What can ballet be in the 21st century?

Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference
Top dancers from all corners of the globe join forces in Cologne in a novel ballet that celebrates different cultures, aesthetic influences, and queerness.

Swirling bodies, graceful poses, and grand emotions

The Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference company at Schauspiel Köln considers itself a joyful expression of a multicultural present and a forward-looking alternative to established institutions. In 2020 the entire BoD ensemble was nominated for the prestigious German theater prize, Der Faust, in the category “best performer.” Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference have their roots in Munich and still maintain a close artistic relationship with the city. The U.S. choreographer and his company have since relocated to Cologne, their home of choice and center of their working lives, where they’ve advanced to become the city’s ballet company.

Virtuosic and sexy, energetic and weightless

To create the stunning visual worlds in his pieces, Siegal collaborates with world-renown fashion designers, visual artists, light designers, musicians, and scientists. Dancing classical ballet en pointe, Richard Siegal / Ballet of Difference traverse social discourses, aesthetic disciplines, and artistic expressions. And the company goes beyond all limits – BoD performances take place on stage, in museums, and in analog and digital spaces.

The future of dance is now.

Richard SiegalFounding artistic director of The Bakery (2006) and Ballet of Difference (2016). Recognized by a New York Dance and Performance “Bessie” Award, The German National Theater “Faust” Award, Munich Dance Prize, Richard Siegal has generated international attention for a body of work that includes performances, new media projects, workshops and publications. He has been commissioned by arts institutions including Bayerisches Staatsballett, Berlin Staatsballett, Tanztheater Wuppertal, Ballet National de Marseille, Ruhrtriennale, GöteborgOperans Danskompani, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, Sao Paulo Dance Company, Bodytraffic, Festival d'Automne, Munich DANCE Biennial, The Forsythe Company, Ircam, Centre Pompidou, Tanz im August, Ballett Frankfurt, Théâtre National de Chaillot, and Kolumba Museum Köln.

His work with live musicians has led him to collaborate with Lorenzo Bianchi Hosch, Alva Noto, Alberto Posadas, L’Ensemble Intercontemporain, Diane Labrosse, Arto Lindsay and Hubert Machnik, a.o.

Collaborations with visual artists, architects and industrial designers include Anish Kapoor, Konstantin Grcic, François Roche, and Didier Faustino.

Collaboration with costume and fashion designers include Alexandra Bertaut, Flora Miranda, Bernhard Wilhelm, Becca McCharen/Chromat, and Marta Jakubowski, together with stylist, Edda Guddmundottir.

Richard Siegal has been Artist-in-Residence at Ruhrtriennale, The Baryshnikov Arts Center, ZKM/Karlsruhe, Bennington College, Festspielhaus St. Pölten, and Muffatwerk/Munich. From 2005 - 2015 he was an Associated Artist of The Forsythe Company. He is a MacDowell fellow and honorary member of The Bolshoi Ballet's "Benoit de la Danse."

In 2016 Richard Siegal founded Ballet of Difference in the city of Munich. From the beginning of the 2019/2020 season, Schauspiel Köln is the home of BoD.

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