschule für Musik und Theater and, at the age of 26, created his first piece as a set and costume designer for Staatsballett Berlin in 2006.
The same year, he directed his first opera production, Carmen by George Bizet, for Ensemble Escritura, Hamburg.
In 2020, he brought new life to his work as a director with The Count of Luxemburg by Franz Lehár for the Estonian National Opera.
Thomas Mika has collaborated with ballet companies such as Ballet de Opéra National de Paris, Stuttgarter Ballett, Staatsballett Berlin, National Ballet of China, Hong Kong Ballet, Universal Ballet Seoul, San Francisco Ballet, Houston Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet Seattle, Hubbard Street Dance Chicago, Ballet X Philadelphia, Hungarian National Ballet, Polish National Ballet, Estonian National Ballet, Novosibirsk State Ballet, Slovenian National Ballet, Croatian National Ballet, Hessisches Staatsballett Wiesbaden, Ballett Mannheim, Aalto Ballett Theater and the Royal Ballet of Flanders.
In the past 14 years, Thomas Mika has collaborated with modern choreographers Fabio Adorisio, Alejandro Cerrudo, Edward Clug, Marco Goecke, Jack Lister, Trey McIntyre, Leo Mujic, Kevin O’Day, Eno Peci, Tim Plegge and Jeroen Verbruggen.
In the classical repertoire, he created the designs for Onegin and Romeo and Juliet by John Cranko, Lady of the Camellias by Derek Deane, Don Quixote by Alexei Fadeechev and a version by Nina Ananishvili, Romeo and Juliet by Ben van Cauwenbergh, Swan Lake by Thomas Edur, and a version by Eno Peci and Sabrina Sadowska.
Alexandar Noshpal | Costume designer | Silentium,
Sinfonietta, Atmosphères, Apollo, Hammer, Ma Mère l’Oye, QiXi
Aleksandar Noshpal, born in 1973 in Skopje (Macedonia), passed his studies in Fashion Design with a focus on Haute Couture at the ESMOD Academy in Paris with distinction by the Grand Prix of the Jury, which was composed, among others, of Paco Rabanne and Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. He gained his first professional experiences with various designers and fashion houses, such as Grès and Frédéric Molénac. As a Chevening Fellow, he completed his Master’s Degree in Fashion Management and Marketing at the University of the Creative Arts in Epsom. Since then, Aleksandar Noshpal has worked as a freelance fashion designer, as well as a costume designer at numerous theatres, among others, the Macedonian National Opera, Theatre and Ballet, the Croatian National Theaters in Zagreb, Rijeka and Split, and the Oper Leipzig. In addition, he works as a professor of Fashion and Costume Design at the FON University in Skopje and the University Donja Gorica in Podgorica (Montenegro). Since 1998, he has contributed to more than 50 theatre productions and worked together with the director Slobodan Unkovski, the conductor Gianluca Martinenghi and choreographers like Šparemblek, Ronald Savkovic, Hugo Viera, Igor Kirov, Jean-Philippe Dury and Martin Chaix. In 2011, Aleksandar Noshpal designed new uniforms for the National Guard of the Macedonian Army. He has received numerous national and international awards for his designs.
Catherine Voeffray | Costume designer |
“We were right here!!", Firebird, Giselle
After studying fashion design at the Modedeisgnschule in Zürich, Catherine Voeffray created costumes as a freelance. She joined the Stadtheater in Bern in 1993, where she held the position of deputy head of the costume workshops until 1997, creating the costumes for numerous theatre productions. She also collaborates with the Maggio Musicale in Florence for opera productions and with choreographers such as Johan Inger, Stijn Celis, Martin Schläpfer (Ballett am Rhein and soon with the Vienna Staatsoper and Volksoper) or Martin Chaix.
