Glitz And Glamor Once Again

Text: Elena Philipp

After many months without a public appearance, the Staatsballett Berlin is returning to the city’s opera stages at the end of August with three special performances. The gala format is presumably aiming to return to the glitz and glamour of the Vladimir Malakhov era. At the first of two galas, “From Berlin With Love I”, the ensemble will perform excerpts from repertoire choreographies such as “Jewels” and “Swan Lake” as well as works by Heinz Spoerli, Uwe Scholz and Mauro de Candia. The program for this end-of-August gala will be supplemented by Staatsballett dancers’ own works. On the 29th, the long-time first solo dancer Mikhail Kaniskin will also bid farewell to the company. At the beginning of September, a premiere of the first new production “LAB_WORKS COVID_19” will take place at the Komische Oper featuring choreographies that ensemble members have developed for themselves and/or for colleagues living in the same household during the period of domestic isolation. In the second half of September, another gala, “From Berlin With Love II”, will be presented. And on we go, happy that the Staatsballett dancers finally engage with their audiences again, in spite of Covid-19-compliant performances.