Timoor Afshar, Principal Dancer, Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett)
Timoor Afshar, Principal Dancer, Vienna State Ballet (Wiener Staatsballett)
We met for the first time, personally, at a Café downtown.
It is not always that one feels so relaxed and „at ease“ with the person that one is going to interview. A good sign that requires even more alertness, so one cannot forget the attention needed to balance objectivism and subjectivism, which are utterly required to conduct an interview. I believe in neutral Interviews (and Reviews/Critiques), very free of any personal feelings and sympathies.
Copyright: Ashley Taylor/ Vienna State Ballet
Timoor Afshar, dancer. One who has conquered a place in the Vienna audience’s heart during the last few years. One who was promoted to the „Principal Dancer status“ by Alessandra Ferri on her first official day with the Company at the Beginning of last September.
There was always this s feeling “haunting” me. The one that tells you not that something is “wrong” but that something was “missing”. It took me quite a while to find the right way to present Mr Afshar on a t t i t u d e.
It was never my intention in this interview with him to present to my readers a kind of „essay made for school“ in which I’d ask „where he is from, where he went to school, and for how long he has been living in Vienna “. These are primary questions which are just meant for me to ask the person I am interviewing (in case I have not done my “homework” before meeting, because information is quite transparent nowadays on the Internet. To present these trivial informations as an “Interview” is, to my way of thinking, quite a waste of time), enabling me to understand the character better, the personality, and, subjectively, all that is related to the person I am talking with and will write about.
I don’t believe Interviews should be formal. On the contrary, they should be as spontaneous as possible. Improvised, a testimony of that special moment when I get the chance, even if it is only for a glimpse, of the „essence“ of the character I am interviewing.
By the way: „ I was born in Indianapolis, where I started to take Ballet classes in a private school. I went to the school of the „Stuttgarter ballet“ for four years, joined the company when I was 19 years old in 2016, and became a Half Soloist in 2019. I joined the Vienna State Ballet in 2023 as a Soloist“ (So much to biographical facts that are not necessary in an Interview as one can read all these facts, even in a more extensive form, on his official biography on the Home page of The Vienna State Opera or on other „vehicles“)
We talked a while about different topics, sometimes even about „a matter of fact” topics. I had to clarify certain „things“ to me and sometimes asked questions as „In which kind of ballets do you feel more comfortable with? Abstract ones or ballets with an entaglment, with a story-line?“, for example.
„It depends“, he said, „It all depends on the part, and on the character. I believe that to be an Artist, one has to be challenged. This makes you look further than your own „Backyard“. Challenges show me how much I still have to learn“, was his precise, very palpable answer.
We, of course, discussed his favourite roles: „Which are they, up to now, Timoor?“, I asked, adding this „up to now“ because he is still what I consider to be a very young Dancer, already in a Principal position – there is, „entre nous“, surely lots to come…
“Oh… Surely Armand in Neumeier’s „The Lady of the Camellias“ (Note: „Die Kameliendame“), „first a role that felt „so far away“ but in which I found something I can only describe as „Fire and Ice“, contradictions, very subtle nuances. And Honesty. All this apart from the fact that I am also a very passionate person! Also, not to forget: Siegfried“ (Note: „Swan Lake“).
„Any role that, especially, you would like to dance?“, a question I could not resist. And one that he answered immediately, without thinking twice.
„Des Grieux in „Manon“, one role that I think about. Thoughts… „ and I think: Honesty.
And of how he would construct the character. During this talk he had given me „hints“ to think of when he mentioned words such as Honesty, Passion, Challenges, and „look further“ and, most of all, a sentence he mentioned in another context: „To be able to take unsteady situations and make my own decisions“. All this is a near description of (some) feelings that inhabit Des Grieux’s soul, isn’t it?
