Waldemar Wołk-Karaczewski – dancer and choreographer. Born in Ciechanów. He graduated from the Warsaw Ballet School (with Raissa Kuznietzova-Szajewska). For a short period Hhe worked in the Folk Song and Dance Group “Mazowsze”, in 1975 he was engaged as a soloist in Grand Theatre, and in 1977 he became the first soloist. He performed leading roles in ballets Stanisław i Anna Oświecimowie, Frefra and The Afternoon of a Faun. He was a partner to American ballerina Jeanette Vondersaal in Stefan Wenta’s Polish TV movie Maria Luiza. In 1978 he was a prize-winner at 2nd World Ballet Competition in Tokyo.
After being invited by Maurice Béjart, in the season 1979/80 he was a soloist at Ballet of the 20th Century , performing in numerous important parts. In John Neumeier’s ballet Love and pain and World and dream he danced the leading role in turns with Jorge Donn. After a year he decided to leave Béjart’s group, did not accept Neumeier’s proposition and went back to the Warsaw group, where, however, he was not offered anything. In 1981 together with his family he left to West Berlin, where he was engaged as a first soloist in Deutche Oper Berlin’s ballet. He performed Béjart’s duo ballet Opus Webern V as a partner to prima ballerina Eva Evdokimova, with whom in 1988 he danced in Giselle in Warsaw. From 1983 in West Berlin, and later – until mid-1989 he was a first soloist in Bayern State Opera ballet in Munich. After finishing his stage career in 1989, he took up choreography and film. He is collaborating with one of Munich agencies, working for Bayern television. He is a professional film and television operator.
Most important parts:
Albert (Giselle), Siegfried (Swan Lake), Prince (The Sleeping Beauty), Franz (Coppelia), Prince (The Nutcracker in Nuruyev’s and Neumeier’s choreographies), Poet (Les Sylphides), Colas (La fille mal gardée), Romeo (Romeo and Juliet by John Cranko), Oniegin (Oniegin by John Cranko), Apollo (Apollon Musagète by Balanchine), solo parts in Béjart’s ballets: Actus tragicus, Illuminations, The Firebird, What the death tells me, The Rite of Spring, Paris Life, solo parts in ballets by Brigit Cullberg, Hynd, Jooss, Lifar, MacMillan, van Manen, Nebrada, Neumeier, Nuruyev, Panov, Pendleton, Schaufuss, Schilling, Tudor, Yesak, Wright.
Most important choreographies:
Maria to Leonard Bernstein’s music, Astra Roma Ballet, 1988, Daphnis to Maurice Ravel’s music, Grand Theatre in Warsaw, 1989, The Nutcracker to Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s music, Astra Roma Ballet, 1989 (together with Diana Ferrara), Compte à reboursto Georges Delerue’s music, Astra Roma Ballet, 1990;Coronation Mass to Wolfgang .A. Mozart’s music, Polish Dance Theatre, 1990;Chopin’s Musesto Frederic Chopin’s music, Grand Theatre in Warsaw, ,Monte Christoto St. Moniuszko’s music, Moniuszko Grand Theatre in Poznań, 2005.