John Neumeier

John Neumeier was born in 1939 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he received his first dance training. He continued his dance studies in Chicago as well as at Marquette University in Milwaukee where he created his first choreographic works. After further ballet study both in Copenhagen and at The Royal Ballet School in London, John Cranko invited him in 1963 to join Stuttgart Ballet, where he progressed to soloist and continued his choreographic development.

In 1969, Ulrich Erfurth appointed Mr. Neumeier Director of Ballet Frankfurt, where he soon caused a sensation with his new interpretations of such well-known ballets as "The Nutcracker" and "Romeo and Juliet". In 1973, August Everding invited him to become Director and Chief Choreographer of the Hamburg Ballet. Under his direction, The Hamburg Ballet became one of the leading ballet companies on the German dance scene and soon received international recognition. As a choreographer, Mr. Neumeier has continually focused on the preservation of ballet tradition, while giving his works a modern dramatic framework. His ballets range from new versions of full-length story ballets to musicals and to his symphonic ballets, especially those based on Gustav Mahler's compositions, as well as his choreographies to sacred music. His latest creations for the Hamburg Ballet: "The Sleeping Beauty" (new version, 2021), "Hamlet 21" (2021), "Beethoven Project II" (2021), "Dona Nobis Pacem" (2022) and "Epilogue" (2024).

In 1975, John Neumeier conceived the Hamburg Ballet Days as a climax and end to each season. In 1978, he founded the School of the Hamburg Ballet. In 1989 the school, together with the company, moved into its own "Ballettzentrum" provided by the city of Hamburg. Its facilities include nine studios and a boarding school for over 30 students. Today almost 80 % of the company's dancers are graduates from the school.

John Neumeier has worked as guest choreographer with many companies, including The Royal Ballet in London; The Vienna, Munich and Dresden State Operas; The Stuttgart Ballet (for which he has created several works); The Royal Danish Ballet; The Ballet of the Paris Opera; The Tokyo Ballet; American Ballet Theatre in New York; San Francisco Ballet; Joffrey Ballet; Boston Ballet; The National Ballet of Canada; The Ballet of the Mariinsky Theater; Moscow Bolshoi and Stanislavsky Ballet; and The National Ballet of China, among others.

John Neumeier established the John Neumeier Foundation in February 2006 with the aim of preserving and eventually making available to the public his collection of dance and ballet-related objects. The Foundation will maintain and secure his repertoire and related materials for the city of Hamburg.

In 2011, John Neumeier founded Germany's National Youth Ballet. The young company of eight dancers is based at the Ballettzentrum in Hamburg but finds its performing spaces away from the Hamburg Opera. In addition to international touring this creative young company dances in schools, retirement homes and various social projects.

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Awards

1983
Dance Magazine Award

1987
Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from the Marquette University in Milwaukee (USA)
Professor of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg

1988
German Dance Award (Essen)
Prix Diaghilev (Paris)

1989
Order of the Dannebrog

1991
Chevalier des Arts et des Lettres

1992
Benois de la Danse

1994
Pas de deux "Carmen" Best Contemporary Choreography at the Maja '94 Ballet Competition (St. Petersburg)
Honorary Medal of the City of Tokyo
Carina Ari Gold Medal (Sweden's highest dance award)
Hamburg Citizen's Prize

1995
Prize of the Bible and Culture Foundation

1996
Nijinsky Medal (Warsaw)

1997
Min-On International Award for Arts (Tokyo)

1999
Plaque of the Free Academy of Arts in Hamburg
Prince Henrik of Denmark Award (European Cultural Foundation Pro Europa)
Knight's Cross of the Order of the Dannebrog in Gold (Queen Margrethe II)

2001
Danza&Danza Magazine Award for the ballet "Messiah" as Best Production of the Season
Bavarian Theatre Prize 2001 for "Nijinsky"

2002
Golden Mask (Russia's highest theatre award)
Wilhelm Hansen Prize (Copenhagen)
First Prize for Contemporary Choreography (International Ballet Competition in Varna)
Honorary Member of the Saxon State Opera Dresden

2003
Medal for Art and Science of the Senate (Hamburg's highest cultural award)
Knight of the Legion of Honor (on the recommendation of French President Jacques Chirac)

2004
Premio Porselli 2003 – A Life for the Dance
Hans Christian Andersen Ambassador for Germany 2005

2005
SAECULUM Prize
Steffen Kempe Prize

2006
Golden Mask – Best Contemporary Dance Production of 2005 (Moscow, "A Midsummer Night's Dream" at the Bolshoi Theatre)
Silver Portuguese Award
Nijinsky Prize for Lifetime Achievement
Hamburg Citizen of the Year 2006

2007
German Critics' Prize for Lifetime Achievement
Honorary Citizen of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg
Herbert von Karajan Music Prize

2008
German Anniversary Dance Prize for Extraordinary Lifetime Achievement

2009
Hans Christian Andersen Honorary Award

2011
Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

2012
Gustav Gründgens Prize
Transatlantic Media & Communication Award of the American Chamber of Commerce in Germany
Russian Order of Friendship

2013
Polish Cultural Order "Gloria Artis"

2015
Golden Schikaneder
Kyoto Prize

2016
Prix Benois de la Danse for Lifetime Achievement

2017
Lifetime Achievement Award of the Prix de Lausanne
Erich Fromm Prize

2018
Prize of the Optimists

2019
Friendship Prize of the People's Republic of China

2020
Dr. Günther Buch Prize

2021
Queen Margrethe II of Denmark awarded John Neumeier the "Ingenio et arti" Medal of Honor, a personal award from the Danish Royal House to outstanding individuals in the arts and sciences

2023
Italian Music Prize "Una vita nella musica"
Honorary Membership of the Hamburg State Opera
John Neumeier was inducted as a new member of the "Order Pour le Mérite"

2025
Grand Cross of Merit with Star

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Photo © Kiran West