Giorgi Potskhishvili

Tbilisi, Londen, Amsterdam

When Giorgi was accepted at the Vakhtang Chabukiani State Ballet School, in Tbilisi, at the age of thirteen, he had absolutely no plans as yet of becoming a ballet dancer. “I wanted to broaden my scope, purely and simply in order to improve my folk dancing.” But the more challenging the classes became at the ballet academy, the more Giorgi’s interest was aroused. “It dawned on me that although you can reach a very high standard in traditional dancing, you never dance new productions or work with leading choreographers, and you hardly develop your acting talents at all. If I really wanted to have an international career, then I realised it would be better to focus on ballet.”

So in 2017, he accepted an invitation from former principal ballerina Elena Glurjidze to go to London to do her Masters of Ballet summer course. When he asked her advice, she immediately recommended the Dutch National Ballet Academy, in Amsterdam, mainly because of the teacher Grigori (Grisha) Tchitcherine, whose class Giorgi joined a year later. “Grisha was a fantastic mentor. Someone who continually pushes you to give two hundred percent, yet someone who treats everyone as his equal as well.” 

7th Symphony 

The start in Amsterdam had a few obstacles, however. “I missed the first six months, because I couldn’t get my visa sorted out, and when I was accepted into the Junior Company, we could give hardly any performances due to Covid, despite a wonderfully intensive training schedule.” But when Giorgi moved up to Dutch National Ballet in 2021, his career took off like a shot. While he was still an élève, he danced a main role in Toer van Schayk’s 7th Symphony, with overwhelming success. “It was my first performance as a professional dancer and my first solo appearance. Just like later on, when I was learning Toer’s De Chimaera van L.A., I studied the video of Clint Farha (on whom the role was originally created – ed.) in great detail.” 

Giorgi has great admiration for Van Schayk and for Hans van Manen, with whom he has since worked as well. “It’s amazing to be able to work with these living icons. And it’s incredible how just one word from them can help you go so much further. Or how one smile from them can make your whole day – no, your whole month.” 

Abd al-Rahman 

Although Giorgi is sincerely happy that he’s now danced many corps de ballet roles as well – “otherwise you can’t develop” – the moment when he was given the leading role of Abd al-Rahman in Raymonda, at the age of twenty, was a golden one. “It was so wonderful to work with Rachel Beaujean on this role, also because it’s so close to my own temperament and character. And of course partnering a star like Anna Tsygankova was even more special. She shared so much knowledge and expertise with me.” 

And the main roles he danced shortly after that – like Death in The Green Table, Prince Siegfried in Swan Lake and the title role in Dorian – are also extremely precious to him. “The more different styles I dance, the richer I become as an artist. Moreover, in all these ballets I’ve been able to be the dancer I want to be: someone who inspires others by sharing his feelings and emotions as honestly as possible with them.”  

DJ Giorgi 

Besides Georgian dancing – in which he still excels – Giorgi has now developed yet another family passion. “My mother’s brother is a DJ and he’s taught me all the tricks of the trade. At the moment, it’s just a hobby. I don’t play in clubs yet, but I do regularly provide the music for parties and events (like the Dutch National Ballet Gala in 2022 – ed.). You may not dance yourself as a DJ, but I really love getting other people to dance too.” 

Text: Astrid van Leeuwen 

Read more:

• Giorgi Potskhishvili promoted to principal dancer
• Giorgi Potskhishvili wins ‘Zwaan’ award for ‘Most impressive dance achievement’
• Giorgi Potskhishvili winner of the Alexandra Radius Prize 2023
• Giorgi Potskhishvili nominated for Swan
• Giorgi Potskhishvili promoted to soloist