Sasha Riva
Born in Fairfax County, Virginia, in 1991, Sasha grew up in Italy. In 2008 he moved to Hamburg to study at the John Neumeier Ballet School. During his education he was also selected
to participate in the NDT summer course. In 2011 he joined the Hamburg Ballet Company where, in his first season, John Neumeier created solo roles for him, including the “Balloon Man” in “Liliom”.
Sasha also performed several lead and solo roles as “The poet” in “The Little Mermaid”, “Petrushka” in “Nijinsky”. In his first season with the Hamburg Ballet in 2021, Sasha received the title of “Promising Young Talent” from the German magazine “Tanz”. In August 2016 he joined the Geneva Ballet where he danced works by various choreographers such as “Bella Figura” and “Petite Mort” by J.Kylian, the role of “Romeo” in “Roméo et Juliette” by J.Bouvier and Natalia Horecna created a leading role for him in her new creation. During his time with the Hamburg Ballet and the Geneva Ballet, he took part in numerous world tours.
Sasha currently participates in numerous galas and international festivals, mainly performing creations by him and Simone Repele, as well as works by other choreographers such as Marco Goecke, who has also created a new duet for Sasha and Simone.
In 2020, together with Simone Repele, they founded their association, “Riva & Repele”, to continue researching their choreographic work and bringing it to the stage. In Italy, they collaborate with the dance agency Daniele Cipriani Entertainment, creating and performing in Daniele Cipriani evenings and in their own productions. Defined as the “Poets of Dance”, they presented their first full-length ballet “Lili Elbe Show”, which has already been in several theaters in Switzerland, Spain and Italy during a long tour in the season 2022/23. In 2021 they were the only foreign company selected by the Canal Choreographic Center in Madrid and recently they were again programmed by the prestigious Festival Madrid en Danza.
Riva & Repele had the opportunity to present their work “La Jeune Fille et Les Morts” at the “Noverre Gesellschaft 2022”, the renowned choreographic platform of the Stuttgart Ballet. Following their performance, the company management decided to include their choreography in the Stuttgart Ballet’s repertoire for the season 2024/25. Since 2022 they have been working with director Damiano Michieletto. With him they created the opera “Mass” by L. Bernstein for the Rome Opera, presented for the opening of the Caracalla Festival 2022. Sasha and Simone created for the candidacy of the city of Rome for Expo 2030, performing alongside the Étoile of the Paris Opera Eleonora Abbagnato.
They recently had the premiere of their new choreography “I Died for Love” for the dancers of the Rome Opera.
They have also collaborated with many artists, including Silvia Azzoni, Parvaneh Scharafali, Igone de Jongh and Yumi Aizawa. In 2023 they were selected by Orsolina28 for an artistic residency and created their new work “Dear Son,”, premiered at the beginning of 2024. Their future projects will see them work for several international companies, including the Stuttgart Ballet, the Teatro Massimo of Palermo and the Augsburg Ballet.
Simone Repele
Simone was born in Turin in 1993. He began his training in Italy and in 2009 was admitted to the Hamburg Ballet School, where he graduated in 2012. In 2012 he participated in the Nijinsky Gala as a soloist in “Spring and Fall” by John Neumeier. In 2013 he was invited as the Prince in “Sleeping Beauty” by Mats Ek with Pompea Santoro’s Eko dance project, and then spent a season with the Dutch company Introdans.
Since 2014 he has been a member of the Geneva Ballet and danced solo roles like in “Matthaus Passion” by Pontus Lidberg and “The Nutcracker” by Jeroen Verbruggen, performed at the prestigious Aleksandrinsky Theater in St. Petersburg. In 2018 he danced the role of Mercutio in Joelle Bouvier’s “Romeo and Juliet” at the Beijing Opera. In March 2019, Simone Repele performed the masterpieces of the famous choreographer Jiri Kylian “Petite Mort” and “Bella Figura”. Furthermore, the great choreographer Marco Goecke gave him the opportunity to perform his choreography “The Firebird” and also created a new duet for Simone and Sasha. In 2020 he founded “Riva & Repele” together with Sasha Riva to continue researching their choreographic work and bringing it to the stage.
In Italy, they collaborate with the dance agency Daniele Cipriani Entertainment, creating and performing in Daniele Cipriani evenings and in their own productions. Defined as the “Poets of Dance”, they presented their first full-length ballet “Lili Elbe Show”, which has already been in several theaters in Switzerland, Spain and Italy during a long tour in the season 2022/23. In 2021 they were the only foreign company selected by the Canal Choreographic Center in Madrid and recently they were again programmed by the prestigious Festival Madrid en Danza.
Riva & Repele had the opportunity to present their work “La Jeune Fille et Les Morts” at the “Noverre Gesellschaft 2022”, the renowned choreographic platform of the Stuttgart Ballet. Following their performance, the company management decided to include their choreography in the Stuttgart Ballet’s repertoire for the season 2024/25. Since 2022 they have been working with director Damiano Michieletto. With him they created the opera “Mass” by L. Bernstein for the Rome Opera, presented for the opening of the Caracalla Festival 2022. Sasha and Simone created for the candidacy of the city of Rome for Expo 2030, performing alongside the Étoile of the Paris Opera Eleonora Abbagnato.
They recently had the premiere of their new choreography “I Died for Love” for the dancers of the Rome Opera.
They have also collaborated with many artists, including Silvia Azzoni, Parvaneh Scharafali, Igone de Jongh and Yumi Aizawa. In 2023 they were selected by Orsolina28 for an artistic residency and created their new work “Dear Son,”, premiered at the beginning of 2024. Their future projects will see them work for several international companies, including the Stuttgart Ballet, the Teatro Massimo of Palermo and the Augsburg Ballet.
