Davide Dato

The Italian Davide Dato received his ballet training with Ludmill Cakalli in Milan and from 2005 to 2008 at the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera. In 2008/09 he was a member of the theatre class of the Ballet School of the Vienna State Opera. In September 2009 he was engaged by the Ballett der Wiener Staatsoper und Volksoper, where he was promoted to demi-soloist of the Vienna State Ballet in 2011, to soloist in 2013 and to first soloist in 2016.

The versatile dancer's extensive repertoire includes Basil in Rudolf Nureyev's »Don Quixote«, Drosselmeyer/The Prince in Nureyev's »The Nutcracker«, Prince Siegfried in Nureyev's »Swan Lake«, Duke Albrecht in Elena Tchernichova's »Giselle«, Colas in Frederick Ashton's »La Fille mal gardée«, Conrad, Lanquedem and Birbanto in Manuel Legris' »Le Corsaire«, Aminta and Orion in Legris' »Sylvia«, title role in Edward Clug's »Peer Gynt«, Prince Désiré and Bluebird in Martin Schläpfer’s »The Sleeping Beauty«, Bluebird in Peter Wright's »Sleeping Beauty«, Abderachman in Nureyev's »Raymonda«, Armand Duval in John Neumeierʼs »Lady of the Camellias«, Florizel in Christopher Wheeldonʼs »The Winterʼs Tale«, Joseph in Neumeier's »Joseph's Legend«, Vaslaw Nijinsky and Danse siamoise in Neumeier's »Le Pavillon d'Armide«, Lensky in John Cranko's »Onegin«, Mercutio in Cranko's »Romeo and Juliet«, Bratfish in Kenneth MacMillan's »Mayerling«, Kay in Michael Corder's »The Snow Queen«, Bluebeard's alter ego in Stephan Thoss' »Blaubarts Geheimnis«, Puck in Jorma Elo's »A Midsummer Night's Dream«, both title roles in »Max and Moritz« by Ferenc Barbay and Michael Kropf as well as Faun in Jerome Robbins' »The Four Seasons«, his solo »A Suite of Dances« and »Other Dances«. He has also danced principal roles in works by George Balanchine, such as in »Rubies« and »Duo Concertant«, Nils Christe, David Dawson, William Forsythe, Harald Lander, Serge Lifar, Jiří Kylián, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Thierry Malandain, Alexei Ratmansky, Heinz Spoerli, Wachtang Tschabukiani, Christopher Wheeldon as well as »Skew-Whiff« by Sol León & Paul Lightfoot. He also took part in several world premieres such as Patrick de Bana's »Windspiele«, Eno Peci's »Herzblume« and »Petrushka«, Daniel Proietto's »Blanc« and Andrey Kaydanovskiy's »The Firebird« (title role), Marco Goecke's »Fly Paper Bird« as well as Martin Schläpferʼs »4« and »Die Jahreszeiten«. A large number of guest performances have taken Davide Dato to European countries and overseas.

Among his numerous awards are the Orso d'Oro at the International Competition for Young Talents in Turin (2008) 1. Prize and Gold Medal in the Junior Category of the International Competition in Istanbul (2008), Promotional Prize of the Ballet Club Vienna State Opera & Volksoper (2010), Premio Anita Bucchi for the »Best Dancer 2010«, »Best Italian Dancer Abroad 2010« (Danza e Danza), Premio Guido Lauri as »Emerging Artist« (2011), Maria Antonietta Berlusconi Award (2011), Giuliana Penzi Award (2014), »Positano Premia la Danza - Léonide Massine« award as »Italian Dancer of the Year 2015« and the Premio Capri Danza (2016). He also received a nomination for the Prix Benois de la Danse 2017 for the role of Abderachman in Rudolf Nureyev's »Raymonda«. Davide Dato was awarded the Premio D&D 2021 by the Italian magazine Danza & Danza for his interpretation of Jerome Robbins' »A Suite of Dances« at the Vienna State Ballet and Uwe Scholz' solo version of »Sacre du Printemps« at the Nervi Music Ballet Festival and Ravenna Festival, among others. In the critics' survey of the 2022 yearbook of the magazine tanz, he received a nomination as »Dancer of the Year«.