Sweden
KRISTINA OOM (20) & SEBASTIAN MICHANEK (19)

BLITZ
choreography: Maurice Causey
music: Serge Prokofiev

LIGHT BEINGS
choreography: Mats Ek
music: Jean Sibelius


Dancers

KRISTINA OOM was born on January 1st, 1983, in Sweden; one day older and she wouldn’t have been allowed to enter this competition ...

She grew up in Stockholm and started as a gymnast. During her ten years at the Royal Swedish Ballet School, she was selected for solos in productions with the Royal Swedish Opera, such as Myrtha in Giselle and Kitri in Don Quixote. She has also won prizes in Swedish and Scandinavian ballet competitions.

For the last two summers, Kristina has been engaged by Europa Danse in Grasse, France, were she has performed in contemporary ballets by Kylian, Ek, Van Manen, Duato, and others.

In 2001 she joined the Royal Swedish Ballet. She dances in the great classics, such as Giselle, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and the leading swan in Swan Lake. Her next role at the Royal Swedish Opera will be in Na Floresta by Nacho Duato.

SEBASTIAN MICHANEK was born on September 10th, 1983, in Sweden.

He was educated in Gothenburg and Stockholm. At the Royal Swedish Ballet School, he danced leading roles, such as Frans in Coppelia, James in La Sylphide and Basisio in Don Quixote.

Like Kristina Oom, Sebastian Michanek danced with Europa Danse in 2001 and 2002. There he took the role of the Soloist in Balancine’s Allegro Brillante and danced pas de deux in New Sleep (Forsythe), Return of the Strange Land (Kylian) and Na Floresta (Duato).

Sebastian joined the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2001, where he has danced many solo parts: the Prince in Firebird, the Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty and other roles in Manon, Swan Lake, Agon etcetera. He was a finalist in the Prix de Lausanne, 2000.


Choreographies

BLITZ was made especially for Kristina Oom and Sebastian Michanek to be performed at the Eurovision Young Dancers 2003. The choreographer used classical ballet technical vocabulary with a twist to add his own personal flavour to show off the dancers. The choreographer enjoys exploring new grounds within the framework of traditional techniques: "It is an interesting way to make boring classicism exciting and refreshing for the spectators." The choreography is danced to Serge Prokofiev’s Scherzo from Piano Concerto no. 2 and the lightning is fast, hence the name: Blitz.

LIGHT BEINGS was created by Mats Ek in 1991 for the Cullberg Company. The ballet is dedicated to the memory of his father, actor Anders Ek, who featured in Bergman films such as The Seventh Seal and Cries and Whispers”. Different aspects of his father’s character and life have inspired Mats Ek, rather than telling his story. Among the many roles in Light Beings, the one of The Virgin is the most prominent. “An incarnation of men’s dream of Maid and Goddess united”.


Choreographers

MAURICE CAUSEY is choreographer and ballet master for the Royal Swedish Ballet. He started as a dancer in USA and Canada. In 1991 he joined the Frankfurt Ballet as a principal dancer, and from 1999-2002 he was a soloist dancer with the Gothenburg Ballet. He has also choreographed for these companies. Causey also creates dances for television and MTV music clips, as well as choreographies for fashion shows for designers such as Issey Miyake.

MATS EK is a Swedish choreographer. He was a theatre director before he became a dancer with the Cullberg Ballet Company in 1973. Three years later, he created his first choreography, The Officer’s servant, which has been followed by more than thirty works for the stage and television. From 1985 till 1993 Mats Ek was the Artistic Director of the Cullberg Ballet. He became wellknown for his original and contemporary interpretations of classical ballets such as Giselle, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

Ek works with and choreographs for all major companies in the world. In later years, he has created innovative dance theater pieces, mixing actors and dancers. For The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, he has directed classics such as Molière’s Don Juan (1999) and Racine’s Andromaque (2002) with great success.


Music

SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953).

JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957).

 

Back to Eurovision Young Dancers 2003 home page.


