about Uwe Scholz
His choreographies are of a magical beauty that is difficult to describe. Their
profound emotions as well as their sparkling wit are moving and fascinating the
audiences around the world.
Uwe Scholz was a person with great humour and full of ideas, but also shy and
sensitive, always questioning what he was doing!
His energy, the uncompromising search for artistic excellence prevailing in
Uwe's rehearsals have led to amazing artistic achievements - generations of
dancers who have worked with Uwe, reveal to this day their great enthusiasm and
sincere devotion.
Uwe Scholz was born and grew up in Hessen, in Central Germany. At a very early
age, he was playing several instruments, and he announced that he wanted to
become a dancer, singer and conductor! At the age of thirteen, he entered the
John Cranko school, where his friends were e.g. Mark McClain, Wolfgang
Stollwitzer and Christine Buerkle. Together, they not only got up to all kinds
of mischief, but they also pushed each other to enormous technical
achievements: Under the direction of Anne Wooliams, Uwe's entire class was able
to jump triple tours en l'air! Also later, as a choreographer, Uwe showed a
physical speed which put most of his soloists in the shade.
“Little” Uwe did not care much about the rules, he used to sneak secretly out of the
boarding school in order to watch the performances of the Stuttgart Ballet from
the wings. He even recorded the music with his tape recorder, in order to dance
Cranko
’s choreographies at home in front of his mother... Uwe has internalised the
magic of all the incomparable artists of the Stuttgart Ballet, amongst them
Marcia Hayd
ée, Birgit Keil, Richard Cragun, Egon Madsen etc.. His admiration for Marcia Haydée and the choreographies of John Cranko was already at that time infinite. In
this spirit, and already as a pupil, he began with his first choreographic
works.
Uwe’s creative urge was soon to become immense, and also extended onto other genres
and branches. His excessive work-speed (and his restless intellect) allowed him
little respite until the end of his life.
At the age of nineteen, Uwe Scholz was appointed choreographer of the Stuttgart
Ballet; at twenty-six, he became ballet director in Zurich; in 1991, he moved
on to be ballet director of the Leipzig Ballet.
Uwe’s musical knowledge and understanding were enormous, his collection of music
recordings consisted mostly of outstanding musical interpretations. Uwe taught
us to listen and to hear: Almost wordlessly, the look in his eyes and the
expression of his body could take us into a dimension of listening which,
otherwise, few of us would have got to experience!
A recurring comment of the audience corresponds to our experience as assistants
and interpreters: Often, we would perceive a composition differently and much
more distinctly after we had got to know Uwe
’s choreography.
However, his choreographies are not a mere choreographic illustration of musical
structures. The clich
é of "one note, one movement" ignores the essential: Most of all, Uwe Scholz has
understood the spirit and the humanist substance of a composition, and he has
made it visible in an incomparable, personal way!
Uwe Scholz has dedicated his life to a burning urgency to create. He was not
only a
“child prodigy” and a star choreographer, but also often full of doubts and despair.
It is our task to carry on his great artistic heritage and his message of
humanity for future generations!
A complete list of Uwe Scholz's works you find here
