Nataša Novotná

Natasa Novotna (born October 29, 1977, Opava) is a Czech dancer, choreographer, lecturer, co-founder of 420PEOPLE and founder of Kylian fund in Prague.
Education
Novotna graduated from Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava.
Professional career
Dancer and choreographer
In 1997, Novotna was engaged in the Dutch ensemble Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT2) led by Jiri Kylian. Between 2000 and 2002 she danced in the Swedish Goteborgs Operan Ballet. Since 2002 she has been a member of the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT1).
Novotna has collaborated with leading world choreographers, e.g. . Jiri Kylian, Ohad Naharin, W. Forsyth, M. Ek, Crystal Pite, Meryl Tancard and others.
Since 2007, Novotna has been working independently, performing contemporary dance, collaborating as a dancer with leading world scenes and choreographers such as the Tero Saarinen Company in Finland, Copenhagen International Ballet, Korzo Theater, Station Zuid and C-scope in the Netherlands, as well with Roberto Bolle, the soloist of the Teatro alla Scala or with the London's Sadler's Wells and Sylvie Guillem.
420PEOPLE
Together with her former NDT colleague Vaclav Kunes and manager Ondrej Kotrc, in 2007 Novotna founded a contemporary dance ensemble 420PEOPLE, and acted as executive director of the ensemble until 2016. The name of the ensemble evokes Czech origin - 420 is the telephone prefix for the Czech Republic.
The ensemble performs regularly both abroad (e.g. France, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Holland, Finland, Norway, Japan, Great Britain, etc.) and on the Czech stages (among others Czech National Theater, National Moravian-Silesian Theatre).
The ensemble organizes the participation of prominent foreign artists at events in the Czech Republic - such as Ohad Naharin, Abou Lagraa, Jo Stromgren, Ann Van den Broek, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and others.
Kylian Fund in Prague
After a decade of working for 420PEOPLE, Novotna founded Kylian Fund in Prague in 2017.
Further activities
Novotna is involved in initiatives to support Czech contemporary dance and is a board member of the Vision of Dance professional organization.
Novotna teaches at dance conservatories, Academy of Performing Arts in Prague and in ensembles in the Czech Republic and abroad. She is a lecturer in the Dance Studio of the New Stage, which offers both contemporary and classical dance lessons. Since 2017 she has been certified teacher of the Gaga movement language, developed by world-renowned choreographer Ohad Naharin.
Selected awards
2003 nominated by Dutch critics for Best Dancer for interpretation of Pneuma choreography by J. Inger (Dance Europe)
2004 nominated by Dutch critics for Best Dancer for the interpretation of W. Forsyth's Duo choreography (Dance Europe)
2008 Thalia Award (for dance performance in Small Hour choreography)
2009 Dancer of the Year (at the DANCE PRAGUE FESTIVAL)
Selected choreography
2007 Znaky o znacich (created for Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava)
2010 Sacrebleu (created for 420PEOPLE)
2012 Ptak Ohnivak (created for ballet of National Theatre Brno)
2012 Rezonance na pesi vzdalenost project with Berg Orchestra
2013 Skrtic (created for National Moravian-Silesian Theatre in Ostrava)
2017 Portrait Parle (created for 420PEOPLE)
2017 Daniel Spinar, 420PEOPLE: Krehkosti, tve jmeno je zena , directed by Daniel Spinar, New Stage of the National Theatre in Prague
2018 "Dream On" (created for Janacek Conservatory in Ostrava)
Filmography
2013 Hamletophelia (dance fashion film), dir. by Jakub Jahn
2016 Personal Shopper (mystery film), role: Ghost, dir. by Olivier Assayas
2017 Closed (dance film), directed by Stein-Roger Bull, Jo Stromgren
Gallery
References
Citations
Bibliography
National Theater Newsletter, No. 5, January 2017, 134. season 2016-2017, Narodni divadlo, Praha, 2017, p. 36
National Theater Newsletter, No. 10, June 2017, 134. season 2016-2017, Narodni divadlo, Praha, 2017, pp. 24-5, 32
Redakce: Krehkosti, tve jmeno je zena, In.: National Theater Newsletter, No. 8, April 2017, 134. season 2016-2017, Narodni divadlo, Praha, 2017, p. 36
Katerina Hanackova: Ohad Naharin: decadance, In.: National Theater Newsletter, No. 8, April 2017, 134. season 2016-2017, Narodni divadlo, Praha, 2017, p. 25
Other websites
420PEOPLE
Natasa Novotna in Czech National Theater Archive
Narodni divadlo-profil umelce
National Moravian-Silesian Theatre: Natasa Novotna in Narodni divadlo moravskoslezske
CZECH RADIO-Vltava
CZECH TV
Idnes.cz: Martin Jirousek: Ostrava cerna, devucha verna, smeje se choreografka Natasa Novotna
Ballet masterclass.com
Opera+: Lucie Kocourkova: 10.vyroci 420PEOPLE.Velky rozhovor s Natasou Novotnou a Vaclavem Kunesem.
Tanecni aktuality.cz
Living people
1977 births
Choreographers
Dancers