Tony Rizzi

Forsythe

Biography:

Tony Rizzi has been a major figure in the dance scene in Europe for the past 37 years.

He brings an underground raw sensibility to the dance scene whether on opera house stages, small venues, museums or his own apartment.

He began studying ballet in 1981 at 16 on full scholarship at the Boston Ballet School till 1984, with Bruce Wells, Richard Dickenson, Viollette Verdy. He then joined Ballet Frankfurt  ,under William Forsythe's direction, in 1985 at the age of 20.

He danced all the major roles at the Frankfurt Ballet for 19 years from 1985-2003.

This long and intense collaboration produced most notably the performances: Kammer/Kammer , Eidos Telos, Impressing the Czar and Enemy in the Figure. (all which have been seen here in NYC)

As well he was ballet master and artistic advisor to Forsythe during the last ten years with the company.

Since 1997 till today he has collaborated with the Belgian director and artist Jan Fabre , as an actor and dancer.

Commissioned Work:

Firstext at the Royal Ballet London, 1995 Co-choreographed with William Forsythe for Sylvie Guillem,

Life 1999. Osaka and Tokyo Japan. Choreographed and performed in the opera by Ryuichi Sakamoto.

Cabaret 2009 Schauspielhaus Frankfurt am Main. Choreographed and performed in musical directed by Micheal Simon

Just Die 2005 Bayerische Staatsballet. Full length worked created for the ballet company in the Museum for Five Continents in Munich

Art is a dirty job but someone has to do it 2021 Hagen Ballet

Other choreographic works at Boston Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, Ballet Kiel, Theatre am Gaertnerplatz, Djazz-ex in Den Haag, Scapino Ballet in Rotterdam and Ballet Frankfurt

Rizzi started teaching at the age of 23 when Bruce Marks invited him to be guest teacher to the Boston Ballet company and has since been a guest ballet and improvisation teacher ,as well as a stager of the works of William Forsythe for 30 years.