Johannes Bönig

Born in 1960 in a small town in Germany, studied professional ballet and modern dance in Rotterdam/NL and New York/USA, worked as a dancer with Phillip Glass and Robert Wilson (among others), was ballet director at the Semper Opera Dresden, collaborated as a choreographer with many contemporary composers such as Karlheinz Stockhausen and Ludger Vollmer. His choreographic work includes more than 70 pieces of all genres, from big stage to street theater, from feature-length ballets to opera, musical, drama, and commercial shows. He is well known for his ability to solve very unusual artistic problems. He taught at the Palucca School, Dresden/GER, University of Music, Dresden/GER (current), Codarts Rotterdam/NL, The Danceworx, Delhi, and others. Since 1995 he teaches yoga in addition to his physical theatre approaches. He is also a yoga and meditation teacher and specialist in various energy disciplines.

Full CV at the bottom of this document

Dance and Choreography – Johannes Bönig
Images from selected works

Situation Object 2, Villa Elisabeth Berlin by composer Amir Shpilman. Choreography: Johannes Bönig. Photo: Shiran Eliaserov, 2021

Situation Object 4 (2021), Villa Elisabeth Berlin by composer Amir Shpilman. Choreography: Johannes Bönig. Photo: Shiran Eliaserov, 2021

Rotterdamse Dansacademie, Johannes Böning putting on makeup for choreography by Molly Lynn, 1983

Zürich Tanztheater, ‘Sleepy Wizards’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Michael Nyman, 1986

De Nieuwe Dansgroep, Amsterdam, Johannes Bönig in ‘Figures in Movement’, choreography: Jaqueline Knoops, music: Loek Dikker, photography: ©Bob van Dantzig,1986

‘Ongelofelijk’, choreography: Anonyma, music: collage, dance: Johannes Bönig, Danslab – Amsterdam, 1987

V van Laban, Johannes Böning in ‘Fantastic Waltz’, choreography: Harald Kreutzberg, music: Frederic Chopin, photography: ©Steye Raviez, 1989

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Alibi Society’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Anton Bruckner, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Bachianas Brasileiras’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Villa Lobos, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Beltane’ (Le Sacre du Printemps), choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Igor Strawinski, photography: ©Hans-Ludwig Böhme,
1991

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Pourquoi Pas?’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Aulis Sallinen, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, Johannes Bönig in Rehearsal for ‘Alibi Society’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Anton Bruckner, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, stage rehearsal for ‘Two Celebrations’, choreographies: Johannes Bönig, music: Stravinski/Bruckner, photography: ©Hans-Ludwig Böhme, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Interior Circling’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Arvo Pärt, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1991

Semperoper Dresden, ‘Remembering a Friend’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: John Cale, photography: ©Erwin Döring, 1992

Tanzbühne Dresden, ‘Trakt 3’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Harmonic Choir, photography: ©Andreas Schönherr, 1995

Johannes Bönig und UZ, Bienertmühle Dresden, photography: ©Gabriele Gorgas, 1995

Man & Woman from ‘Freitag aus Licht’ (‘Friday Temptation’), Oper Leipzig, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: Karlheinz Stockhausen, 1996

Rehearsal for ‘Freitag aus Licht’ (‘Friday Temptation’), Oper Leipzig, from left to right: Uwe Wand (staging), Johannes Conen (design), Karlheinz Stockhausen (composition), Johannes Bönig (choreography), photography: ©Andreas Birkigt, 1996

Tanzbühne Dresden, ‘Skin and Eye’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music collage: Volker Wurth, photography: ©Martin Hertrampf, 1997

Troupe Élevée, ‘How to Pray’, choreography: Johannes Bönig, music: David Lang, St. Gallen, 2013

CURRICULUM VITAE – Johannes Bönig

Born on 10th of August 1960 in Neustadt/Weinstrasse, Germany

Education:

from 1977
amateur ballet

1979
degree (Abitur) at the Humanistisches Gymnasium, Neustadt/Weinstrasse

1979-80
classical dance at the Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover

from 1980
Rotterdamse Dansacademie, Netherlands, professional dance education in classical ballet and modern dance

until 1984
stage dance diploma

1984-85
studies in New York, USA
classical ballet with Richard Gibson and Benjamin Harkavy
modern dance with Angie Wolf und Christopher Pilafian, (Jennifer-Muller-Technique)

