Berlin, March 5, 2026 – This Thursday morning, the Staatsballett Berlin announced its program for the 2026/27 season. Intendant Christian Spuck and his team presented three premieres, including a new production of The Nutcracker, an evening featuring choreographies by William Forsythe, and a full-length work by Marco Goecke. Seven revivals complete a diverse repertoire and are complemented by a steadily expanding education program that appeals to a wide range of audiences.
During his fourth season with the Staatsballett Berlin, Intendant Christian Spuck presents three premieres on the grand opera stages. With The Nutcracker (November 27, 2026, Deutsche Oper Berlin), he directs a production specifically created for Berlin that bridges the wonder of childhood with the reality of growing up, exploring the psychological and literary depths of E.T.A. Hoffmann’s original story. Following the great success of the William Forsythe ballet evening in the 2023/24 season, William Forsythe II (March 19, 2027, Deutsche Oper Berlin) showcases more iconic works by the exceptional choreographer. In Of Any If And and the Artifact Suite, his precise, intellectual movement language can once again be experienced. The third premiere, Marco Goecke’s Der Liebhaber (June 5, 2027, Staatsoper Unter den Linden), based on the novel of the same name by Marguerite Duras, tells of a fifteen-year-old French girl’s encounter with a significantly older Chinese lover in colonial Indochina (present-day Vietnam) and translates the elliptical, fragmentary narrative style into a movement language that makes the body a medium of memory, desire, and social constraints.
The repertoire includes Fearful Symmetries (Staatsoper Unter den Linden) with choreography by Christian Spuck and George Balanchine, Wunderkammer (Komische Oper Berlin) by Artist in Residence Marcos Morau, Nurejew (Deutsche Oper Berlin) by Yuri Possokhov, Kirill Serebrennikov, and Ilya Demutsky, as well as the children’s dance piece Chicxulub or The Devil’s Flea (Deutsche Oper Berlin, Tischlerei) by Dominik White Slavkovský. Returning to the stage are Giselle (Staatsoper Unter den Linden) by Patrice Bart, 2 Chapters Love (Staatsoper Unter den Linden) with choreography by Jiří Kylián and Sharon Eyal, and Bovary (Deutsche Oper Berlin) by Christian Spuck.
In the ensemble, eleven dancers are celebrating promotions. Kalle Wigle will be First Soloist starting from the upcoming season, while Emma Antrobus, Marina Duarte, Fiona McGee, and Leroy Mokgatle will become Soloists. Jessica Beardsell, Achille de Groeve, Vivian Assal Koohnavard, Yuka Matsumoto, Giovanni Princic, Alicia Ruben, and Lewis Turner are being promoted from the corps de ballet to demi-soloists.
Tanz ist KLASSE! the education program of the Staatsballett celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2027. In the upcoming season, it will present, in addition to its usual extensive program for children and adolescents, school classes, families, adults, and people with disabilities, more family mornings than usual, as well as extra Dance workshops for everyone. At the Apollosaal of the Staatsoper Unter den Linden (September 20, 2026) or after the Training to watch in the foyer of the Deutsche Oper Berlin (January 30 and April 17, 2027), all interested individuals can participate in a free dance workshop. Additionally, for the first time, Futura Danza will offer a workshop for pregnant women or young mothers and fathers with babies up to 12 months old.
The behind-the-scenes glimpse is still made possible through the program of events, including Premiere Talks and Training to watch. Opportunities for exchange are available during the Ballet Talks, which invite ensemble members and artistic participants to engage in more personal conversations. Additionally, the Forum provides a platform to discuss societal issues related to dance on stage.
The digital chronicle of the history of ballet in Berlin, which has been accessible online since last year, continues to grow and network. With the support of navigating.art, a new dedicated database is now being developed, which will be more than just an abstract collection of information for research purposes. To realize this, the project will be linked with collections from public archives. An exchange of expertise with institutions such as the German Theater Museum Munich, the Berlin City Museum Foundation, and the two German dance archives is underway, expanding the perspective of theater historiography.
Visually, the upcoming season is characterized by the photographic work of Peter Kaaden. The photographer and director was Photo Director of Rolling Stone Magazine for several years. He lives and works in Berlin and Paris and photographed the image campaign with 20 dancers.
Intendant Christian Spuck emphasizes the diversity of dance and the skill of the dancers with the program for the upcoming season:
«In this season, the ensemble showcases its full range: from technically brilliant classics to modern masterpieces and contemporary creations. Each production opens up its own choreographic world, and together they form a dynamic mosaic that highlights the diversity, precision, and expressiveness of the Staatsballett Berlin.»
The regular ticket presale begins on May 8, 2026, at 12:00 PM. Members of the Friends’ Circle and holders of the Dance Ticket can purchase tickets early starting April 24, 2026, at 12:00 PM, as part of the advance sales.
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Deutsche Oper Berlin
Bismarckstraße 35
10627 Berlin
Staatsoper Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden 7
10117 Berlin
