Renato Zanella

Renato Zanella is an Italian ballet choreographer and director whose career spans three decades of large-scale narrative works and company leadership across Europe's most prominent stages. Born in Verona, Zanella trained first in his native city and later at Rosella Hightower's Centre de Danse International in Cannes. He danced professionally with Basel Ballet from 1982 to 1985 before joining Stuttgart Ballet in 1985, where he would develop his voice as a choreographer.

At Stuttgart, Zanella created a series of full-length and shorter works that established his reputation: *Die andere Seite*, *Triptychon*, *Stati d'animo*, *Empty Place*, *Black Angels*, *Mann im Schatten*, and *Mata Hari*. The success of these pieces led to his appointment as Choreographer-in-Residence at Stuttgart Ballet in 1993 by Marcia Haydée. From 1995 to 2005, Zanella served as Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer at the Vienna State Opera, a position that gave him significant creative scope. During his tenure in Vienna, he created approximately 40 original choreographies, ranging from short concert works to full-evening productions. His body of work demonstrates a commitment to expansive ballet-making and the strategic development of institutional repertories.