ALETTA COLLINS
director
La Fanciulla del West | Opera North | Directed by Aletta Collins | Sets by Giles Cadle | Costumes by Gabrielle Dalton | Lighting by Andreas Fuchs (Photographer: Clive Barda/ArenaPAL)
Born in London, Aletta studied at the London Contemporary Dance School and was a dancer and choreographer for London Contemporary Dance Theatre.
Aletta directed the world premiere of Coraline, Mark-Anthony Turnage's opera based on Neil Gaiman's much loved story, in a ROH production at the Barbican in March 2018.
Directing work includes: Aricie et Hippolyte (Berlin Staatsoper); If You Kiss Me, Kiss Me (Young Vic); La Cenerentola, La Fanciulla del West, Dido and Aeneas, La Voix humaine and Les Noces (Opera North); Carmen starring Jonas Kaufmann and Magdalena Kozena (Salzburg Festival); and Philip Pullman’s Aladdin (Bristol Old Vic). Her short film, The Girl in the Red Dress starring Shirley Henderson, was selected for Cannes Director's Fortnight and many festivals including Edinburgh and London.
She is a former Associate Artist at the Royal Opera House, where her work included choreographing and directing Blue Moon, The Red Balloon, Cocteau Voices and Magical Night in the Linbury Studio Theatre. Other commissions include: The days run away like wild horses, Awakenings and Bloom (Rambert Dance Company); Maybe Yes Maybe, Maybe No Maybe (Phoenix Dance Theatre); Drifting and Tilting – The Songs Of Scott Walker (Barbican);
Choreographic work in theatre and opera includes: The Boy in the Dress (RSC); The Twilight Zone (Almeida); West Side Story, Sweet Charity (Royal Exchange, Manchester); A Very Expensive Poison (Old Vic); Wind in the Willows – The Musical (UK Tour and West End); The Hairy Ape (Old Vic/Park Avenue Armory, New York); Bend It Like Beckham (Phoenix Theatre); Made In Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre); La Traviata (Glyndebourne Festival and UK Tour); Anna Nicole (Royal Opera House and Brooklyn Academy of Music); The Effect and His Dark Materials (National Theatre); Jesus Christ Superstar (Lyceum); Doctor Dolittle (Apollo Hammersmith); Honk! (Scarborough/National Theatre/Boston Phoenix) and The Tempest (Royal Opera House - Olivier Award).
Aletta won Best Choreographer at the 2012 Music Video Awards for Losing Myself by Will Young. She has also choreographed commercials for Florette and Nokia.