Dancing

1981-85
at first scholarship student, then dancer with the Modern Dans- en Muziek-Circuit, Rotterdam, NL

1983
Foltz & Company, Amsterdam, NL, choreographer: Bob Foltz

1986
Nederlandse Operastichting “the CIVIL warS”
director: Robert Wilson, music: Phil Glass, choreographer: Ulysses Dove

1986-88
De Nieuwe Dansgroep, Amsterdam, NL, choreographer: Jaqueline Knoops

1987-89
Dreaming Lizards, Amsterdam, NL, choreographers: Suzy Blok, Stans van Hagen

1989-90
V van Laban, Amsterdam, NL, reconstructed dances by Mary Wigman, Harald Kreutzberg and Roger George

until 1990
dancer in all own choreographies in the NL

after 1995
dancer in some own works, Trakt 3 & Hirten der Sonne

Choreographies

1981
Was is’n los?, Modern Dans- en Muziek-Circuit,Rotterdam, NL

1983
Solo Johannes, MDMC Traumpark, MDMC

1984
225, MDMC

1985
Het was zomer, maar het bleef regenen …MDMC

1987-89
Lizard’s Dream, Dreaming Lizards (first own company)
Backyard II, Dreaming Lizards
Forgotten Shores, Dreaming Lizards

1987
Backyard, Zürich Tanztheater, CH

1988
Sleepy Wizards, Zürich Tanztheater, CH
Avreml, Stadttheater St. Gallen, CH

1990-91
coproduction between Stichting Danslab, Amsterdam, NL, and the Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden (Semperopera), Germany:
Augen-Blicke
Farbe der Begegnung
Inneres Kreisen

1991
Alibi-Gesellschaft, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Semperopera
Beltane (Sacre du Printemps), Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Semperopera

1992
Bachianas Brasileiras, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Semperopera
Pourquoi Pas?, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Semperopera & Cuvilliés-Theater, World Economic Top, Munich, 7. Juli 1992
Erinnerungen an einen Freund, Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, Semperoper

1993
Nebelnässe mit Glättebildung, Dresdner Muskfestspiele
Wandererphantasie, Dresdner Muskfestspiele
Vor Tau und Tag (Krabat), Palucca Schule Dresden

1994
Carmina Burana, Stadttheater St. Gallen
Schattenland, TANZBÜHNE Dresden

1995
Trakt 3, 4. Internationale Tanzwochen 1995, Dresden, TANZBÜHNE,Dresden
Hirten der Sonne, TANZBÜHNE Dresden, Dresdner Zentrum für zeitgenössische Musik

1996
Kallistä, TANZBÜHNE Dresden
Metamorphose, (solo; idea & dance: Claudia Kratzheller), TANZBÜHNE Dresden Freitag aus Licht, (choreography for the opera by Karlheinz Stockhausen) Oper Leipzig, TANZBÜHNE Dresden

1997
Dreamcatcher, TANZBÜHNE Dresden/Festspielhaus Hellerau, music: Ludger Vollmer.
Haut und Auge (massage-choreography)
Ungesund, Literaturwerkstatt Berlin & Literaturbüro Dresden
Sternzeit, Literaturwerkstatt Berlin & Literaturbüro Dresden
Wie praktisch ist unsere Haut, Literaturwerkstatt Berlin & Literaturbüro Dresden

1998
Rauschlauscher – Cocacondenz, TANZBÜHNE Dresden & 7. Internationale Tanzwochen Dresden, Performances in Wrozlav, Poland on invitation of the German Embassy
Die Reise zum Nordpol, music: Ludger Vollmer, projekttheater Dresden

1999
MaiMarkt 1999, showprogram for SÜBA and Siemens
Ko Tha, music: Giacinto Scelci, , 8. Internationale Tanzwoche Dresden
Okanaghon, music: Giacinto Scelci, 8. Internationale Tanzwoche Dresden
Rotator
Morgenstern, 8. Internationale Tanzwoche Dresden
Vogelkäfig, 8. Internationale Tanzwoche Dresden
Fusswaschung, 8. Internationale Tanzwoche Dresden
InteraktivRaum Drei/Vier, projekttheater Dresden

