The Berlin State Ballet is celebrating its 20th anniversary: Founded on January 1, 2004, it is a relatively young institution that emerged from the ballet ensembles of the Deutsche Oper Berlin, the Komische Oper Berlin and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and whose dance history becomes all the more impressive when one considers its heritage. In order to lay the foundations for future, more in-depth study of ballet history, the Staatsballett Berlin plans to illustrate its own history and the history of ballet in Berlin. It will begin with a repertoire catalogue that will be gradually condensed and expanded, not only going ever deeper into the past, but also to include eras and personalities who have had an impact far beyond Berlin. Further digital interfaces are planned that will make the multifaceted intangible cultural heritage accessible.
Supported by the Manfred Strohscheer Foundation.
Repertoire
Take a look at our repertoire catalogue and travel through 20 years of Staatsballett history.
The Beginnings at the Court Opera of Friedrich the Great
Friedrich the Great, King of Prussia, established, in 1742, with the founding of his court opera, the Royal Opera House Unter den Linden, also a ballet company, initially to provide the ballet interludes for operas. Dancers and extras were hired from Paris. Key figures of this era include the sisters Roland and Marie Cochois, Barbarina Campanini (engaged by Friedrich the Great through an adventurous and legendary kidnapping to Berlin), Jean-Georges Noverre, ballet master, dancer Michèle Poitier, and choreographer Étienne Lauchery. Friedrich founded the first ballet school to counter the shortage of dancers: «Berlin citizen girls should be trained for dance,» as hiring dancers from Paris was becoming too costly in the long run.
The Ballet Genre Becomes Independent
The first independent ballet in Berlin was performed in 1794 (on the stage of the National Theater at Gendarmenmarkt): Cortez and Thélaire choreographed by Étienne Lauchery. With this, ballet in Berlin separated from opera and became an independent genre. The repertoire of the National Theater at Gendarmenmarkt included «Arlequinades and beatings-divertissements», program disputes were resolved by decree, and a thriving ballet scene increasingly developed. In 1803, one of the first imports from Paris, Pierre Gardel's Dansomanie in a revision by Étienne Lauchery, was included in the Berlin program. In 1813, Constantin Michel Telle became the director of the ballet, followed by Michel François Hoguet from 1817 to 1856.
Ballet Metropolis in the 19th Century
Reflecting the developments of European theatrical dance, key works such as La Fille mal gardée (1818) and La Sylphide (1832) made their way to the Berlin ballet stage. An extensive ballet repertoire, which included romantic fairy and magic ballets, and an unusual success with the Berlin audience during the Biedermeier period, made Berlin one of the leading ballet centers in the German-speaking world, alongside Vienna and Stuttgart. Renowned names such as the Taglioni family, Fanny Elssler, Carlotta Grisi, Fanny Cerrito, Lucile Grahn, and many others regularly gathered here.
Paul Taglioni, a scion of the famous dancing family (brother of Marie Taglioni) and engaged as ‹Premier danseur› at the opera since 1829, became the director of the ballet in 1856. He is one of the most creative figures in Berlin's ballet history. Berlin owes to him its rise to a position as a ballet center alongside Paris, Vienna, St. Petersburg, London, Milan, and Naples. His ballet Flick und Flock’s Abenteuer experienced an astonishing 451 (!) performances.
On the Path to Modernity
Under the direction of Emil Graeb (1887–1919) and his leading dancer Antonietta dell’Era, the ballet survived with 140 dancers (almost all from the affiliated Royal Ballet School) despite the general decline of the ballet genre in Europe. With performances by Isadora Duncan or Anna Pavlova at the Krolloper (which had been affiliated with the Royal Theatres since 1895), signs of the times were anticipated that would take shape inexorably after World War I:
Through Heinrich Kröller (1919–1922), who was very receptive to contemporary dance, and through Max Terpis (1923–1930), a student of Mary Wigman, paths of modern dance were explored; however, his successor Rudolf von Laban (1930–1934) failed to maintain the independent position of the art form of dance at the opera house. During this time, dance was strongly integrated into contemporary operas.
The Nazi demands for the restructuring of old Prussian traditions in the theater were implemented by Lizzie Maudrik from 1933 to 1945 with a newly founded ballet ensemble.
Deutsche Staatsoper
The new beginning took place with Tatjana Gsovsky (1945–1951), whose work reflected her complete mastery of the Russian school as well as her experiences with German expressionist dance. Her successor was Daisy Spies (1951–1955), who had already been a solo dancer under Max Terpis. Lilo Gruber (1955–1969), a student of Wigman who embraced Soviet realism, and Claus Schulz (1969–1972) succeeded each other. Their eras were characterised by a lively ballet scene and a diverse repertoire. Egon Bischoff (1974–1993, with Martin Puttke for one year in between) perfected the classical-academic Russian school at the Staatsoper and promoted the ensemble's homogeneity in close cooperation with the Berlin State Ballet School.
