News
Saying goodbye to the Staatsballett Berlin
Long-time ballet mistress Christine Camillo is saying goodbye to the Staatsballett Berlin.
Born in Toulouse, she studied at the renowned Académie Princesse Grace in Monte-Carlo and won the Prix de Lausanne in 1981 at the age of just 15. She completed her training at the ballet school of the Paris Opera. Starting in 1982, she danced with the Scottish Ballet, became a soloist at 19, moved to the English National Ballet in 1986, and arrived in Berlin in 1990, where she was engaged as a Principal Dancer at the ballet of the Deutsche Oper.
During her time there, she not only performed works by George Balanchine, Kenneth McMillan, Glen Tetley, Hans van Manen, and Jiří Kylián, but also mastered many major leading roles in classical ballets. She danced Giselle, La Sylphide, an impressive Bournonville repertoire, the major roles in Peter Schaufuss’ versions of Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and The Nutcracker, as well as Valery Panov’s Cinderella, Tatjana in John Cranko’s Onegin, Beatrice in John Neumeier’s Undine, and works by Maurice Béjart such as Le Sacre du printemps, L’Oiseau de feu, and Ring um den Ring, in addition to pieces by Heinz Spoerli. Contemporary choreographers she collaborated with included Uwe Scholz, Christopher Bruce, Ronald Hynd, Karol Armitage, Molissa Fenley, and William Forsythe. Finally, ballet director Ray Barra choreographed the title role in his ballet The Snow Queen specifically for her. Her portrayals of Juliet in Youri Vamos’ Romeo and Juliet and Aurora/Anastasia in his version of Sleeping Beauty—the last tsar’s daughter—remain unforgettable for many.
In 2004, Christine bid farewell to the stage and began working with the dancers of the Staatsballett Berlin, not only in daily classes but primarily in rehearsals. This allowed her to draw from her training in the French style, which she mastered and consistently demonstrated.
There was hardly a production that Christine Camillo was not involved in preparing, and probably no performance she did not observe from the ballet master’s box. She was always focused on her protégés: there was almost no soloist dancer who did not work on roles with her sooner or later. No one could escape her passionate motivation and unwavering dedication to addressing questions of dance and performance. With a keen eye for detail on one hand and an understanding of the overall impact on the other, she shared her knowledge through a cascade of loving corrections.
For her, passing on this knowledge was not just a professional obligation, but far more—a personal passion. We thank you from the bottom of our hearts, Christine!