Tom Klefstad | Light designer |
Tribulations, Giselle, Ma Mère l’Oye
He started making show lights in 1996 with the Japanese company A-N and stayed several times in Japan. At the same time, he began a collaboration which continues even now with the choreographers and dancers of the Opéra National de Paris, such as José Martinez, Marie-Agnès Gillot, Agnès Letestu, Bruno Bouché, Yvon Demol, Sébastien Bertaud, Alexandre Gasse, Adrien Couver, Nicolas Paul. Simon Valastro ... Since 2012, he has been the lighting designer and stage manager of the Compagnie Incidence Chorégraphique, composed of dancers and choreographers from the Ballet of the Opéra National de Paris. Since 2017 he has collaborated with Thusnelda Mercy, Gil Harush, Martin Chaix, Bruno Bouché for the Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin. He also works in the world of hip-hop and contemporary dance with Régis Obadia, Sébastien Lefrancois, Amala Dianor, Sandrine Mufasa, Mehdi Ouachek, as well as with Gigi Caciuleanu, Compagnie A-n, Lorand Zachar. Rukmini Chatterjee. In the theatrical field, he collaborates with Jean-Michel Ribes, Guillaume Gallienne, Marc Paquien, Magali Léris, Frédéric Cherboeuf, and Renaud Diligent. He signs the lights of musicals and concerts for shows by Rubia Matignon, Laurent Couson, or with Small Symphonic Hands at the Olympia. His current projects include shows for young audiences, circuses, and jazz concerts. Light opens up to other temporal and emotional dimensions, and its resonance echoes everyone's desire for freedom and travel.
Eleanor Freeman | Choreographic Assistant, Dancer | Hammer, Streetcar Named Desire, QiXi
Eleanor Freeman received her dance education in her home country, Australia. She danced for six years in the Queensland Ballet in numerous productions, of which the roles Giselle and Myrtha and Carabosse and Russian Girl in George Balanchine 'Serenade' are particularly noteworthy. She also appeared in choreographies by Nils Christe, Ben Stevenson, Ma Cong, Natalie Weir, Jack Lister, Sir Kenneth MacMillan and François Klaus. In 2016, she came to Germany to the Hannover State Ballet under the direction of Jörg Mannes, with whom she created and where she worked again with Nils Christe. In 2018, she was engaged to the Ballet am Rhein and danced in their choreographies and pieces by Hans van Manen, George Balanchine, Uwe Scholz, Martin Chaix and Jerome Robbins. She performed on many stages in Europe, Taiwan, and Japan. Now, she works as a freelance artist in Germany, Switzerland and Australia, both on stage and in various positions behind it. At BallettCompagnie Oldenburg, she is taking part in the creation of 'Hammer' by Martin Chaix as a choreographic assistant.
Felix Aarts | Set designer |
“We were right here!!", Eine Winterreise
Dutch artist Felix Aarts graduated from the Royal Conservatory in the Netherlands with a Bachelor in Ballet. He has been engaged by companies such as the State Opera Ballet Berlin, the Ballet du Rhin and the Leipzig Ballet, dancing many soloist roles and collaborating with international choreographers. In 2009, he joined the studio program at the Strykejernet Art School in Oslo, Norway. In 2013, he graduated from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY, with an MFA in Painting. Felix Aarts has been working internationally as a visual artist, choreographer, photographer and performer.
Thomas Kaiser | Costume Designer | Lachrymae
Training and work as a master tailor at the Lower Saxony State Theater in Hanover, followed by training as a ladies' clothing master at the University of Applied Sciences for Fashion and Design in Hamburg. 1989 to 1991, women clothing specialist, head of the costume department/women's clothing master at the Krefeld / Mönchengladbach theatre. 1995 to 1999 head of women's tailoring at the Aalto Theater in Essen. 1999 dressmaker at the Hanover State Theater, 2004 to 2008 costume director. Since 2005 independently worked as a costume designer for drama, ballet and opera, u. a. for the Nordhausen Theater, the Pérez Galdós Gran Canaria Theater, the Lower Saxony State Opera in Hanover, the Mainz State Theater, the Prinzregenten Theater Munich / Bavarian Theater Academy August Everding, the Regensburg Theater, the St. Gallen Theater. Collaboration with directors and choreographers such as Torsten Blanke, Hansjörg Hack, Jörg Mannes, Yuki Mori, Mark McClain, Matthias von Stegmann, Jan Schmidt-Garre ("Die tote Stadt"), Lydia Steier, Katharina Torwesten and Katharina Wagner. In the Wagner year 2013, costume production manager at the performances of Richard Wagner's early works in Bayreuth (Upper Franconia), costume design for »Rienzi«. Most recently, costumes for "Tristan und Isolde" at the Bayreuth Festival 2015. At Leipzig Opera, also costumes for "Arabella", new in 2020/21: Costumes for "Lohengrin".