Dancer, teacher and choreographer.

Born on January 21, 1956 in Adana, Turkey, Timur Ratlas emigrated to Belgium with his family in 1963.

 

Passionate about dance from a young age, he continued his secondary studies in an artistic stream. At 12, he joined the Brussels Conservatory of Dance and participated in numerous workshops under the direction of Rosella Hightower and David Howard. At 14, he was admitted to the prestigious Mudra school and became the only student of Turkish origin to join Maurice Béjart's Ballet du XXème Siècle.

 

In 1974, Timur became a soloist dancer at the Brigitte Cullberg Ballet in Sweden, then at the Zurich Opera in Switzerland. His career then took him to the Bat Dor "Batsheva" in Israel, the Lar Lubovitch Dance Company in New York, the Grands Ballets Canadiens in Canada, the Royal Ballet van Vlaanderen in Belgium, the Aneon in Greece, as well as the prestigious Nederlands Dans Theater in the Netherlands and Tanz Forum in Cologne.

 

In 1985, he created his own company, The Ratlas Company, and contributed to many contemporary choreographies in Belgium. His most notable creations include Compromis, Themus, Zontanos Khors, Doll Chairs, Le Train, and My Trip (revisited version in 2005).

 

Timur Ratlas' style is distinguished by his unique approach to dance, which he describes as an autonomous body language. According to him, dance is the emergence of a body in search of rebirth, a form of raw expression that unfolds through original movements, like a liberating expulsion transformed into stage gestures. His work My Trip (1987) illustrates this vision by expressing an intense energy, both violent and controlled, that the dancer channels through the choreographic variations.

 

This energy, essential to movement, gives dance a new dimension, a renewed language. Her choreography Dialogue, on the music of Klaus Nomi (Cold Song), explores the dynamics of a couple. The staging highlights the femininity and sensuality of the dancer, accentuating the gestures with a minimalism and depth that captivate the spectator.

Today, Timur Ratlas continues to pass on his knowledge, multicultural mastery and unique techniques. He is also involved in a new project aimed at supporting young talents, from learning the basics to creation, choreography and stage production, to propel them into the artistic world.