Mariko Kida and Anthony Lomuljo in Juliet and Romeo

Mariko Kida and Anthony Lomuljo (Royal Swedish Ballet) in Juliet and Romeo, Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, choreography by Mats Ek. Benois de la Danse 2016 Gala, Laureates of different years, shot on 18.5.2016 in The Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow.

Check out all dances from 18.5.2016 Benois de la Danse 2016 Gala, Laureates of different years

Check out all dances from 18.5.2016 Benois de la Danse 2016 Gala, Laureates of different years

Mariko Kida is a Principal dancer at Royal Swedish Ballet. Originally from Osaka, Japan, Mariko started her ballet training in Japan at the age of four. After winning numerous competitions in Japan, she won the Prix de Lausanne in 2000. Mariko completed her training at San Francisco Ballet School. She began her professional career in 2002, with Alberta Ballet in Canada. Her strong technique and exceptional qualities led her to dance main roles in pieces by George Balanchine, Christopher Wheeldon, Dominique Dumais and Sabrina Matthews, among others. In 2004, Mariko joined Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal, after her departure from Canada in 2009, Mariko joined The Göteborg Ballet in Sweden. Working once again with Mats Ek, Mariko danced Aurora in his Sleeping Beauty and was named one of ”the Outstanding dancers of the Year in 2010” by Dance Europe. Mariko joined The Royal Swedish Ballet in 2012 as First Soloist, immediately dancing leading roles.

Anthony Lomuljo is currently leading soloist with Royal Swedish Ballet. Anthony, originally from USA, trained at The Juilliard School under the direction of Lawrence Rhodes receiving his B.F.A. Prior to joining The Göteborg Ballet in 2010 Anthony performed with Sidra Bell Dance, New York and Zhukov Dance Theatre in San Francisco.

In the world premiere of Mats Ek’s “Julia och Romeo” in 2013, Mariko danced the title role of Julia to critical acclaim. In this ground breaking piece, Mariko clearly defined herself , demonstrating her artistry and strong dramatic presence, taking an integral part in what is considered to be one of the most important dance creations in recent years. She was promoted to Principal dancer in 2014.

Mats Ek (born 1945) is a leading Swedish dance and ballet choreographer, dancer and stage director. Ek was born in Malmö in 1945, the son of the Royal Dramatic Theatre actor Anders Ek and famous choreographer Birgit Cullberg. At 17, he followed a summer dance course (modern) taught by Donya Feuer. He pursued theatrical studies at the Marieborg Folks College in Sweden. From 1966 until 1973, he acted as the director for the Marionett Theater as well as the Royal Dramatic Theatre in Stockholm. In 1972, Ek joined the Cullberg Ballet. In 1975, he formed part of the corps de ballet for the Ballett der Deutschen Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf. And in 1976, he made his first choreography titled The Officer’s Servant for the Cullberg Ballet. In 1978, Ek became, together with Birgit Cullberg, artistic director of the Cullberg Ballet, until 1985 when the responsibility became his entirely. This position he fulfilled until 1993. During the season 1980-1981, he was associated with the Nederlands Dans Theater as dancer as well as choreographer. He has for thirty years been a highly esteemed choreographer throughout the world. He studied dance and theatre and directed theatre at the Marionette Theatre, the Stockholm City Theatre and the Royal Dramatic Theatre. In 1973 Mats Ek joined the Cullberg Ballet as a dancer. Three years later he began choreographing for the company with immediate success. Saint George and the Dragon, Soweto and The House of Bernarda belong to his earliest ballets. From 1981 until 1993 Mats Ek was the artistic director of the Cullberg Ballet, succeeding his mother Birgit Cullberg. Mats Ek’s extensive production of ballets includes more than twenty works for the Cullberg Ballet, among them sensational reworks of classics. After leaving the Cullberg Ballet, Mats Ek became guest choreographer with major international dance companies. He created Sleeping Beauty for the Hamburg Ballet (1996), A Sort Of for the Nederlands Dans Theater (1997), and Apartment for the Paris Opera (2000). Several of Mats Ek’s ballets have been adapted for television, two of them received Emmy awards. In 2006, he won the Prix Benois de la Danse.

Photos by Jack Devant Ballet Photography with kind permission of the Benois de la Danse and Bolshoi Theatre, special thanks to Nina Kudriavtseva-Loory and Regina Nikiforova.