Youri Vámos
Encyclopedia
Youri Vámos was born in Budapest
. He trained in ballet from a young age at the State Ballet School in Budapest. He was a soloist at the Hungarian State Opera and then later accepted a contract as a first soloist at the Bavarian State Opera
.
After his career as a dancer Vámos began to focus on choreography and teaching. He served as ballet director in Dortmund
, Bonn
and Basel
. His choreography focuses on full length ballets that he revises for modern audiences. For such he has been called “the last ballet narrator” by Petr Zuska, the Artistic Director of the National Theatre Ballet in Prague
. He has used traditional stories like Sleeping Beauty
and the Nutcracker
as the basis for modern ballets. For example, his production of the Nutcracker uses the Tchaikovsky
score, but changes the story to tell of Charles Dickens
' tale of Scrooge
, combining the two beloved Christmas stories into one ballet. In each ballet Vámos is intrigued by the original music and its ability to convey character and emotional nuance to the audience. His choreography mirrors these characteristics through its idiosyncratic movements that give each dancer a particular role.
Vámos created many of these ballets during his thirteen years at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein
where his performances were often applauded for the new life they brought to older stories. His critical acclaim continued and the In 2007 he was awarded with the order of merit of the state of Northrhine-Westfalia. Since 2009 Vámos has worked as a freelance choreographer, working with companies around the world like Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
and the National Theatre (Prague)
.
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. He trained in ballet from a young age at the State Ballet School in Budapest. He was a soloist at the Hungarian State Opera and then later accepted a contract as a first soloist at the Bavarian State Opera
Bavarian State Opera
The Bavarian State Opera is an opera company based in Munich, Germany.Its orchestra is the Bavarian State Orchestra.- History:The opera company which was founded under Princess Henriette Adelaide of Savoy has been in existence since 1653...
.
After his career as a dancer Vámos began to focus on choreography and teaching. He served as ballet director in Dortmund
Dortmund
Dortmund is a city in Germany. It is located in the Bundesland of North Rhine-Westphalia, in the Ruhr area. Its population of 585,045 makes it the 7th largest city in Germany and the 34th largest in the European Union....
, Bonn
Bonn
Bonn is the 19th largest city in Germany. Located in the Cologne/Bonn Region, about 25 kilometres south of Cologne on the river Rhine in the State of North Rhine-Westphalia, it was the capital of West Germany from 1949 to 1990 and the official seat of government of united Germany from 1990 to 1999....
and Basel
Basel
Basel or Basle In the national languages of Switzerland the city is also known as Bâle , Basilea and Basilea is Switzerland's third most populous city with about 166,000 inhabitants. Located where the Swiss, French and German borders meet, Basel also has suburbs in France and Germany...
. His choreography focuses on full length ballets that he revises for modern audiences. For such he has been called “the last ballet narrator” by Petr Zuska, the Artistic Director of the National Theatre Ballet in Prague
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
. He has used traditional stories like Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
and the Nutcracker
The Nutcracker
The Nutcracker is a two-act ballet, originally choreographed by Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov with a score by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. The libretto is adapted from E.T.A. Hoffmann's story "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King". It was given its première at the Mariinsky Theatre in St...
as the basis for modern ballets. For example, his production of the Nutcracker uses the Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russian: Пётр Ильи́ч Чайко́вский ; often "Peter Ilich Tchaikovsky" in English. His names are also transliterated "Piotr" or "Petr"; "Ilitsch", "Il'ich" or "Illyich"; and "Tschaikowski", "Tschaikowsky", "Chajkovskij"...
score, but changes the story to tell of Charles Dickens
Charles Dickens
Charles John Huffam Dickens was an English novelist, generally considered the greatest of the Victorian period. Dickens enjoyed a wider popularity and fame than had any previous author during his lifetime, and he remains popular, having been responsible for some of English literature's most iconic...
' tale of Scrooge
Scrooge
Scrooge is a common English term for a miserly person.It may refer to:*Ebenezer Scrooge, the name of the selfish and miserly protagonist of Charles Dickens' 1843 novel A Christmas Carol ....
, combining the two beloved Christmas stories into one ballet. In each ballet Vámos is intrigued by the original music and its ability to convey character and emotional nuance to the audience. His choreography mirrors these characteristics through its idiosyncratic movements that give each dancer a particular role.
Vámos created many of these ballets during his thirteen years at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein
Deutsche Oper am Rhein
The Deutsche Oper am Rhein is an opera company based in Düsseldorf and Duisburg. The opera also has an associated classical ballet company....
where his performances were often applauded for the new life they brought to older stories. His critical acclaim continued and the In 2007 he was awarded with the order of merit of the state of Northrhine-Westfalia. Since 2009 Vámos has worked as a freelance choreographer, working with companies around the world like Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe
The Badisches Staatstheater Karlsruhe is a theatre and opera house in Karlsruhe, Germany. It has existed in its present form and place at Ettlinger Tor since 1975...
and the National Theatre (Prague)
National Theatre (Prague)
The National Theatre in Prague is known as the Alma Mater of Czech opera, and as the national monument of Czech history and art.The National Theatre belongs to the most important Czech cultural institutions, with a rich artistic tradition which was created and maintained by the most distinguished...
.