Mirjam Klebel works as a dancer, choreographer, performer and lecturer at the intersection of theatre, opera and dance performance. She understands the creation of a piece as a fluid physical process in which one must become a thinking body. This body is in constant flux, translating texts into physical parameters and capable of surprising itself in the process.
Mirjam Klebel was born in Hallein, Austria, in 1983 and comes from a family of musicians, but decided early on to make her body her primary artistic instrument. Today, she is a versatile artist who works at the intersection of theatre, opera and contemporary dance improvisation.
She completed her professional training in 2002 with a diploma from the Salzburg Experimental Academy of Dance (SEAD). This was followed by a scholarship at Tanzquartier Wien (2003/04) and further studies in New York (including at Dance New Amsterdam and Movement Research).
Artistic work
Since 2010, Mirjam Klebel has been shaping the physicality of characters and ensembles on a wide variety of stages in German-speaking countries as a choreographer, including:
- Deutsches Theater Berlin
- Burgtheater Vienna, Volkstheater Vienna
- Düsseldorfer Schauspielhaus
- Schauspielhaus Hamburg
- Residenztheater Munich
- Staatstheater Oldenburg
- Bregenzer Festspiele
- Bühnen Bern
Particularly noteworthy is her close collaboration since 2014 with director Anita Vulesica. Together, they have realised, among other things, the production ‘Die Maschine oder Über allen Gipfeln ist Ruh’ (The Machine or Above All Peaks is Peace), which was invited to the Berlin Theatre Meeting and received the Nestroy Prize for the best German-language production.
Interdisciplinary projects Together with actress Nicola Schössler, she develops her own performative plays, which often interpret literary works in an innovative and physical way. Their joint works include:
- ‘Die Infantin trägt den Scheitel links’ (based on the novel by Helena Adler)
- Krepierkenntnis (a production from 2025, also based on texts by Helena Adler)
As a performer, she works internationally with Milli Bitterli (artificial horizon), Lawine Torren, VRUM, Theatercombinat, the LISA collective (Ivana Müller), Georg Blaschke, Anna Tenta, Magdalena Chowaniec, Lisa Hinterreithner, Matej Kejžar, Rotraud Kern, Claudia Heu (Cabula6), Brigitte Wilfing (andother_stage), Georg Hobmeier (Gold Extra), Donna Jewell, Tomaž Simatovic and Collective Under Construction. Engagements have taken her to various countries such as Austria, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia, Sweden, the USA and India, where she has performed at numerous theatres and festivals, including ImPulsTanz and Steirischer Herbst.
Teaching
Mirjam Klebel has been a lecturer at the Thomas Bernhard Institute (Mozarteum Salzburg) for improvisation and contemporary dance since 2009. She teaches choreographic practice in the directing department and choreographic strategies in the applied theatre department. She is also part of the exchange programme with the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts. Guest lectureships have taken her to the University of New Mexico and SEAD Salzburg.