Team
Sagí received a large international exposure. His DanceFilm and performance 'Silent Force' was presented at the Louvre Museum in Paris and EYE Film institute in Amsterdam starring Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) soloist Shirley Esseboom. His newset DanceFilm 'Printemps 22' was presented at FilmForum NRW at Musuem Ludwig in Cologne. His choreographic work was co-produced by Carolyn Carlson and CCN Roubaix in France. He was invited to create works for Deutsche Tanz Kompanie in Germany, Grand Rapids Ballet Michigan in The United States, Pori Dance Company in Finland and Austinmer Dance Theatre in Australia. Earlier in his career, he has been selected to choreograph for English National Ballet dancers at the 'LAB' project in collaboration with DanceEast Jerwood in The UK. Sagí was chosen to take part in ‘Siwic project’ in Dance House Zurich. He participated in The Hannover International Choreography Competition and at The British Sadler’s Wells theater's international competition.
Since September of 2021, Sagí is the artistic director and choreographer of WDTanztheater in Germany, a company he runs together with manager, choreographer and painter Jozsef Csaba Hajzer. Since 2012, he is directing Foundation GrossDanceCompany Amsterdam in The Netherlands.
In addition, he is currently researching his self-developed artistic philosophy, 'Physical Script,' within a project titled 'Scripting Dance - a Physical Script,' collaborating with art and dance scientists: Dr. Derrick Brown (Melbourne / Bern universities), Bertha Bermúdez (Dance researcher in Biarritz), and dramaturg Anne Marije van den Bersselaar (St. Joost University, The Netherlands). This project also encompasses the exploration of 'Physical Script' as a choreographic film philosophy, offering a fresh perspective on portraying physicality, queerness, and individuality through the lens of vulnerability in camera movement and cinematography. The team includes film producer Annemiek Van der Hell (Windmill Film, Amsterdam), film coach Harry Bos (Centre Pompidou, Paris), and cinematographer Michael Maurissens (Cologne).
Next to choreography, film, and theater direction, Sagí Amir Gross has also collaborated as an artistic researcher with neuroscientist Professor Beatrice de Gelder from the University of Maastricht, The Netherlands, and Professor Antonio Camurri from the University of Genova, Italy, on the project 'DANCE', which was funded by the European Union and involved the intersection of art, science, AI & technology.
Sagí has collaborated with international companies and academies (to name a few): Sydney Dance Company PPY, The German Opera houses: Staatstheater Wiesbaden, Theater Hagen, Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, Staatstheater Braunschweig, Grand Rapids Ballet Michigan, Architanz in Tokyo, Royal Ballet School of Antwerpen, The National Conservatory of Lisbon Portugal, Dansateliers in Rotterdam, The Dutch Royal Ballet Conservatory in The Hague, Marameo-Tanzprobebühne in Berlin, Harmonic studio in Paris, Rietveld Art Academy in Amsterdam, Danza - L'AED in Livorno Italy, Busan Dance Academy in South Korea, Hochschule für Musik und darstellende Kunst in Frankfurt, Korzo Theater, Arte&Balleto Italy and many others.
As a dancer he has worked with: Bat-Dor Dance Company, The Israeli Opera House, Dede Dance Company, The Netherlands Opera House in Amsterdam, De Dutch Don't Dance Division The Hague and Resextansa Company in Bari, Italy.
Sagí was educated at The Dutch National Ballet Academy in Amsterdam, Bat-Dor Dance Academy and Tellma Yellin High School for the Arts in Tel-Aviv. During his studies he won five scholarships for both choreography and dancing from the American-Israel Sharet Foundation.
Sagí Amir Gros - Artistic director, Theater maker, Choreographer, Film Director
József Csaba Hajzer -
Manager & choreographer
József completed his classical dance training at The School of American Ballet in New York and at The Hungarian Dance Academy in Budapest. He holds as well a teaching master in classical ballet. Jozsef have started choreographing creations as a young dancer and soon received international recognition as an international choreographer. He has worked with ensembles such as New York City Ballet, Theater Augsburg, Milwaukee Ballet, Theater Hagen, Theater Trier, Mystic Ballet Connecticut.
Next to his dance career, József is a painter and presents exhibitions mostly in Germany. He is as well a general manager and a father of four.
Karyn Benquet - Dancer
Karyn has performed around the world with dance companies such as Netherlands Dans Theater 1, Ballets de Monte-Carlo and Grand Théatre de Genève.
Born in Port Gentil, Gabon. She studied dance in France at Ballet Méditerranéen Danse and Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris.
Michael Maurissens -Cinematographer
Michael was born in Brussels, where he began his dance training. He also studied dance at the Heinz Bosl Foundation in Munich and at the Swiss Ballet School in Zurich (With the support of the Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation). He was engaged at the Ballett Nürnberg/ Tanzwerk Nürnberg, Ballett Freiburg, Nationaltheater Mannheim and Pretty Ugly Tanz Köln.
In 2009, he founded the MichaelDouglas Kollektiv, that consistently recombines itself around different activities - with choreographers, musicians, theorists, scientists and a broad, collaborative system of institutional partners.
For several years now, Michael Maurissens has been working with media in the fields of graphic design, photography and film (as director, cameraman and editor).
In 2013 he completed his postgraduate studies at the Academy of Media Arts Cologne; His studies focused on scenography, applied fine arts and documentary film making. Today he directs and produces films, experimental video works, performance documentaries, participates in joint art projects and residencies and has developped his own screendance workshop format.
Bertha Bermúdez - Dance research, notation, archive
(PhD candidate Dance science) has developed her dance career with main European dance companies working with choreographers such as Maurice Béjart, William Forsythe, Nacho Duato, Rui Horta and Paul Solving Norton, Emio Greco and Pieter C. Scholten . From 2005 Bermudez has turned her dance career into dance research. She has co-directed and coordinated interdisciplinary research projects; (Capturing) intention and Inside Movement Knowledge and Pre-choreographic elements. Since 2014 she works on her PhD at the Humanities department of the Amsterdam University and combines it with her work as advisor, documentarist and external eye for dance creative processes at Dantzaz Choreographic Center and Dantzagunea (Spain).
Dr. Derrick Brown Appenzeller -
Dance science, Philosophy and research
(PhD Dance Science) has developed his dance career in both the USA and European dance companies working with choreographers such as Mark Morris, William Forsythe, Dana Caspersen, Amanda Miller, Itzik Galili, Paul Selwyn Norton, and Igal Perry. Since 2008, Brown has concentrated on research which addresses the physiological and psychological needs of dancers. He is currently the scientific coordinator and module leader of the Health and Performance module at the University Bern , Switzerland in partnership with tamed — Tanzmedizin Deutschland e. V. He has (co)authored over 25 peer-reviewed publicaGons in Dance Science and co-authored and edited four books on dance. Since 2014 he is working on his PhD at the Donders institute for Brain Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University , (NL) where he investigates the cognitive and motor behaviour underpinnings of human movement , including dance.
Gaizka Morales - Dancer
Gaizka Is originally from Spain. He was a member of 'The Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company' in Germany & 'IT Danza' in Barcelona, Spain.
He danced and worked with Jacopo Godani, Marco Goecke,
William Forsythe, Crystal pite, Alexander Ekman, Akram Khan, Ohad Naharin, Sidi Larbi among others.
Gaizka was trained at Danza 180 in Madrid.
Simona Dammicco - Dancer
Simona started her dance education in San Carlo Theatre (Naples). In 2019 she joined DAF Dance Arts Faculty directed by Mauro Astolfi in Rome, where she had a chance to work with choreographers, to name a few: Fernando Hernando Magadan, Roberto Scafati and others. Simona's first professional experience was with choreographer Sagí Amir Gross, director of WDTanztheater Düsseldorf & GrossDanceCompany Amsterdam, in 2022.
Yuka Eda - Dancer
Yuka was born in Ibaraki, Japan. In 2019 she graduated from The Royal conservatoire in the Hague, The Netherlands. Her professional experience includes working at Scapino Ballet Rotterdam under the direction of Ed Wubbe. She has performed in works by choreographers such as: Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Ed Wubbe, Johan Inger, Yaniv Abraham, Guy Shomroni, Christof Loy, Lukas Timulak, Karine Guizzo, Joe Monaghan, Ryan Djojokarso and Kenzo Kusuda.
Since the winter of 2022 she is working with Sagí Amir Gross, director of WDTanztheater and GrossDanceCompany Amsterdam.
Kaho Goto - Dancer
Born in Japan. Kaho graduated from Japan Women's Collage of Physical Education and Rambert School of Ballet and Contemorary Dance in London.
She has been an active freelance dancer in Germany since 2022.
Laura Fridman- Dancer
Laura is originally from France with Ukrainian & Russian background. Laura has studied at The Paris Regional Conservatory and Yale University in the USA. Laura has danced with The Israeli Ballet as a soloist for classical repertory like Giselle, The sleeping beauty, next to contemporary works by Sharon Eyal, Andonis Foniadakis, among others.
At the beginning of 2022 Laura have started working at WestDeutsches Tanztheater under the direction of choreographer and theater director Sagí Amir Gross
Adrian Gago Martin - Dancer
Adrian is originally from Spain, educated at the Professional Dance Conservatory Mariemma in Madrid, specializing in classical dance. He then joined the junior dance company Valencia 'Dancing forwards'. He has worked with choreographers such as: Nacho Duato, Gustavo Ramirez, Ricardo Franco, Gentian Doda, Gustavo Ramirez, Jose Carlos Blanco, Aleix Mañe, Laura Fernandez, Arantxa Argüelles among others. He also danced in classical repertory as: Don Quixote, Nutcracker, La Sylphide. In 2022 Adrian started working at WestDeutsches Tanztheater under the direction of choreographer and theater director Sagí Amir Gross
