Rafaële Giovanola in the VIP-Lounge of the yearbook ballettanz 2008.

Rafaële Giovanola has set off after the end of her career as a professional dancer. She has founded her own company, works as choreographer, is awarded prizes and nominations, and is constantly touring around the world with her latest projects. Bevore Swiss dancer Giovanola pursued her own goals, she worked as a dancer with William Forsythe and was Pavel Mikuláštik’s muse in Freiburg and later in Bonn. With a change of directors at the Rhine location, she was made redundant – a great opportunitiy, as became evident with Cocoondance. Liberty inspires. With an artist’s composure and no need to prove herself and to show others, Rafaële produces piece after piece. Success after success. Her pieces of work, which are mostly dealing with the role of the individual within society, are supplied with a unique intellectual depth by her husband and dramaturge, Rainald Endrass. As professional are the creators, as improvised are the conditions under which they work. However, the city of Bonn provided an old ballroom as free theatre, which was a lucky gift. Since 2004, both can produce and perform there together with a theatre group. Furthermore, the opera of Bonn as shown their respect and acknowledgement by inviting Cocoondance to cooperate with them next year. Recently, Rafaële Giovanola has discovered her talent of working with pupils. Her first work was nominated, her second was invited for a performance at the Berliner Festspiele during the Theatertreffen der Jugend (The Youth Theatre Meeting) – and awarded a prize. Right now, Rafaële Giovanola is planning a “Junior Ensemble of Cocoondance”. She has fortune on her side.

Bettina Trouwborst, VIP-Lounge, Yearbook ballettanz 2008