Fresh energy and movement

A new artistic director always brings changes to the ensemble - in music or spoken theater as well as in ballet. The appointment of Alessandra Ferri as ballet director of the Vienna State Ballet on September 1, 2025 was accompanied by numerous new additions to the dancers.

Restructuring within a company is always associated with great emotions and expectations, but also with fresh energy and movement. Major personnel changes in the event of a change of director are often viewed critically from the outside. In the arts, in this case ballet, there are several aspects to consider. Firstly, every manager has an artistic vision of an ensemble's profile, which is reflected in the repertoire on the one hand and in the performers on the other. Suitable dancers must be found, who in turn can inspire the choice of certain pieces. This is not always based on objective, measurable criteria, as ballet is an art form and not a sport - although the boundaries are almost blurred when you consider the top physical performances that have to be achieved. An excellent technique and mastery of the danse dʼécole is a prerequisite for classical ballet dancers. However, they are artists first and foremost, and this aspect - charisma and soulful interpretations are more important than absolute perfection - is particularly important to Alessandra Ferri.

She therefore likes to quote the great master of neoclassical ballet George Balanchine:

It is about dancers feeling an inner necessity and calling to dance - to do so with heart and deep dedication, rather than "just" out of passion or desire. Alessandra Ferri also strives for this: "I am moved when I see authenticity in a person, when they manage to connect with their inner self and are not afraid to open their soul."
In addition to one's own artistic line, a certain style that one pursues and sometimes also the deliberate breaking of existing structures in order to avoid stagnation, a generational change is naturally also needed from time to time. Dancers' careers in particular are often short. The body is their instrument and is exposed to great stress, sometimes even injury.
In any case, an occasional change in a company brings a breath of fresh air; the established and new members ideally inspire and enrich each other, and this can lead to a new "spirit", which can already be felt at the Vienna State Ballet. Last but not least, new faces and casts are also interesting for the audience.

Alessandra Ferri has been able to recruit one of the best international artists for the company alongside the established dancers of the Vienna State Ballet and has put together an extremely diverse troupe of the highest artistic and technical level. They come from many countries around the world - from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, Italy and Portugal to Poland, Lithuania, Ukraine, Brazil, New Zealand, Japan and the USA. They have danced in renowned ballet companies such as the Hamburg Ballet, Bavarian State Ballet, Aalto Ballett Essen, Semperoper Ballett Dresden, Slovak National Ballet, Het Nationale Ballet Amsterdam, Royal Swedish Ballet, Béjart Ballet Lausanne as well as the ballet of the Teatro alla Scala and the Mariinsky Theater, to name but a few.

Some of them are not unknown in Vienna. Many already celebrated their successful debut in Giselle in September (see photos), others will follow with their (house) debuts in the upcoming ballet premiere of Kallirhoe.
Laura Fernandez Gromova, Cassandra Trenary and Madison Young - who was already a member of the Vienna State Ballet from 2017 to 2019 and was soon promoted to principal dancer here - enrich the ensemble as first soloists. Victor Caixeta, António Casalinho, Alessandro Frola and Kentaro Mitsumori join the principal dancers.

The new solo dancers include Margarita Fernandes and Rosa Pierro - the latter already appeared on stage at the Haus am Ring in 2015/16 as a member of the youth company of the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy - as well as Vladyslav Bosenko.
Alessandro Cavallo and Rinaldo Venuti - who received his training at the Vienna State Opera Ballet Academy, among others - have been engaged as semi-soloists.

The following have joined the corps de ballet of the Vienna State Ballet: Francesca Cesaro, Chloe Colter, Milda Luckuté, Alice McArthur, Yo Nakajima and Lars Philipp Gramlich. Ariel Daley, Lena Dobija, Alex Martelli and Laurids Seidel from the Ballet Academy and the Youth Company of the Vienna State Opera joined the ensemble

A warm welcome to all new members and many unforgettable stage moments!