Douglas Bateman is co-artistic director of the MichaelDouglas Kollektiv in Köln, founded in 2009 with his former ‘pretty ugly tanz köln’ colleague Michael Maurissens to develop their shared passion for creating and performing dance. The MichaelDouglas Kollektiv was recently named by “TANZ” magazine as a “bearer of hope” for the European dance world.
Known for it’s innovative approach to connecting to and developing new dance structures: productions in collaboration with the Schauspielhaus Köln, an experimental performance research project the “one week stand” where artists are invited to create a new work in a week. The Kollektiv is also involved in the development of the “Tanzatlier” im Atelierhaus, Quartier Am Hafen where a daily professional dance training, workshops and residences are offered.
As a performer Douglas danced in companies such as London City Ballet, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and Pretty Ugly Tanz Köln. Now a freelancer he is an oft collaborator with Tony Rizzi in Frankfurt and has worked with artists such as Stephanie Thiersch, Stefan Dreher, Fabrice Mazliah, Prue Lang, Vivienne Newport and Georg Reischl.
His first choreographic work won the second prize at the International Choreographic Competition in Hannover and has since been developing work with the Dansatliers in Rotterdam, his work plays with subversive ideas on popular culture and perceptions of reality. He is also a teacher of movement research at the Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln.