Choreographer

Norbert Graf

Norbert Graf was born in Cologne and received his first ballet classes at a private ballet school. At the age of 16 he moved to Munich to study at the Ballett-Akademie of the University for Music and Performing Arts before joining the Bavarian State Ballet in 1989. Graf was a first soloist with the company from 1994 until 2015 when he assumed the official role of Ballet Master. Graf still performs with the company regularly as a character dancer. His most important roles included Albrecht in Mats Ek’s «Giselle», Lankedem in «Le Corsaire», the title role and Prince Gremin in «Onegin», Petruchio in «The Taming of the Shrew», Prince Leopold in «Illusions - Like Swan Lake», Camacho and the title role in «Don Quijote», Rajah in «La Bayadère», Bach in «Multiplicity - Forms of Silence and Stillness», Widow Simone in «La Fille mal gardée» and the Father/King of Hearts in «Alice´s Adventures in Wonderland». Furthermore he performed in Simone Sandroni’s «Cambio d'abito», in Pina Bausch’s «For the Children of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow» and worked with international choreographers like William Forsythe, Mats Ek, Hans von Manen and Jiří Kylián. As a choreographer Norbert has created many solos and duets for the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich and is one of the few German dancers that has been awarded the prestigious title of “Bavarian Kammertänzer”.