25 May - 1 Jun 2025
Seven days of ballet en suite! In early summer, the Staatsballett invites you to a packed programme in two Berlin opera houses. With festive gala performances, highlights from the current repertoire, a special edition of Ballet Talk, workshops, as well as talks and exchanges with the artists, the Ballet Week offers an opportunity to immerse deeply into the world of professional dance.
And it is especially worthwhile with the TanzTicket: the season pass for 25/26 is already available at the Ballet Week, two months before the start of the new season, and offers a 20% discount on all performances.
The focus of the Forum event series in the 2024/25 season is on social science questions explored from various perspectives of science and dance. The Forum series provides a space for discussion and association on topics that extend far beyond the stage and invites reflection on the societal role of dance through examples from the current repertoire.
On three occasions, dramaturg Katja Wiegand, along with her guests from academia and practice, will examine the complex interactions between dance and current discourses. The series understands dance, and particularly ballet, not only as an artistic form of expression but also as a mirror of societal developments and a medium that addresses cultural, social, and ecological issues. Different guests from academia and practice will offer diverse perspectives and approaches that extend beyond dance.
The first session, Nature Romanticism and Ecology, questions the portrayal of nature in classical ballets, where nature is often romanticized or stylized. The discussion will explore the role of nature and the animal world in ballet and how these representations can be linked to current ecological debates. It will examine how stage dance provides opportunities to reflect on and possibly reshape the relationship between humans and nature.
In Space and Movement, the tension between architecture and dance will be highlighted. This session will address how spatial structures—whether in set design or urban spaces—affect the way dancers move and how space itself is shaped by dance. The discussion will illuminate the interactions between the physical boundaries of architecture and the freedom of dance, asking how space dictates or breaks movement patterns.
The concluding session, Body and Culture, will focus on the relationship between dance and identity. It will explore how traditions in dance are preserved while also undergoing transformations to reflect the diversity and dynamism of modern societies. Here, dance is understood as an expression of cultural identity that maintains ties to traditions while also creating space for new forms of self- and other-perception. The discussion will cover how dance shapes and transforms identities and the contribution it can make to the engagement with cultural diversity.
Wie prägt Architektur die Bewegung des Körpers? Site-Specific-Performances zeigen, dass der öffentliche Raum zum Tanzpartner werden kann. Tänzer*innen bewegen sich durch urbane Umgebungen und verwandeln so Stadträume. Durch Tanz kann Architektur lebendig werden, und Plätze oder Gebäude erhalten eine neue, temporäre Bedeutung. So kann der Tanz zum Mittel werden, um den Raum zu definieren und ihn aus neuen Perspektiven zu erleben. Ebenso beeinflusst die Geschichte eines Raumes die Art und Weise, wie Bewegungen wahrgenommen und erfahren werden. William Forsythe hat in seinen Arbeiten gezeigt, wie tief Tanz und Raumkonzepte miteinander verwoben sind. In seinen Choreographien wird der Raum nicht nur als statische Kulisse genutzt, sondern zu einem dynamischen Akteur, der den Tanz beeinflusst und gestaltet. Das Forum schaut in der zweiten Ausgabe dieser Spielzeit auf Choreographien, in denen der Raum selbst zu einem aktiven Partner wird, der Bewegungen formt und herausfordert.
Moderation und Konzept: Katja Wiegand
Die Veranstaltung findet in deutscher Sprache statt. Englische Passagen werden deutsch zusammengefasst.
The focus of the Forum event series in the 2024/25 season is on social science questions explored from various perspectives of science and dance. The Forum series provides a space for discussion and association on topics that extend far beyond the stage and invites reflection on the societal role of dance through examples from the current repertoire.
On three occasions, dramaturg Katja Wiegand, along with her guests from academia and practice, will examine the complex interactions between dance and current discourses. The series understands dance, and particularly ballet, not only as an artistic form of expression but also as a mirror of societal developments and a medium that addresses cultural, social, and ecological issues. Different guests from academia and practice will offer diverse perspectives and approaches that extend beyond dance.
The first session, Nature Romanticism and Ecology, questions the portrayal of nature in classical ballets, where nature is often romanticized or stylized. The discussion will explore the role of nature and the animal world in ballet and how these representations can be linked to current ecological debates. It will examine how stage dance provides opportunities to reflect on and possibly reshape the relationship between humans and nature.
In Space and Movement, the tension between architecture and dance will be highlighted. This session will address how spatial structures—whether in set design or urban spaces—affect the way dancers move and how space itself is shaped by dance. The discussion will illuminate the interactions between the physical boundaries of architecture and the freedom of dance, asking how space dictates or breaks movement patterns.
The concluding session, Body and Culture, will focus on the relationship between dance and identity. It will explore how traditions in dance are preserved while also undergoing transformations to reflect the diversity and dynamism of modern societies. Here, dance is understood as an expression of cultural identity that maintains ties to traditions while also creating space for new forms of self- and other-perception. The discussion will cover how dance shapes and transforms identities and the contribution it can make to the engagement with cultural diversity.
Tanz und Tanzende sind augenscheinlich unwiderruflich miteinander verschmolzen. Durch den Dialog von Tanz, Geschlecht und Kultur können neue Perspektiven auf Identität entstehen. Anhand klassische Werke wie Schwanensee und Giselle lässt sich reflektieren, wie Geschlechterrollen, Vorstellungen von Weiblichkeit in der historischen Gesellschaft thematisiert wurden und (sozio)kulturelle Erwartungen in den Tanz (ein)geschrieben wurden. Zeitgenössische Tanzproduktionen wie z. B. Gods and Dogs von Jiří Kylián, zeigen die Komplexität moderner entrückter Identitäten des Einzelnen. Ebenso fokussiert Winterreise von Christian Spuck auf die Stimmungslage eines verlorenen, verletzten und vereinsamten Charakters und befasst sich mit abstrakten Themen wie Sehnsucht, Entfremdung und Verlassenheit. Traditionelle Tänze, Folklore und Rituale repräsentieren kulturelle Identitäten, können jedoch auch Stereotype verstärken, wenn diese übernommen und aneignet werden. Etliche Beispiele aus der Tanzgeschichte zeigen ebenso wie Migration Tanztraditionen formte und veränderte. Die dritte Ausgabe untersucht Tanz als Medium persönlicher, sozialer und kultureller Identität – zwischen Tradition und Transformation.
Moderation und Konzept: Katja Wiegand
Die Veranstaltung findet in deutscher Sprache statt. Englische Passagen werden deutsch zusammengefasst.