Sasha Waltz

Sasha Waltz is a German choreographer, dancer, and director born in 1963 in Karlsruhe, known for creating interdisciplinary works that integrate dance, music, visual art, and architectural space. After studying in Amsterdam and New York, Waltz founded Sasha Waltz & Guests in 1993 with Jochen Sandig, establishing a creative partnership that would define her practice for decades. Beyond choreography, she has been a builder of institutions: she co-founded Berlin's Sophiensæle in 1996 and Radialsystem in 2006, and served as part of the artistic direction of the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz from 1999 to 2004.

Waltz's artistic vision emerged through works like the *Travelogue* trilogy (1993–1995) and *Körper* (2000), which traced her evolving approach to the relationship between bodies, space, and performance. She became known for choreographic opera—a form in which dancers are woven into the musical and dramatic fabric rather than existing as a separate layer. *Dido & Aeneas* (2005) exemplified this practice and was followed by *Medea* (2007), *Romeo et Juliette* (2007), *Tannhäuser* (2014), and *Orfeo* (2014).

In recent years, Waltz has expanded into music-centered ensemble works, creating *In C* (2021), *SYM-PHONIE MMXX* (2022), *Beethoven 7* (2023), and *St John Passion* (2024). Her method treats choreography as an interdisciplinary system where ensemble bodies are organized in relation to musical structures, sung text, visual design, and the specific architecture of the performance site. She remains active as choreographer, dancer, and director, with works scheduled through 2026.