Dance is a very important cultural element in the creative landscape of Berlin. Even though I have a stronger intellectual response to contemporary dance and more abstract body performances than to classical ballet, I do appreciate the precision, body control and beauty of ballet dancers in a well-done choreography. For myself going to see a piece of Staatsballett Berlin is somehow a guilty pleasure of visual entertainment, I recommend to everybody in need of some artistic and emotional satisfaction.
Fear, vulnerability, passion – the dark extremes of human emotions are the source of inspiration for a new program from Staatsballett Berlin. In Duato | Kylian | Naharin three international choreography stars created a dancing work of incredible power. While “Castrati” by Nacho Duato revolves around the fear of an aspiring singer before castration, Jiří Kylián’s “Petite Mort” deals with the aggressive as well as the vulnerable sides of sexuality. “Secus” is an abstract work by Ohad Naharin, based on power, extremes and raw meat.
Photographer Yan Revazov had the chance to visit the rehearsals of this intense program and took some beautiful pictures. Take a look over these powerful impressions, check out the making of video and find out how to win tickets for the upcoming shows, after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Theater
Ballet dancing is one of the finest expressions of European culture. It created the creative base for today’s contemporary dance all over the world, and it’s also an art form with the perfect balance between lightness and power. Watching a ballet dancer perform is one of the most visually compelling experiences, and I am so glad that we have one of the most talented ballet companies here in Berlin: Staatsballett Berlin.
Combining their unique beauty with the rough urbanity of Berlin’s architectural landscape, we had a unique vision: shooting a fashion story showcasing a dance rehearsal on the rooftops of Berlin. Bringing new attention to the city’s rich cultural heritage, fashion photographer Olga Khristolyubova portrayed two of the most skilled dancers from Staatsballet: Sarah Mestrovic and Kevin Pouzou. Sarah is a native Berliner who has been enrolled in the company for ten years. She combines her artistic experience with a creative spark, making her move with lightness and passion over the roof of our shoot. Kevin is a french dancer who has been living and dancing in Berlin for 8 years now. His majestic beauty is nothing compared to his bravery and strength. Neither were afraid to move and bend over the abyss of the streets surrounding them; creating incredible images for us.
Since we shot on the last weekend of November, the air was already cold as ice, though the sun was fortunately shining. On top of their rehearsal gear, they wore Goose Feel down jackets and knits from We are Knitters: the perfect combination of warmth to help the dancers extend over the top of Berlin’s skyline, while also staying super-light and incredibly flexible so as to allow them to bend, leap and soar unimpeded while performing their magic. Enjoy the whole shoot after the jump, and stay tuned for the animated pictures soon to come.
Read on…
by Claudio | Fashion, People, Photos, Theater
photos: Bettina Stöß
While growing up in East Germany but coming from Italy, I had quite the strange childhood experience. I was the first kid with a “migrant” background at my school and everybody treated my like some sort of alien (even if my father is German). I remember one of my teachers touching my hair and looking into my eyes and saying: You are like the “little Muck” from the fairytales from Thousand and one Nights. She had never seen a kid with my skin and hair color before. Personally, I was always a little attracted by the ancient Arabic world, the beautiful illustration and wonderful symetrie of the architecture. Also, I know from several sources that sex was not always a tabu topic in the Arabic culture. I think the famous book One thousand and one Nights is actually the most obvious proof that there where once more playful sexual behaviours then nowadays in the Arabic culture.
The recently premiered ballett The Nights by the Staatsballett Berlin is showcasing several choreographies inspired by One Thousand and One Nights by the same choreographer who chreated the amazing Snowhite Ballet. Read my impressions of this ballet after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Theater
photo: Enrico Nawrath
Sometimes a dance or theater piece is simply so amazing that it seems impossible to write a review that would measure up to the experience of seeing the piece. Still, I will try to make the effort, because I have to recommend to you the Open Square, a piece by Itzik Gallili at the Staatsballett Berlin.
The whole piece is a post-modern celebration of lights and shadows reflecting on the human body. I never saw a choreographic work that would use the postures and movements of ballet and was capable of creating a different context. Open Square is not just a dance piece, but more a ritual. A magic that demands to bend the limits of the human body and leave the constraints of our mind. The world premiere by the Israeli choreographer is a fierce move for the company in a more unconventional direction and it proves to be the right step to take. Everyone who is usually afraid of girls in tutu and boys in leggings should venture into the ballet world by seeing Open Square. It will open your mind like a box of Pandora and make you forget all prejudices and retentions you might have towards this form of art. More impressions and dates after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Theater
photos: Bettina Stöß
For more than three years Staatsballet Berlin, one of the best classical dance companies in Europe, and Berghain, for many Berliners the best club in the whole universe, worked on their second artistic collaboration. Based on new electronic music tracks by Henrik Schwarz, Marcel Dettmann with Frank Wiedemann and DIN (Efdemin & Marcel Fengler) three different Staatsballett choreographers presented a contemporary dance piece. The topic and also the title of this three-part evening is: Masse (mass) as a social and physical phenomenon. Read more about my experience of seeing this unique production after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Theater
All pictures: Enrico Nawrath
I am looking at the story of the Wizard of Oz from a feminist perspective right now. Three men and a woman in search of what they are missing the most. While the men are seeking personal attributes (intelligence, emotions, courage), the woman’s wish is just to get away as quickly as possible from this foursome date and go home. Because in contrast to the men she is pretty happy with herself. Iana Salenko who is the lead dancer Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz ballet by the Berlin Staatsballet should have been somewhat less satisfied with her performance. But the versatile qualities of the four male dancers, the colorful costumes and the creative sets totally made up for that. This piece is definately worth a visit, even for people who are not into ballet. Some impressions and the play times after the jump. In the German version you can read a more detailed review.
Read on…
by Claudio | Entertainment, Theater
photo: Svenja Klein
People have the tendency to feel threatened by marketing. Maybe not so much when marketing becomes a surprising pleasure and definately not at all when the marketing object is not a big brand but an artistic project like a ballet. I was really surprised that our Berliner Staatsballett had the guts to just do something like a flash mob. In the conservative dance world this must be considered absolutely crazy. One hundred dancers from the company and from the ballet school gathered around at Berlin Hauptbahnhof last Thursday and showed a little choreography of their upcoming ballet: OZ – The Wonderful Wizard. Even if there are for sure better flash mobs out there I liked the end of it very much when the station speakerphone announced the departure for the train to Oz. This is the kind of magic that gives me goosebumps. But maybe I just read too many Harry Potter books. The video of the flash mob and the date of the first show after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Events, Theater
photos by Enrico Nawrath
For the shoot to the next Staatsballett masterpiece Das Flammende Herz Wladimir Malakhov, the first solo dancer and leader of the company, jumped into deep waters. After the success of the incredible Snow White the Staatsballett Berlin is going back to the roots showing an intellectual performance focused on the philosophy of the poet Peter Shelley, the husband of Mary Shelley who is famous for the novel Frankenstein. If the photos in any way indicate what we can expect from the play this will again be a dark fantasy of a ballet on a Berlin theater stage. Another picture and the dates after the jump.
Read on…
by Claudio | Entertainment, Events, Theater
