Marian Walter receives honorary title “Berliner Kammertänzer” | Staatsballett Berlin

Marian Walter, first solo dancer of the Staatsballett Berlin, receives the honorary title “Berliner Kammertänzer” on December 15th, 2018. Dr. Torsten Wöhlert, State Secretary for Culture, will present the award after the performance of “La Bayadère” at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

Image above: Marian Walter in »La Bayadère« Photo: Yan Revazov

After his debut as Solor, the male lead in “LaBayadère” in a reconstruction by Alexei Ratmansky, Marian Walter, Principal Solo Dancer of the Staatsballett Berlin, will be honoured with the honorary title of “Berliner Kammertänzer” on December 15th, 2018. Dr. Klaus Lederer, Senator for Culture and Europe, thus pays tribute to a special artistic personality: “Marian Walter is a child of this city, from his training to his artistic home. His loyalty, modesty and dedication to art are remarkable and distinguish him as a unique artist, so it is a great honour for me to be able to confer the title ‘Berlin Chamber Dancer’ on him.”

Marian Walter himself is delighted about the recognition: “To receive this award – especially as a Berliner – is a great honour that I would never have expected. I am very grateful for the artistic career I have been able to experience at the Staatsballett Berlin so far, with such highlights as the premieres of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ in 2012 alongside my wife Iana Salenko, or as Basil in ‘Don Quixote’ by Víctor Ullate in 2018, and I look forward to many more roles and challenges.”

The exceptional artist impresses with his dancing at the highest international level, with an outstanding technique that is complemented by a great joy of playing. Passionately attached to his art, stage dance, he seeks sensitive exchange with his dance partners, teachers, choreographers and mentors while working in the ballet hall. As a classical dancer he appears above all in Prince roles, whether Albrecht in “Giselle”, Siegfried in “Swan Lake”, the “Nutcracker” Prince or Prince Désiré in “Sleeping Beauty”. Choreographer Maurice Béjart chose him as the ideal cast for the role of the young Siegfried in “Ring um den Ring”, which he danced for years without a second cast. Heinz Spoerli also cast him because of his personality for the title role of his “Peer Gynt” and last Víctor Ullate recognized his special talent for the role of Basil in “DonQuixote”. During the artistic direction of Nacho Duato, Marian Walter was able to fully unfold, challenged by Duato’s choreographic handwriting, the greatest softness and plasticity were demanded of him. He thus expanded his repertoire and also stood out in neoclassical productions such as “Castrati” by Nacho Duato or “Altro Canto” by Jean-Christophe Maillot.

Marian Walter grew up in Berlin and received his education at the Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin. After two years with the Bavarian State Ballet in Munich, he joined the ballet of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden in 2002. When the Staatsballett Berlin was founded in 2004, he became a Demi solo dancer and one year later a solo dancer. Since 2010 he has been the first solo dancer to dance main roles in a broad repertoire. In 2007 he was honoured with the German Dance Award “Zukunft”, in 2010 and 2016 he was nominated for the Benois de la danse.