Ivan Urban was born in Gomel, Belarus, and trained first at the Minsk Ballet School before continuing at the School of the Hamburg Ballet. He joined Hamburg Ballet in 1994, was promoted to Soloist in 1997 and Principal in 1998, and later became Ballet Master in 2020. His long career within the company reflects a deep and sustained artistic relationship with John Neumeier and the Hamburg repertoire.

Throughout his performing career, he built a remarkable range of leading roles in both classical and contemporary works. His repertoire included major parts such as Lady of the Camellias, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Romeo and Juliet, Hamlet, Illusions – like Swan Lake, Giselle, Peer Gynt, Don Juan, Death in Venice, Odyssey, The Seagull, La Bayadère, Onegin, Don Quixote and many other productions. John Neumeier also created important roles on him, including parts in Odyssey, Hamlet, Nijinsky, Death in Venice, The Seagull and Anna Karenina, confirming his place as one of the company’s central dramatic artists.

In addition to his stage career, he has appeared internationally in guest performances and galas across Europe, Asia and North America, and has also choreographed his own work, including Instant for principal dancers of the Bolshoi Theatre. Since moving into his Ballet Master role, he has continued to shape productions from within the studio, bringing his experience and theatrical understanding to the mentoring of younger dancers and the preservation of a major artistic legacy.

Prizes/Awards:
Half finalist, Prix de Lausanne
Scholarship, Pierino Ambrosoli Foundation
Dr. Wilhelm Oberdörffer Prize