Joy Alpuerto Ritter

Joy Alpuerto Ritter known as Joy was born in 1982 in Los Angeles, CA, USA.

She moved to Germany with her mother when she was 4 years old and grew up in Freiburg im Breisgau where she took her first Ballett classes at the Ballettstudio Krain.

In these 10 years she was trained in Ballett and Jazz and took part at the RAD (Royal academy of dancing), dance competitions, Ballett Performances and Shows with the philippine and polynesian Culture Dance group that was lead by her mother.

At the age of 17 she graduated at the Palucca Dance School in Dresden, Germany with a diploma in 2004.

 

Since then Joy is a Berlin based dancer/choreographer known for her diversity & understanding of different dance styles. Starting with classical training, philippine folk, contemporary dance & urban styles, she has been touring worldwide with companies such as Akram Khan Company, Wangramirez, Christoph Winkler, Heike Hennig & Cirque du soleil.

Her passion for the communal aspect of dance culture made her connect to the Hip Hop and Voguing scene in Berlin. She also participated in many Dance Battle Events like Juste Debout, Voguing out, Funkin Stylz and Defipayette.

Joy has been nominated as "outstanding female dancer" (modern) in the Performance "Until the Lions" by the National Dance Awards UK 2016.

Since 2016 she has found international response as a choreographer & creates works for film and own dance theatre pieces. Her signature is finding an interesting fusion of movement vocabulary that come from different cultural backgrounds.

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Following her internationally acclaimed solo BABAE (selected for Aerowaves 2020) and the commissioned ensemble piece UNDA (as part of ISADORA NOW produced by Viviana Durante Company), Joy’s body of work develops as she leads on the direction and production of collaborative cross-pollinated performances with an array of talented artists and creatives like Akram Khan, Chen Shi-Zheng, Riz Ahmed, Viviana Durante and Florence + the Machine. Her generosity of sharing her experience and knowledge made her work as a teacher and coach in academic institutions such as in Spain, Austria, Germany, Italy and Beijing.

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PROFESSIONAL STAGE EXPERIENCE and CREATIONS IN DANCE THEATRE

 

2023

• Creator of "OZ- der Zauber in uns“ a Show created for a young audience and family produced by Tanzkomplizen Berlin

• Choreographic Scenes in the new big Top Show „Falling / in Love“ in Friedrichstadtpalast Berlin

• Dancer in the project "Väter" a Show created for a young audience by Hennermann’s Horde in Frankfurt Germany

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2022

• Performance as a dancer in "Les Gayrillères" by Boudry Lorenz in Arsenic Lausanne, De Singel in Antwerp

• Creator of the Show "V-I-E-R" produced by Pottporus Theatre and Silk Fluegge Company

• Creation of "Man or God" as a choreographer and creative Co-director, directed by Mavin Khoo, Preview in London UK

• Creation work in progress "Passage 4.7" as a choreographer and director in collaboration with Music composer Lih Qun Wong and visual artist Lucian Patermann

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2021

• Concept & Choreography in collaboration with Lukas Steltner of the participatory Moving the forum Project "If I ruled the world - Zeichen der Zeit" with young dancers with urban and contemporary dance background

• Dance & movement creation for scenes in the feature Film „The Silence of Mercy“ directed by Floria Sigismondi

• Creation of "The Fall" in choreographic Collaboration with Hannes Langolf ( DV8, Akram Khan Company) supported by Orsolina28

• Co-choreographer of the work "Opferschicht" by Kadir Memis 'Amigo' produced by Hebbel am Ufer Berlin

• Creation of "Shikhandi" with Students of the Malta University, umbrellad and inspired by Akram Khan's company work "Until the Lions"

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2020

• Dancer in the Opera Production Dijon IL PALAZZO INCANTATO by Fabrice Murgia

• Choreographer & Dance Collaboration with Lukas Steltner in the interactive LIVE online Performance rOOms

