Ketevan Papava

Ketevan Papava was born in Tbilisi (Georgia). After her education at Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg she became a member of Mariinsky Theatre from 2001 to 2006. Her repertoire comprised many classical and contemporary solo roles at that time. Moreover, she performed at the State Opera of Sofia. The Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper und Volksoper engaged her as demi-soloist in 2006. In 2010 she was appointed soloist of the Vienna State Ballet, in 2015 she was promoted to first soloist.

The repertoire of the charismatic dancer comprises the title roles in Boris Eifman’s »Anna Karenina«, Davide Bombana’s »Ballett: Carmen« and Michael Corder’s "The Snow Queen", Tatjana in John Cranko’s »Onegin«, Ballerina in Eifman’s »Giselle Rouge", Myrtha in Elena Tschernischova’s »Giselle«, Street dancer in Rudolf Nureyev’s »Don Quixote«, Spanish dancer in Nureyev’s »Swan Lake«, Diana in Manuel Legris’ »Sylvia«, Carabosse in Peter Wright’s »The Sleeping Beauty«, Queen in Martin Schläpfer's »The Sleeping Beauty«, La Brambilla in Maurice Béjart’s »Le Concours«, Madame Larina in Cranko’s »Onegin«, Lescaut's beloved in Kenneth MacMillan’s »Manon«, Empress Elisabeth and Marie Gräfin Larisch in MacMillan’s »Mayerling«, Potiphars Weib in John Neumeier’s »Josephs Legende«, the main role in Neumeier’s »Le Sacre«, Hans van Manen's »Adagio Hammerklavier«, Jiří Kylián's »Petite Mort«, »Bella Figura« and »Symphony of Psalms« as well as William Forsythe's »The Second Detail«. Furthermore, she danced in works by George Balanchine – such as solo lady in »Rubies« –, Jerome Robbins, Rudi van Dantzig, Twyla Tharp, Ben van Cauwenbergh, David Dawson, Nils Christe, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Helen Pickett, Jiří Bubeníček, Thierry Malandain, Wayne McGregor, Martin Schläpfer – such as »Ein Deutsches Requiem« and »Lontano« –, Alexei Ratmansky's »Pictures at an Exhibition« as well as Grete Wiesenthal's »Wein, Weib und Gesang« and Fanny Elßler's Cachucha from »Le Diable boiteux« (in »Nurejew Gala 2019«). Moreover, she created roles in Jorma Elo’s »A Midsummer Night’s Dream«, Patrick de Bana’s »Marie Antoinette«, Natalia Horecna’s »Contra Clockwise Witness«, Antony McDonald's & Ashley Page's »Ein Reigen« and in Daniel Proietto's »Blanc«.