Zoran Markovic

I first met Zoran when I joined the company in Basel. He was one the guest teachers in my first season. He is not easy to forget. He is a very funny guy with a positive attitude, and  a great teacher. The class started with a bang! Zoran motivated us right away… starting with plies. He gave inspiring corrections throughout the class. He also made sound effects for the movement, which I love. It really does help you to get the dynamic of a step. His passion for movement is the first thing you notice. Zoran has a very beautiful quality. He demonstrates everything with a special energy and dynamic. Full out…with feeling. I remember looking over to my homeboy Jeremy and saying “Who is this guy?… I like him!” After each class he would say “Thank you guys and…Respect yourself!”. It is not something you would normally hear after class. I thought that was cool. It stuck with me.

Zoran is from Belgrade. He trained at the National Ballet school “Lujo Davico”. He was invited by Marika Besobrazova to continue his professional training at her school in Monaco. Afterwards Zoran went to the Hamburg Ballet School John Neumeier where he completed his training. His first professional engagement was with Dresden Ballet, where he was promoted to soloist. In 1998 together with choreographer Stephan Thoss they created the Thoss-Tanzkopanie in Kiel where he maintained as soloist. In 2001, the company moved to Hanover and Zoran continued to dance and also took on the roles as assistant to the choreographer and ballet master of the company. As a guest artist, Zoran performed with the Lyon Ballet in Mat Ek’s Carmen for the company’s Asia tour. In 2006 he joined Nederlands Dance Theater in Den Haag, Holland.

Zoran has performed, created and worked with choreographers such as Stephan Thoss, Mats Ek, Lightfoot/Leon, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, John Neumeier, Marco Goecke, Fernando Magadan, Uwe Scholz, and Lukas Timulak. In 2008, Zoran was awarded “outstanding male dancer” in Australia. He has since set choreographies of Stephan Thoss on Queensland Ballet and staged a full Swan Lake in Aalto Ballet in Essen. Zoran also frequently delivers contemporary workshops throughout Australia, USA, Germany, Croatia, Serbia and Slovenia. As a guest teacher he works with companies in Croatia, Serbia, Slovenia and Swizerland. His piece “Bonet” received the Audience Award at the Choreographic competition in Copenhagen 2010 and the Production Award of 27th Dance Week Festival in Croatia 2010. Together with Masa Kolar he has created “Interval” for the National Ballet in Belgrade,”Othello” for Bitef Dance Company, “Once upon a time..” and “Shake your booty”. As dancers and choreographers Zoran and Masa created “Bonet”, “The morning after the night before” and movies “Colour Lab” and Happily ever after”.

Currently Zoran is the Ballet Master at Luzener Theater also in Switzerland. I love Zoran’s energy. The more I know him, the more I like his style! I HAD to have him for this series… Thank you Zoran for your inspiration!