Cayetano Soto

In this season

Soto began his dance education at the Institut del Teatre in Barcelona, and completed it at the Koninklijke Conservatorium in The Hague. In 1997, after receiving his degree in Classical Dance, Soto had joined the IT Dansa Barcelona before moving to the Ballet Theater Munich one year later. There he staged his very first choreography Plenilunio in 2000. It won him the title of the Best Young Choreographer to Watch by the prestigous german “Tanz Aktuell” magazine. At the Ballet Theater Munich Soto created several successful ballets including his early signature piece Fugaz.

Since 2005, Soto has worked as a freelance choreographer for Nederlands Dans Theater, Stuttgarter Ballett, Royal Ballet of Flanders, Ballett Zürich, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Ballet du Capitole, Czech National Ballet, Balé da Cidade de São Paulo, Gauthier Dance Company, Introdans, Leipziger Ballett, Hessisches Staats Ballett Wiesbaden, Staatstheater Nürnberg and many others. Soto’s full evening version of Carmen originally created for Ballett Dortmund, was also staged by Národní Divadlo Brno in Czech Republic. From 2015-2018, Soto was the Resident Choreographer for Ballet BC.

Both subtle and assertive, Soto’s choreographies require technical aptitude and imagination. His dance vocabulary is distinct in comprising nuanced details and grotesque adaptations of traditional movements. Expressive hands and fingers, and complex, acrobatic duets, are characteristic. Soto has received numerous awards and accolades for his creative work such as the first prize for his ballet 24FPS at the “Uncontainable” choreography competition in 2006. Canela Fina commissioned by Balé da Cidade de São Paulo, was awarded Best Dance Production of 2008 by the Brazilian newspaper Folha de São Paulo, and was performed at the Exposition Universal Shanghai in 2010. In 2011, Soto’s Uneven was nominated for the most prestigious dance award in Russia – the Golden Mask Award. In 2015, Arte 1 Brazil broadcasted a six-episode documentary on Soto’s creation ADASTRA for the Balé da Cidade de São Paulo. In the season 2016-2017, Soto acted as the Choreographic Fellowship Mentor for Philadelphia’s BalletX. In 2018, he was invited to be on the faculty of the contemporary dance program at the world-famous Jacob’s Pillow. Soto’s With Reason and Heart (at dancescreen 2019) and TANZRAUSCHEN Festival Wuppertal was awarded the Best Screen Choreography up to 5 Minutes. In 2021 his creation Prelude und Liebestod for the Czech National Ballet, was nominated for the best premiere of the season by the prestigeous Europe Dance Magazine.