Patrick King - Founder & Artistic Director
Being a black man in the white classical ballet world, King learned early that to succeed he had to create
his own way of approaching his art. He had his formation in New York City in the 70’s with the leading
personalities of the world of dance, meanwhile being a regular at Studio 54, meeting Diana Ross, Grace
Jones and Andy Warhol. After dancing the ballet classics in NYC, he was chosen for Alan Parker’s classic
film ‘FAME’ and then left for Europe where he shared his time between performing and creating: starring and choreographing in prime time TV-shows for Italian Television RAI, while performing in galas with the stars of the ballet world, recording a pop-song, and being testimonial for Armani and Versace.
He left his celebrity lifestyle in Italy to join the leading contemporary dance company of its time, Cullberg Ballet in Sweden. After touring 5 continents his focus returned to creating for others with his appointment as Artistic Director of Skånes Dansteater, transforming a ballet company into an contemporary company, creating for 5 stages and rising the ticket sales with 30%.
Other moments include creating for Lillehammer Olympic Games, Venice Film Festival, the centennial of the Norwegian Monarchy, high fashion with Naomi Campbell, CeBit opening for Angela Merkel and being one of the creators and performers for Cirque du Soleil’s adult extravaganza in Las Vegas - Zumanity.
With his present base in Berlin and Salon K, King keeps his Scandinavian connections active, creating and performing for the Norwegian, Swedish and Danish Royal families for the birthday of Queen Sonia, and having in the last years created 4 sold-out successes for the Norwegian National Opera & Ballet by attracting a new public through unconventional productions that mixes ballet with hip-hop, opera with jazz and live performances with art-installations.
Through his decades of training and coaching artists for stage and life he developed the Salon K Body-Breathing method - personal coaching offered to service staff at hotels & resorts and individuals of all ages and level of fitness.
Johan King Silverhult - Founder & Managing Director
Schooled at the Royal Swedish Ballet School in Stockholm, he established himself as a dancer performing the works of many of today's most influential choreographers, such as Béjart, Forsythe, Kilian, Neumeier and Naharin. After working with Finnish National Ballet he joined the most eminent contemporary dance company at the time, Batsheva Dance company in Tel Aviv, with whom he also toured the major European capitals. At a request of C. Carlson, he choreographed and performed a solo for the Venice Dance Biennale. For Theatre St. Quentin En Yvelin, Paris, he performed a 20 min solo created by P. King.
In Italy, collaborating with Patrick King, he performed for television, events and fashion and at the same time producing their own performances where a new way to present dance and entertainment was developed.
Together with King he created the internationally acclaimed duo-act 2 men, that he performed for Cirque du Soleil in their groundbreaking Las Vegas adult show Zumanity, and later for shows and events around Europe, for a.o. Friedrichstadtpalast in Berlin, Moet & Chandon in Milan, Life Ball in Vienna, Matrix in Monaco, Sziget festival in Budapest.
In Berlin, his professional and private partnership with King continues with Salon K, where he serves as Managing Director as well as Body-Breathing instructor, ballet teacher and dance coach.
Britta Oling - Event Manager
Britta studied at the Swedish Royal Ballet School, Alvin Ailey and London Contemporary Dance School. She started working with Patrick King already during her studies and then been a leading performer in King’s creations for Skanes Dansteater in Sweden, OXYTOC Dance in Rome and Salon K in Berlin, and assistant choreographer to King for his Romeo & Juliet with the Norwegian National Ballet.
She danced with Cullberg ballet, in works by Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin and Carolyn Carlson. She danced with Micha Von Hoeck’s L’Ensemble and was a soloist in “Ifigenia in Aulide” at Teatro Alla Scala.
Since 1999 she lives in Italy where she performed and created for major TV shows and worked as event manager for events and fashion shows including: Breil, Moschino, Diesel, Banca Generali Motorshow di Bologna, Fiat Stilo, Parah, Salone Nautico, Infil Awards and Virginia Von Furstenberg.