„Being very honest“, I ask, laughing, „Are there any roles which you would not like to dance anymore?“
„Not really“, he answered thoughtfully, but soon added, „Well, I wouldn’t mind not dancing Wheeldon’s 'Winter Tales' again. This is not about the role, but as I was not 'first cast ', somehow I missed more of a real supportive, caring coaching during rehearsals“
Changing the subject, I ask quite trivially: „And is there, for you, a preferred choreographer at the moment?“
„Oh, yes!“ he says while his eyes seem to shine, „I love the work of the modern choreographer, exceptional Artist Marcos Morau and his wonderful company, based in Barcelona. La Veronal!’
Note: Marcos Morau and the Company „La Veronal“ have already been twice at the „Festspielhaus“ in St. Pölten as Guests.
And as a „tip“, here are the next performances of Mr Morau in Austria: „Romeo and Juliet“ and the Opera Ballet Vlaanderen on March 6th and 7th, 2026, as well as with „Folkå“ with the Nederlands Dans Theatre NDT 2 on May 9th, 2026.
„There are performances and performances... They all depend on different factors… from being tired, restless, up to feeling wonderful and with a very balanced biorhythm instead of an injury… How do you deal with that?“
He looks at me and I can plainly see that he is going through his mind, remebering, reflecting and then he says calmly: „I don’t think any moment is perfect – but I always feel that I can improve. The moment and my performance. Happinness comes when one feels this fluctuation“ and he laughs and the North-American comes through, for a short second: „But there are always things that go funky!“ he says as we laugh together for a while.
Eloquence: Something that I always fear in relation to (very) good Dancers, the quite usual incapacity of putting into words what they put into their dance (What is completely natural and understandable, as Dance is a language on its own and they work on that, constantly). But I did not need to fear this in concern to Mr Afshar. He masters the sensitive transposition of thoughts brilliantly into words, like he masters the same transposition into Dance.
But it still did not „feel“ right, the way I wanted to share his personality with my readers.
Yes, it had been a constructive and somehow emotional Interview. But I felt that Mr Afshar deserved more. And also my readers. I am the lucky one: I sit down with the artists and talk to them. My duty is to transpose this same feeling to my readers. So they are able to look into their souls. Just the way I do.
I was not getting anywhere with my present „concept“. I was not satisfied with the result up to now, and this feeling of being somehow unsuccessful, in the way my questions were being made, did not leave me, especially because he, obviously, could go deeper than that. Having seen him on stage and observed the depth with which „his“ characters are created and treated, demonstrates a profound „interior life“ that gives that thing, that I could only describe as „the icing on the cake“ in a performance. And it makes all the difference for an Artist – and for the audiences.
But we continued.
And by chance I asked: „You are also cast in the upcoming Ratmansky’s European Première of 'Callirhoe ', aren’t you?“
He smiled and just said, „Yes, I am cast as Mithridates!“
A“light was switched on“. Yes, this could be exactly what I was looking for.
Something never tried before, something unique that would give me and my readers a deeper insight into his personality, more than any questions I would ask…
Having known Mr Ratmansky’s work for some time and realising the way he gives „a soul, a life, a before and after“ to each of his characters (even if I don’t like very much the dependence on „reading“ – to understand the plot – that he gives to his ballets), I could at that right moment visualize the way Timoor was going to go deep in his feelings to create the role…
„Timoor, would you consider writing a 'diary ', a sort of journal, every day during rehearsals? Not only about steps, etc., for they would be the least important part of this journal, but about the creation of a very complex character? Would you do that?“
His answer was clear and determined: „Oh, yes! Definitely!“
A journal about creating a character. And this is in our present times, in which young dancers seem to only look at the „physical“ side of dance, extremely challenging. Yes, because this could somehow help our young dancers to understand more of what sensibility, Artistry is all about. Definitely not only on Manéges…
And I do believe that he, somehow, doing this „Homework“ saw a chance to handle his Mithriades even more profoundly.
To be continued next week, on March 2nd, 2026. I am looking forward to hearing/reading your opinion about this. I can only reveal now that you will read the sensitive work of a dancer who CAN write”
Ricardo Leitner
a t t i t u d e
Vienna, February 19th, 2026
