The Staatsballett Berlin heralds the start of 2025 with the revival of the successful William Forsythe production. The evening will present three works by the legendary choreographer that shed light on his innovative development of the ballet vocabulary. Two discussion formats will reflect on dance and space as well as the documentation of dance. And rehearsals are already heralding the big premiere in February: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Edward Clug with commissioned music by Milko Lazar, which contrasts the grey winter with a colourful fantasy world.
Image above: One Flat Thing, reproduced, Foto: Yan Revazov.
THREE WORKS BY THE PIONEERING CHOREOGRAPHER
Revival: William Forsythe
24, 29, 31 January 2025, each at 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
‘A gift to Berlin’ is what the Tagesspiegel called this ballet evening on the occasion of its premiere in February 2023. Now the evening is returning to the stage of the Deutsche Oper Berlin with three groundbreaking works.
William Forsythe is a choreographic legend, revered worldwide as one of the most creative and innovative innovators of the ballet tradition. Since the 1970s, he has revolutionised dance with an intelligent further development of academic ballet that completely freed the human body from the corset of precepts and expanded the dance vocabulary in a way never seen before. Many of his virtuoso compositions have long since become modern classics.
In this homage to William Forsythe, the Staatsballett dances three groundbreaking pieces by the American choreographer. Approximate Sonata 2016, created in 1996 and renewed in 2016, One Flat Thing, reproduced from 2000 and Blake Works I, which premiered at the Paris Opera Ballet in 2016.
DISCUSSION ON THE INTERACTION OF ARCHITECTURE, SPACE AND DANCE
World premiere: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
21 February 2025, 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Edward Clug, ballet director of the Slovenian National Theatre Maribor and an internationally sought-after choreographer, is creating a ballet adaptation of William Shakespeare’s comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream for the Staatsballett Berlin. The world premiere on February 21, 2025, will transport audiences into a world full of magic and deep emotions, highlighting both the comedic and dramatic aspects of the story.
The comedy A Midsummer Night’s Dream is one of the most well-known and beloved works by William Shakespeare, exploring the power of love, the confusions of human emotions, and the magic of fantasy. The plot skilfully weaves together various storylines: lovers fleeing strict laws, fairy kings and queens ruling over the natural realm, and a group of clumsy craftsmen preparing a performance for the royal court. Amidst a dense forest, a setting full of secrets and inexplicable powers, love couples encounter obstacles that test their bonds. The fairy kingdom plays its own game with human love destinies, confusing lovers with a magical love potion that makes them fall in love with the first person they see. Themes such as the irrationality of love, the boundaries between reality and dream, and the dynamics between power and fantasy are skilfully interwoven.
Clug’s choreographic interpretation, set to the music specially composed by Milko Lazar for this piece, tells Shakespeare’s story through a contemporary lens – a tale that explores the depths of human nature while remaining humorous and enchanting.The music by Milko Lazar is a commissioned work that is composed in close connection with Clug’s creation and will have its world premiere with the orchestra of the Deutsche Oper Berlin.
DOCUMENTING DANCE IN NOTATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY
Ballet talk: Movement in the image
02 February 2025, 11 a.m., Staatsoper Unter den Linden Apollosaal.
The second edition of the Ballet Talk, focusing on the theme of Movement in Image, highlights the diverse possibilities of documenting and notating dance. How can an art form that is inherently ephemeral be captured? Together with invited guests, the discussion will provide insights into the technical and creative approaches to dance documentation, as well as the challenges of capturing dance movements in both moving and still images. In the discussion panel, ballet master Korina Stolz-Franke and her intern, dancer Clemens Fröhlich, will introduce the art of dance notation. They will offer fascinating insights into Benesh notation, a system that allows for the precise written documentation of dance movements and the preservation of choreographies for future generations. Jubal Battisti, a former dancer who is now a photographer and filmmaker, will talk about his work capturing the energy and expression of dance through the lens. Additionally, with other guests from the ensemble, artistic director Christian Spuck and dramaturg Katja Wiegand will lead the conversation.
The event will be conducted in German, with English passages summarized in German.
WHEN?
Revival: William Forsythe
24 January 2025, 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
29 January 2025, 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
31 January 2025, 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
World premiere: A Midsummer Night’s Dream
21 February 2025, 7.30 pm, Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Ballet talk: Movement in the image
02 February 2025, 11 a.m., Staatsoper Unter den Linden Apollosaal.
WHERE?
Deutsche Oper Berlin
Bismarckstraße 35
10627 Berlin
Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Apollosaal
Unter den Linden 7
10117 Berlin