2001
Oiseaux – Die Konferenz der Vögel, Theater Salpuri, Deutsche Nationalgalerie Berlin

2002
Family Business, 10. Internationale Tanzwoche Eisenhüttenstadt
Michaels Youth from Thursday of Light, opera by Prof. Karlheinz Stockhausen, first German scenical Premiere, Berliner Festspiel/Märzmusik, Freie Volksbühne Berlin

2004
Glass Island, Theaterschule St.Gallen

2005
Games to the Music of Ripleys Game, Hochschule der Künste Bern (Switzerland) Der Regenbogen, Choreographie zur Kinderoper von Reinhardt Lakomy, Landesbühnen Sachsen – Felsenbühne Rathen

2006
Choreography for the musical comedy Weisses Gold, Uraufführung, music: J. Preu, Landesbühnen Sachsen

2007
Walsingham, Theaterschule St. Gallen, Switzerland, music: John Dowland performed by Sting.
My Love is as a Fever, Volksbadtheater Jena, music: Ludger Vollmer

2008
Ballhaus, Landesbühnen Sachsen after the movie ‚Le Balle’

2010
Shyama – Peripetie, Ostrale, Zentrum für zeitgenössische Kunst Dresden

2013
Heal This Land, Troupe Elévée, St. Gallen, Switzerland
How to Pray, Troupe Elévée, St. Gallen, Switzerland

2015
Road to Shambala, Zorba the Buddha, Delhi/India
CHAIRITY, Bouyant Performing Arts Center, Kolkotta/India

2016
In C, Musik- und Kunstschule Jena, music: Terry Riley
Disc Drive, Musik- und Kunstschule Jena, music: Tony Osborne

2016/17
Crazy Horse, Theaterschule St. Gallen, Switzerland

2021
Situation Object 2 & 4, music: Amir Shpilman, Villa Elisabeth Berlin

Teaching

1983
work at the MDMC was based on the movement analysis of the style used in the choreography, teaching was part of it

since 1985
guesting at different schools, companies and dance studios throughout Europe

1985-86
trainer, rehearsal director and executive director on tour with Dansgroep Reflex, Groningen, NL

1987
De Nieuwe Dansgroep as well as Danskern, Amsterdam, NL, modern repertory company for the classics of modern dance

1987-89
Dreaming Lizards

1988-89
Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, Amsterdam

1990-92
Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden,Semperoper

1993- 99
Tanzbühne Dresden

1994-95
Palucca Schule Dresden

1997–99
Hochschule Görlitz-Zittau, Studygroup Cultural Management

2003-04
Palucca Schule Dresden, staging pieces by Harald Kreutzberg: Phantastischer Walzer & Aus einem alten Kalender

2011-12
Codarts, Rotterdam Danceacademy, Netherlands

2012-13
Dansers Ateliers, Rotterdam, Netherlands. Henny-Jurriens-Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands

2012-14
The Danceworx, New Delhi/India. Director of the Professional Dance Certificate Program. Senior Foreign Personnel Manager

2014-15
Musikschule Barnim

2015-16
Musik- und Kunstschule Jena

since 1995
Musikhochschule Dresden

since 1996
Akademie am Meer, Volkshochschule Klappholttal/Sylt

Artistic directorships

1981-85
MDMC (in own productions), Rotterdam, Netherlands

1987-89
Dreaming Lizards, artistic director & choreographer, Amsterdam; Netherlands

1989-90
member of the artistic staf of the festival Ausdruckstanz-Butho-Neoexpressionisme, Amsterdam; Netherlands

1991-92
Sächsische Staatsoper Dresden, ballet director & choreographer

1994

internationale Tanzwoche Dresden

1992
Tanzbühne Dresden

1995-99
member of the cultural commitee of the city Dresden

1996-99
Bönig Körperschafft, artistic director & choreographer

2010-12
ensemble kamakala

2013-14
director of the Professional Dance Certificate Program, Danceworx, New Delhi, India

Johannes Bönig

Dance and Choreography – Johannes Bönig Images from selected works

CURRICULUM VITAE – Johannes Bönig

Dance and Choreography – Johannes Bönig
Images from selected works