Rafaële Giovanola

Rafaële Giovanola is a choreographer and co-directior of “CocoonDance” choreography. Born in Baltimore (U.S.), the Swiss dancer trained at Marika Besobrasova’s school in Monte Carlo. After a first engagement as a soloist in Turin, she joined Frankfurt Ballet, dancing classical repertoire, working with major choreographers such as Jiří Kylián, Uwe Scholz and William Forsythe. She remained with the company eight years, contributing to all productions of its groundbreaking era. She later joined Pavel Mikuláštik’s Choreographic Theatre, performing leading roles. In 1995 Rafaële Giovanola was mentioned in the annual poll of critics of „ballett international/tanz aktuell“ in the category „exceptional dancing personalities “. Her artistic and educational work has earned multiple awards including the sponsorship grant from the Swiss canton of Valais, the 2022 German Theatre Prize DER FAUST, the 2025 italian danza&danza award as “Best Contemporary Choreographer 2024,” and she will receive the Deutscher Tanzpreis 2027, the highest honor for dance in Germany. In collaboration with partners like Goethe -Institut and Pro Helvetia she has given workshops and masterclasses around the world. In 2012 she established the Junior company in Bonn, and 2017 in Monthey (CH) which have been awarded numerous prizes like “Kinder zum Olymp”, “Auf dem Weg zum Kinder - und Jugendkulturland NRW” and were invited several times —most recently in 2025— to “Tanztreffen der Jugend” as part of the Berliner Festspiele.
Rafaële Giovanola is regularly invited to choreograph for companies such as tanzmainz, and the Tanzkompanie St. Gallen. For TANZ GIEßEN, she will open the 2026/27 season with the world premiere of “Breath Works.”