In 1993, Michaël Denard was appointed ballet director. Choreographers like Maurice Béjart, Roland Petit, and Rudolf Nureyev enriched the Staatsoper's ballet repertoire, creating works specifically for the ensemble. The French choreographer Patrice Bart re-staged a series of major ballet classics. From 1996 to 2001, Staatsoper director Georg Quander served as acting ballet director. Vladimir Malakhov was appointed ballet director in 2002 and became the artistic director of the Staatsballett Berlin within the Berlin Opera Foundation in 2004.
Komische Oper Berlin
Important for the history of ballet in Berlin is the «Tanztheater» of the Komische Oper. Walter Felsenstein's «Musiktheater» concept is committed to a productive, partnership-based relationship between theater and audience. Felsenstein appointed Tom Schilling in 1966 (after already 20 years of «Musiktheater» practice) as chief choreographer of the Komische Oper. With the assertion that dance must «legitimise itself as ultimately the only possible form of expression for a human event,» according to Tom Schilling's statement, he conquered a broad audience, and his work was closely observed internationally. He did not only focus on ballet enthusiasts but envisioned the target audience as a group of people who should be touched by attending a ballet performance. Tom Schilling and the dancers of the «Tanztheater» of the Komische Oper became identification figures for an entire generation.
In 1994, Jan Linkens was appointed chief choreographer, and Marc Jonkers became the director of the «Tanztheater». In 1999, Richard Wherlock became ballet director, and the «Tanztheater» was named «BerlinBallett – Komische Oper». Blanca Li followed in the role in 2001, which she left prematurely. From 2002 to 2004, Adolphe Binder was the artistic director.
Städtische Oper/Deutsche Oper Berlin
A prominent figure of Berlin ballet history for a certain period was Tatjana Gsovsky. She founded her troupe, the «Berliner Ballett,» in the modern sense of the term. In 1951, she left the Deutsche Staatsoper and from 1953 onwards was repeatedly invited as a choreographer to the Städtische Oper in the western part of the city, where she was finally appointed ballet mistress and chief choreographer in 1958. In 1966, she resigned from this position to focus on her ballet school. Tatjana Gsovsky staged numerous classic productions and choreographed (some premieres) to contemporary compositions by Boris Blacher, Hans Werner Henze, or Luigi Nono. Her choreographies and projects performed on successful world tours with her «Berliner Ballett» were somewhat unpopular at the main house, but her successes elsewhere earned her recognition as a «Berliner.» She was temporarily succeeded as artistic director by Sir Kenneth MacMillan (1966–69), whose works also shaped the repertoire.
From 1962 to 1990, Gert Reinholm, a companion of Tatjana Gsovsky, directed the ballet at the Städtische Oper, and in 1972, he was appointed ballet director.
Initially reflecting the post-war ballet path, the ballet gradually underwent a transformation towards openness to international trends and personalities. Based on classical-academic dance, an eclectic repertoire flourished, where ballets by Auguste Bournonville, Marius Petipa, and George Balanchine met, and choreographies by Hans van Manen, Kurt Jooss, Maurice Béjart, and Valery Panov shaped the repertoire. Protagonists included Eva Evdokimova and Peter Schaufuss among others. Dancer and choreographer Gerhard Bohner became a central figure in «anti-establishment activities» at the Berlin Academy of Arts. Gert Reinholm regularly invited guest stars to Berlin and promoted numerous premieres at the Deutsche Oper, including works like Tutuguri or Nacht aus Blei.
In 1990, Peter Schaufuss was appointed ballet director, followed by Ray Barra in 1994, Richard Cragun in 1996, and Sylviane Bayard, who led the ballet as ballet director from 1999 to 2004.
Staatsballett Berlin
The Staatsballett Berlin was founded in 2004 through the merger of the former ballet ensembles of the three Berlin opera houses: Deutsche Oper Berlin, Komische Oper Berlin, and Staatsoper Unter den Linden. Under the umbrella of the Stiftung Oper in Berlin, the Staatsballett Berlin is the largest ballet company in Germany, comprising 77 dancers from 30 nations. Vladimir Malakhov served as the founding artistic director from 2004 to 2014, followed by the Spanish choreographer Nacho Duato (2014 to 2018). Johannes Öhman was the artistic director for the 2018/2019 season and assumed co-directorship with Sasha Waltz starting from the 2019/2020 season. In August 2020, Christiane Theobald was appointed as the director of the company by the Berlin Senator for Culture. Since the 2023/2024 season, Christian Spuck has been the artistic director of the Staatsballett Berlin.