LOGO-SARA-NORA

EXPERT BALLET JUDGE of SARA-NORA PRIMA Competition:

GREGOR HATALA

Born in Vienna, Gregor Hatala grew up in the world of ballet.

His father, Milan Hatala, himself a soloist dancer with various companies and ballet master of the Vienna State Opera for almost 30 years, became his major teacher, while his mother, Christine Hatala, directs the families’ own private ballet school.

In 1990 Gregor Hatala became the youngest member of the Vienna State Opera Ballet and was promoted soloist in 1996 and principal in 2000.

The season of 1994/95 he danced as a soloist with Boston Ballet (director B. Marks) and was a permanent principal guest artist with the Hungarian and Slovakian National Theatres from 1999 to 2004.

Starting from 2003 to 2008 Gregor Hatala organized of the „Gala di Danza“ within the „Festival dei Due Mondi“ in Spoleto, Italy, and was a personal consultant to Mr. Francis Menotti.

From 2009 until 2019 he was chairman of the „Association Vienna State Opera Ballet” for which he choreographed and organized ballet performances & company tours.

From 2011 to 2017 Gregor Hatala was President of the Austrian Dance Council and organized the “Ballet Days” festival in Vienna for 4 years.

In 2013 he became pedagogue at the Konservatorium Wien Privatuniversität and in 2014 guest Balletmaster at the Slovakian National Theatre and Hungarian National Ballet.

After 25 years of professional dancing, Gregor Hatala, gave his farewell performance at the Vienna State Opera as prince Rudolf in Kenneth MacMillan’s “Mayerling” in December 2014.

In 2015 Gregor Hatala founded VIBE- the Vienna International Ballet Experience, the first international dance competition for dancers with and without disabilities, held in Austria, Korea and Australia.

In 2018 Gregor Hatala was awarded the “Cross of Honor for Science and Art first class” by the president of the Republic of Austria.

Gregor Hatala has choreographed for the Vienna Volksopera („Der Vetter aus Dingsda“, „ Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor“), the Spoleto Festival, the Istanbul Music Festival („Firebird“), as well as the „Midsummernights Concert 2011 & 2012“ of the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra with Valery Gergiev & Gustavo Dudamel respectively.

For many years he has been a guest teacher in various companies and ballet academies and jury member in dance competitions around the world.

EN