• Dancer in Installation Film Project "(No) Time" by Pauline Bouldry/Renate Lorenz

• Aerowaves artist 2020 with Solo Work BABAE

• Choreographer of the Show by Riz Ahmed at the MIF- Manchester International Festival

• Choreographer & Dancer in UNDA - part of a triple Bill ISADORA NOW produced by the Viviana Durante Company presented in the Barbican London

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2019

• Collaboration Choreography with Lukas Steltner at Theater der jungen Welt Leipzig with the performance TEENAGE WIDERSTAND

• Associate Choreographer for the Kung Fu Musical directed by Chen Shi-Zheng in the Shed New York with the Show DRAGON PHOENIX RISE

• Choreographic Collaboration with indonesian film director Garin Nugroho in the Performance A PLANET- LAMENT

• Choreography & Dance collaboration with Lukas Steltner in the Performance HEIMKEHR

• Choreography creation of the piece ANGIBA for 3rd defining year at SEAD- Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dancing

• Choreography creation of the piece HEXEN for DAF- Dance Arts Faculty Students in Rome

• Choreography creation for the piece CUMULUS at Beijing Dance academy for the UK arts cross exchange

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2018

• Solo Performance & Creation of ALTER EGOS from and with Joy Alpuerto Ritter

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2016

• Solo Performance & Creation of BABAE from and with Joy Alpuerto Ritter

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since 2013 till now

• Dancer/rehearsal director of the Akram Khan Company in the Perormances  iTMOi, UNTIL THE LIONS, KAASH

 

since 2015 till now

• Dancer in the Company WangRamirez in the Performances BODERLINE, EVERYNESS

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2011- 2012 

• Dancer & Aerial Artist in the MICHAEL JACKSON IMMORTAL WORLD TOUR by Cirque du Soleil

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since 2015 till now

• Dancer in the Show BEETHOVEN -THE NEXT LEVEL! directed by Christoph Hagel and Khaled Chaabi

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2009

• Dancer in the Piece ... AND WHAT HAPPENS AFTER?! by Denis (Koone) Kuhnert

• Dancer in the site specific performance AUTO FICTION directed by Milan Gervais HUMAN PLAYGROUND sponsored by the Goethe Institut Montreal

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2004- 2010 

• Dancer in the Performances SEXUALITÄT UND WAHRHEIT, WHO BY FIRE, ROUTINES, TALES OF THE FUNKY, TASTE OF RA, SAAL A, TAKING STEPS by Christoph Winkler

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2007- 2010

• Dancer in the Performances ZEITSPRÜNGE, ALCINA, MERULA GLASS (Opening of the Neue Museum Berlin), RITUALE, MARIA XXX by Heike Hennig

 

2004- 2010

• Dancer in the Performances OXYMORON, EINSTURZGEFAHR, I WANT TO BELIEVE, REVOLTE, TANZ MIT MIR (a Co-Production with the Hans Otto Theater Potsdam) of the Oxymoron Dance Company directed by Anja Kozik

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COMMERCIAL WORK EXCERPTS

 

•  Dancer and assistant choreographer of Akram Khan in the music video BIG GOD by Florence + the Machine

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•  Dancer in the music video JE NE PARLE PAS FRANCAIS by NAMIKA choreographed by Wangramirez

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• Dancer in the TV Show GOOD MORNING AMERICA and DANCING WITH THE STARS USA as part of the Cirque du Soleil MJIWT

 

• Dancer  in the TV Show DANCING WITH THE STARS GERMANY

 

• Guest Apearance in LOLLIPOP MONSTER a german movie by Ziska Riemann

 

• Dancer at the EURO VISION SONG CONTEST with guest artist Jan Delay

 

• Stunt woman in the movie HANSL AND GRETL - THE WITCH HUNTERS directed by Tommy Wirkola

 

• Dancer in several show and video formats for CEBIT Germany, IFA Germany, BREITLING, LANGE SÖHNE

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