Choreographer and dancer

Thomas Freundlich (b. 1975) has graduated from the professional training program of the Finnish National Ballet School in 2001. He has danced in contemporary dance works by, among others, Jorma Uotinen, Nils Christe, Katri Soini and Tuomo Railo, appearing in Finland, Jordan, Syria, the United Arab Emirates, France, The Netherlands, Latvia, Russia and the United States. He has studied jazz dance with Russell Adamson in addition to furthering his dance training in New York and at the Boston Conservatory.

In mime, movement theatre and dramatic dance, Mr. Freundlich's principal teachers have been acclaimed mime artists Adam Darius and Kazimir Kolesnik, with whom he has subsequently collaborated on numerous projects both in Finland and internationally.

Mr. Freundlich's contemporary dance works works Airflow and Sleepless were realized in collaboration with Pasi Hirvonen, one of Finland's leading artists on the classical and contemporary accordion.

In 2005 and 2006, respectively, Thomas Freundlich collaborated with Helsinki Skaala Opera on the highly praised Finnish premieres of Philip Glass's operas Les Enfants Terribles, based on the novel by Jean Cocteau, and In the Penal Colony, after Franz Kafka. Most recently, in November 2006, Mr. Freundlich was acclaimed for his acting and dancing in the title role of Skaala Opera's production of The Manson Family Opera by John Moran.

In March 2005, Mr. Freundlich's work Dreamcatcher, performed by Tanja Kuisma, received its premiere at the 9th International Solo-Dance-Theatre Festival at TREFFPUNKT Rotebühlplatz, in Stuttgart, Germany. The work won two awards, including the Audience Prize, at the festival. Dreamcatcher has subsequently been seen at numerous dance festivals and competitions in Finland, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain.

In April 2005, Mr. Freundlich appeared as guest dancer with the Jordanian PAC Dance Theatre Troupe in Dubai and Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates.

In February 2005, Mr. Freundlich and dancers guested in Damascus, Syria, to take part in Fusion, the Finnish-Jordanian choreographic exchange project initiated by Adam Darius. The other choreographers of the evening, which combined Finnish and Jordanian contemporary dance and dance theatre, were Rania Kamhawi and Kazimir Kolesnik. The production was first presented in Amman, Jordan, in September 2003 under the patronage of HM Queen Noor Al Hussein.

Thomas Freundlich's dance works premiered in 2004 include North Star Boogie (to Finnish rock music) and The Abyss and the Stars, based on the poetry of Eino Leino and L. Onerva.

Mr. Freundlich's earlier work includes the highly successful evening-length dance theatre piece James Dean (written and directed by Adam Darius), in which he also danced the title role; and Napalm, a solo for Finnish National Ballet principal Barbora Kohoutková that was among four of Mr. Freundlich's works presented on the small stage of the Finnish National Opera in May 2001.

Thomas Freundlich's experience as lighting designer includes dance and theatre productions by Adam Darius and Kazimir Kolesnik in 17 countries around the world.

Mr. Freundlich's work has been acknowledged with the Noor Al Hussein Foundation Award for exceptional contributions to the performing arts in Jordan, the Beirut Festival du Rire Trophy from Lebanon, as well as numerous grants from Finnish cultural foundations and arts councils.

Mr. Freundlich is a co-founder and contributor to Liikekieli.com, Finland's online magazine for dance and related performing arts. His current and past responsibilities include serving as a board member of the Finnish Union of Dance Artists and the Finnish Dance Information Centre.