Some background information

About me

Born in Vienna

On my father's side – so, half of me – I come from a mix of former crown lands of the Habsburg monarchy. On my mother's side – the other half – I'm Greek. A typical Viennese melange, you might say. My connection to music isn't just a matter of family heritage; it was also reinforced during my school years through regular classical piano lessons.

It was during this time that I came into contact with ballroom dancing at the Elmayer Dance School. Initially as a student of Director Robert Hysek and later his successor, Director Rudolf Peschke, I soon became an assistant to the dance instructors Irmgard Helena Morakis and Andrea Kalser. Teaching in the well-known youth dance courses – first as an assistant, then as a certified dance instructor and licensed dance master, and eventually as deputy director – shaped my professional life until I left at the end of 2016.

Die besondere Faszination der Wiener Bälle förderte bei mir schon bald ein derart großes Interesse daran, sodass die Mitarbeit bei der Gestaltung vieler Balleröffnungen einfach unvermeidbar war. Opernball, Ball der Wiener Philharmoniker, Jägerball, Ball der Wiener Kaffeesieder, Juristenball, Fête Impériale, Ball der Int. Atomenergiebehörde (IAEA Staff Association Ball), Ball der WU, Pharmacieball, etc… und diverse Bälle im Ausland (z.B. in Rumänien, Karlsbad, Kaiserball in München) standen schon bald alljährlich im Terminkalender. Die Erstellung vieler Choreographien für die jeweiligen Eröffnungskomitees wurde zu meiner Passion, dies nicht zuletzt auch durch Einfluss meines späteren Ausbildungslehrers Klaus Mühlsiegl.

The unique allure of Vienna’s ball culture soon sparked such a deep interest in me that becoming involved in the choreography of numerous ball openings became almost inevitable. The Opera Ball, the Vienna Philharmonic Ball, the Hunters’ Ball, the Coffeehouse Owners’ Ball, the Lawyers’ Ball, Fête Impériale, the IAEA Staff Association Ball, the WU Ball, the Pharmacy Ball, and many more — including international events in Romania, Karlovy Vary, and the Kaiserball in Munich — quickly found a permanent place in my annual calendar. Creating choreographies for the various opening committees became a true passion of mine, inspired in no small part by my later mentor, Klaus Mühlsiegl.