© EBU 2003
Latest update 30/06/2003 - pj / nc

Sweden
KRISTINA OOM (20) & SEBASTIAN MICHANEK (19)

BLITZ
choreography: Maurice Causey
music: Serge Prokofiev

LIGHT BEINGS
choreography: Mats Ek
music: Jean Sibelius


Dancers

KRISTINA OOM was born on January 1st, 1983, in Sweden; one day older and she wouldn’t have been allowed to enter this competition ...

She grew up in Stockholm and started as a gymnast. During her ten years at the Royal Swedish Ballet School, she was selected for solos in productions with the Royal Swedish Opera, such as Myrtha in Giselle and Kitri in Don Quixote. She has also won prizes in Swedish and Scandinavian ballet competitions.

For the last two summers, Kristina has been engaged by Europa Danse in Grasse, France, were she has performed in contemporary ballets by Kylian, Ek, Van Manen, Duato, and others.

In 2001 she joined the Royal Swedish Ballet. She dances in the great classics, such as Giselle, Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty, and the leading swan in Swan Lake. Her next role at the Royal Swedish Opera will be in Na Floresta by Nacho Duato.

SEBASTIAN MICHANEK was born on September 10th, 1983, in Sweden.

He was educated in Gothenburg and Stockholm. At the Royal Swedish Ballet School, he danced leading roles, such as Frans in Coppelia, James in La Sylphide and Basisio in Don Quixote.

Like Kristina Oom, Sebastian Michanek danced with Europa Danse in 2001 and 2002. There he took the role of the Soloist in Balancine’s Allegro Brillante and danced pas de deux in New Sleep (Forsythe), Return of the Strange Land (Kylian) and Na Floresta (Duato).

Sebastian joined the Royal Swedish Ballet in 2001, where he has danced many solo parts: the Prince in Firebird, the Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty and other roles in Manon, Swan Lake, Agon etcetera. He was a finalist in the Prix de Lausanne, 2000.


Choreographies

BLITZ was made especially for Kristina Oom and Sebastian Michanek to be performed at the Eurovision Young Dancers 2003. The choreographer used classical ballet technical vocabulary with a twist to add his own personal flavour to show off the dancers. The choreographer enjoys exploring new grounds within the framework of traditional techniques: "It is an interesting way to make boring classicism exciting and refreshing for the spectators." The choreography is danced to Serge Prokofiev’s Scherzo from Piano Concerto no. 2 and the lightning is fast, hence the name: Blitz.

LIGHT BEINGS was created by Mats Ek in 1991 for the Cullberg Company. The ballet is dedicated to the memory of his father, actor Anders Ek, who featured in Bergman films such as The Seventh Seal and Cries and Whispers”. Different aspects of his father’s character and life have inspired Mats Ek, rather than telling his story. Among the many roles in Light Beings, the one of The Virgin is the most prominent. “An incarnation of men’s dream of Maid and Goddess united”.


Choreographers

MAURICE CAUSEY is choreographer and ballet master for the Royal Swedish Ballet. He started as a dancer in USA and Canada. In 1991 he joined the Frankfurt Ballet as a principal dancer, and from 1999-2002 he was a soloist dancer with the Gothenburg Ballet. He has also choreographed for these companies. Causey also creates dances for television and MTV music clips, as well as choreographies for fashion shows for designers such as Issey Miyake.

MATS EK is a Swedish choreographer. He was a theatre director before he became a dancer with the Cullberg Ballet Company in 1973. Three years later, he created his first choreography, The Officer’s servant, which has been followed by more than thirty works for the stage and television. From 1985 till 1993 Mats Ek was the Artistic Director of the Cullberg Ballet. He became wellknown for his original and contemporary interpretations of classical ballets such as Giselle, Swan Lake and Sleeping Beauty.

Ek works with and choreographs for all major companies in the world. In later years, he has created innovative dance theater pieces, mixing actors and dancers. For The Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm, he has directed classics such as Molière’s Don Juan (1999) and Racine’s Andromaque (2002) with great success.


Music

SERGE PROKOFIEV (1891-1953).

JEAN SIBELIUS (1865-1957).

 

Back to Eurovision Young Dancers 2003 home page.


© EBU 2003
Latest update 30/06/2003 - pj / nc