Alen Bottaini

Alen Bottaini - BMICA

Kammertänzer,
Director

 

 

Born in Viareggio, Italia; Alen Bottaini started ballet at the age of 12 in Italy. At 15 he continues his studies in London, at The Royal Ballet Upper School for a year, and from there he goes to S. Petersburg, to the Vaganova Academy where after two years he graduates with honours. Later that year he completes his studies with an advanced course at the National Ballet School of Canada, in Toronto including the study of contemporary dance. During all this period, he also has the chance to study under the guidance of Madame Marika Besobrasova, at the prestigious Academie de Danse Princesse Grace in Monaco.

During his studies in Russia, Alen guests in Osaka where he dances:
Solor in La Bayadere, the Joker in Swan Lake, Albrecht in II Act Giselle and Carnavale a Venezia. Alen dances, in several occasions, at the Kirov : Grand Pas Classique from Balanchine, the prince in Nutcracker from Agrippina Vaganova and the pas-de-deux from Le Corsaire and from Sleeping Beauty. After a tour to Greece and Japan, Alen is invited to dance at the Kirov and the Bolshoi at the galas in honour of Madame Natalja Dudinskaja.

In September 1993 he joins the Bayerisches Staatsballett in Munich, Germany; where only one year later he debuts as principal dancer as Colas in La Fille Mal Guardée from Sir Frederick Ashton and as Puck in John Neumeier’s Midsummer Nights Dream having the chance to prove his value in important ballet roles at an early age. Alen is formally promoted to soloist and principal dancer in 1997 and 1999 respectively.

  

International Prizes:

  • In 1996, at the Varna International Competition, he was the first and only Italian to win the “Gold Medal (Senior)” and the special prize for the “Best Artistic Interpretation”.
  • In September 1996, receives the Positano prize for „Best New Rising Star“.
  • In December 1996, he conquers Paris at the closing gala of the VII Paris International Dance Competiton in the Théatre des Champs-Elysées with his „charme“ and „la haute virtuosité de la prestation“.
  • Also in December, he is the prince Dèsiré at the Carlo Felice Teatro in Genova, in the co-production Genova-Varsavia of Sleeping Beauty from Yuri Grigorovich, next to Elena Pankova from the Marijnsky and was acclaimed by the press as the „revelation“ of the season.
  • In 1996/97 receives the prize Danza & Danza, “Best Italian Dancer in Europe”.
  • In 1998 he received the distinction of “Star of the Week” by the Abendzeitung, Munich.
  • In 2006 was awarded the title of “Best Performer of the Year” by the leading Italian Ballet Journal Danza & Danza.
  • More recently he was awarded the Giuliana Pensi “Grand Prix” as well as the “Career Award”.
  • In 2008 Alen is awarded the honorary title of Kammertänzer, one of the highest recognitions by the Bavarian Minister of State for Science, Research and Art.

 

Alen Bottaini’s international guest appearances include:

The Queensland Ballet, Lyric Theatre of Brisbane, Sydney, Ballet de Santiago in Chile, Bolshoi Ballet, Kirov Ballet, Osaka and Nagoya in Japan, Royal Danish Ballet, National Ballet of Portugal, Prague, Théatre du Casino in Montecarlo, Kiev, Teatro La Fenice in Venice, Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Slovenian National Ballet and also in other gala performances throughout Europe.

His partners include Larissa Lezhnina, Diana Vishneva, Elena Pankova, Maria Eichwald, Ambra Vallo, Monica Perego, Simona Noja, Maria Gimenez, Lucia Lacarra, Lisa-Maree Cullum, Margaret Hillman, Kathryn Heely, Ana Lacerda, Beatrice Carbone, Nina Kaptsova and Katherina Markowskaja.

