Kryštof Šimek
Biography
Born in Prague, Kryštof Šimek began dancing at the age of seven, when he enrolled at the Ballet Preparatory School in České Budějovice. From 2004 to 2012 he studied at the Prague Dance Conservatory, with Profs. Roberta Pospíšilová, Alice Kovářová, Jurij Slypič, Jaroslav and Kateřina Slavický, and Alena Drapalíková.
While still a student, he performed in productions of The Sleeping Beauty, The Little Match Girl, the choreographies Suite en blanc, La Sylphide, La Vivandere, Le Papillon, Le Corsaire and Un ballo, and participated in tours of European countries, Columbia, Japan and China.
Within the collaboration between the Prague Dance Conservatory and the South Bohemia Theatre in České Budějovice, he danced in Swan Lake (Pas de trois), Carmina Burana and Madame Butterfly. He appeared as the Prince in The Nutcracker at the Moravian Theatre in Olomouc.
In 2012 he joined the Czech National Ballet in Prague, where in 2015 he was named a demi-soloist. He has performed in the productions of Cinderella, Giselle, Don Quixote (Toreador), The Sleeping Beauty (the Blue Bird, Prince’s Friend, Wolf), The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, Swan Lake (Pas de trois, solo in the Hungarian Dance), The Nutcracker – A Christmas Carol, La Bayadère (Solor’s Friend) and Romeo and Juliet, as well as in modern choreographies: Jiří Kylián’s Field Mass, Petr Zuska’s Symphony No. 1 in D major and BREL – VYSOTSKY - KRYL / Solo for Three, Viktor Konvalinka’s Guru and George Balanchine’s neo-classical Theme and Variations.
Kryštof Šimek has worked with renowned choreographers and pedagogues, including J. Kylián, C. Atanassof, I. Liška, J. Torres, V. Kuneš, N. Novotná, V. Simon, R. D’Alton, F. Barankiewicz, J. Slavický, A. Egerházi, L. Králová and others.
He has participated in several ballet competitions and won first prize at the Grand Prix Olomouc in 2011 and third prize at the International Ballet Competition in Prague in 2012.