Josef Vesely

Stage Manager / Ballet

Josef Vesely, a native of Australia, received his training in his hometown of Sydney at the McGrath Academy and the Australian Ballet School. From 1995 to 1997, he danced with Queensland Ballet, where he performed leading solo roles in "Romeo and Juliet", "Coppélia", "A Midsummer Night’s Dream", and "Giselle". In addition, several roles were created especially for the versatile dancer.

In 1998, Josef Vesely joined the Peter Schaufuss Ballet in Denmark as principal dancer in the company’s founding year, remaining with the ensemble for eleven years. There, he appeared in leading roles in major classical ballets such as "Swan Lake", "Sleeping Beauty", and "The Nutcracker", as well as in numerous new creations. His wide-ranging repertoire included roles such as Mick Jagger/Keith Richards in "Satisfaction", Peter Wörner in "Nightwatch", and Elvis Presley in "The King". Alongside his dancing career, he served as director of the Peter Schaufuss Ballet School, teaching classical ballet, pas de deux, tap dance, and repertoire.

From 2009 to 2017, Josef Vesely was a member of the Salzburg Ballet ensemble. During this period, he appeared in productions including "Marilyn", "Elements", as Louis XV in "Marie Antoinette", as Rothbart in Tchaikovsky’s "Swan Lake", and as Drosselmeyer in "The Nutcracker".

Since 2017, Josef Vesely has been working as stage manager and choreographer at the Salzburg State Theatre. As a choreographer, he has created numerous productions there, particularly for the Young Theatre division, including "The Jungle Book", "Around the World in 80 Days – A Dance", "Wild in the Woods", "Narnia", "The Sorcerer’s Apprentice", "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat", "The Rhinoceroses", "Kick It Like Beckham", and "Jacob in a Dress". In opera, he was responsible for the choreography of "Daphne", while in drama his choreographic signature was especially evident in the production "Prince Frederick of Homburg".

In recent years, particularly successful dance productions for young audiences have emerged from his close collaboration with Kate Watson. This joint choreographic work includes the children’s productions "The Rainbow Fish" and "The Dream Eater", both of which were warmly received by young audiences.

For his choreography of "Jacob in a Dress", Josef Vesely was awarded the STELLA Award in 2022 in the category "Special Jury Prize: Dance". In the current season, the choreographies created together with Kate Watson for "The Little Ghost" once again delight both children and adult audiences. In addition, he returns to the stage as a dancer in "Carmen/Rosa/Boléro".

Last updated: December 2025