 

Alen Bottaini’s repertoire includes:

  • Armand in Lady of the Camellias (J.Neumeier)
  • Mercutio and Romeo in Romeo and Juliet (J.Cranko)
  • Solor and Golden Idol in La Bayadere (P.Bart)
  • the prince in Nutcracker (J.Neumeier)
  • Albrecht in Giselle (Sir P.Wright)
  • Siegfried in Swan Lake (R.Barra)
  • the prince in Cinderella (J.Neumeier)
  • Basil in D.Quixote (R.Barra) (Vassiliev)
  • Des Grieux and Lescaut in Manon (Sir K.MacMillan)
  • Petruccio in Taming of the Shrew (J.Cranko)
  • Jean de Bienne, Abderakman in Raymonda (R.Barra)
  • Lensky in Onegin (J.Cranko)
  • Puck in Midsummer Nights Dream (J.Neumeier)
  • Dèsirée and Blue Bird in Sleeping Beauty (I.Liska after Petipa)
  • Conrad, Ali and Birbanto in Le Corsaire (I.Liska after Petipa), Franz in Coppelia
  • Les Bourgeois (B.Van Cauwenbergh)
  • Zakousky (P.Martins)
  • 5 Tangos, Trio and Grosse Fugue (H.Van Manen)
  • A Sort Of and Apartment (Mats Ek)
  • Who Cares, Symphony in C
  • Tarantella and Brahms-Schönberg (Balanchine),
  • Limb’s Theorem and Artifact (W.Forsythe)
  • Zugvögel, Swadebka and Bella Figura (J.Kylian)
  • Les Biches (Nijinska)
  • Das Lied von der Erde (Sir K.MacMillan)
  • Festival in Genzano (Bournonville) The Storm (Jörg Manner)

And additional works by:
Robert La Fosse, Lucinda Childs, Twyla Tharp, Peter Markus, Martin Schläpfer, Itzik Galili, Davide Bombana, Graeme Murphy, Jose Limon, Terence Kohler. To name a few.

 

Alen Bottaini’s Teaching Experience:

Alen began a career as guest teacher for companies such as the State Ballet of the Ljubjana Opera in Slovenia amongst others; and at the ballet schools La Danza in Munich, Dance Station in Munich, Lorna Wilkinson Ballet School in Italy, Keiko Yasuda Ballet School in Japan and many more.

In 2001 took over the organization and financial management of the performances of the Lorna Wilkinson Ballet School at the Guglielmo Teatro, in Italy. The performances included: Coppelia, Giselle, Paquita and the Nutcracker.

In December 2010 he was invited to choreograph for the gala “Chopin on Pointe”, in the China Century Theatre in Beijing, where he also performed, to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Chopin.

More recently, in 2010/2011, he worked as Assistant Director, Choreographer and Ballet Master with the Greek National Ballet Company, collaborating with Ray Barra in the restaging of his “Snow Queen” and with Vassiliev in his D.Quixote where he also danced the principal role.

In September 2011 he was called to guest in J.Crankos Romeo and Juliet with the CNB (National Ballet of Portugal) where he had the opportunity to work under the influence of the former Stuttgart principal dancer Sylviane Bayard Phillips. In March 2012 he returned to guest with the CNB (National Ballet of Portugal) as prince Dèsirée in Sleeping Beauty choreographed by Ted Brandsen.

Alen Bottaini has been invited to teach at the annual RAD Summer School in Trentino, the biggest RAD (Royal Academy of Dance) meeting in Italy; as well as at the annual ISTD Italian Summer School (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing) in Italy. He has been invited to return in the next years.

In September 2012 Alen danced at the Arena di Verona in the gala “Angeli Sulle Punte”. Danced also at the Gala in Livorno, Italy, in honour of Marika Besobrasova.

In 2012/2013 he was invited to dance with David Campos Ballet the Campos’ versions of “Giselle” “Sleeping Beauty”, performing in Spain and Italy. He was also invited to dance with the Dessau Ballet, “Nibelungen” from Tomasz Kajdanski.

From Dezember 2013 till August 2017 he was the last year men's teacher at the renowned English National Ballet School in London, UK; when he returned definitely to Munich to direct his Ballet Academy full-time.