Coming Full Circle: Nicha Rodboon and The New 45

You were part of the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München in its early years and danced Richard Siegal’s «The New 45» back then. Now you’ve returned to restage it for a new generation. What are your memories of performing the work the first time?

I joined the Junior Company in 2011, as part of the second generation. «The New 45» was taught to us by Ayman Harper. I’d just come from ballet school, where everything was very classical, but I always had this inner child who wanted to move more freely. I also played piano, so I already connected with the music—it has so many layers, so much jazz. From the very beginning, I loved it. The groove, the humor, the freedom to break out of ballet’s “squareness” and be a little goofy on stage—it was liberating.

Coming back to Munich after 14 years for the company’s 15th Anniversary Gala was very emotional. I never thought I’d be on the Nationaltheater stage again! I had forgotten how big it is. Dancing again with Nick Losada, my original partner, felt so natural—as if the steps had never left my body.

What was it like to revisit «The New 45» as a professional dancer after so many years?

When I first danced it, I thought I understood it. But after years of experience—working in different styles and pieces—I now see it on a new level. The humor, the phrasing, the energy between the dancers… I feel the piece much more deeply. It’s like revisiting a conversation you had years ago and suddenly understanding all the layers you missed.

You’ve since danced major roles in «Frühlingsopfer» by Pina Bausch and «Giselle» by Akram Khan. How do you see your path from the Junior Company to where you are now?

The Junior Company was the perfect beginning. Because the group is small, everyone dances a lot. You’re constantly on stage, rehearsing, learning. Then, when you join a main company, you already have that stage experience. We also toured around Germany and Europe—it was so much fun. It really builds your confidence as a young artist. I had learnt so much from my time with the junior company already but I also kept learning and challenging myself.

You’re also known for your photography, which actually began back in your Junior Company days. How has that practice influenced you as an artist?

I started photographing in the Konstanze Vernon ballet studio because I wanted to capture what the audience never sees—the exhaustion, the focus, the emotion. Then I began photographing backstage, those quiet, human moments before or after going on stage. Over time, that became my way of observing people—their emotions, their stories. And now, being back here, I’m photographing the dancers again. It feels like everything has come full circle.

When you rehearse «The New 45» with today’s Junior dancers, what do you hope to bring to them?

I love working with young artists because they absorb everything so quickly. Even in one week, I can see their growth. Most come from classical training, so I try to help them feel their bodies differently—to trust movement rather than just think about positions. I tell them, “Your body is your instrument.” It doesn’t always have to look perfect—if it feels good, it’s alive.

I noticed in rehearsal that you begin with a kind of improvisational warm-up, getting everyone moving very freely. What’s the idea behind that?

I want them to feel their joints, their spine, their breath—to loosen everything. We move the joints in circular movement, feeling the air around us, the space behind us, the ground beneath our feet. Ballet teaches you to defy gravity, but I remind them that gravity is still there. When you reconnect to it, you move more naturally and with more awareness.

For someone who’s never seen «The New 45», how would you describe it?

It’s quirky and full of personality. The musicality is everything—each movement comes directly from the music. When you watch it, you hear the rhythm in the dancers’ bodies. The body becomes the music, and the music becomes the body.

Finally, what does dance mean to you today?

When I was younger, I didn’t really understand why I danced—it was just for exams. But over time, I discovered freedom in movement. Now, dance is how I express who I am. It’s where I challenge myself, where I feel alive. Of course, people once told me, “You have to look like this, move like that,” but at some point I realized—this is my body, this is how I express myself. And if it feels true to me, that’s enough.