A dance of sublime pleasure. Staatsballett Berlin in Christian Spuck’s Messa da Requiem
“…Rich in aesthetic charm and delicate beauty… abounds in dramatic moments… absorbs and leads to wonder.”
Germany
Silent Screen and Schmetterling: Bayerisches Staatsballett at its very best
The dancing is at a very high level… With both pieces focusing on relationships and death they complement each other perfectly
Dragana Bulut: Beyond Love
An exploration of the commodification of love that poses questions in an unusual, amusing and highly interactive performance.
A rollercoaster of feelings: LOST TRACK by Sommer Ulrickson
An excellent show. Relational dynamics abound. Jealousy, flirting, fun, excitement, make-outs, clashes, displeasure and mixed feelings are showcased
Four choreographers, four works: Gauthier Dance in Swan Lakes
An homage to the familiar ballet. But while each of the four works was inspired by the classic, each is decidedly contemporary and different.
Stuttgart Ballet’s new family-friendly Nutcracker
By Edward Clug, with sets and costumes by the acclaimed Jürgen Rose. And it’s the 85-year-old Rose’s designs that stick most in the memory
Badisches Staatsballett: Ruß – Eine Geschichte von Aschenputtel (Soot – A Retelling of Cinderella)
Bridget Briner’s complex, impressive version that relocates the story and tells it from the perspective of Livia, one of Cinderella’s stepsisters
Clean, sleek, stylish: Badisches Staatsballett in David Dawson’s Giselle
Modern yes, but still a ballet driven by emotions and imperfect people…and that in Act II especially, touches in all the right places
Delving into the recesses of Prospero’s mind: Dance Theater Heidelberg in Island
Outstandingly performed, sadness and melancholy pervades in Pérez’s intense, magnetic work that puts a new face on Shakespeare’s drama.
In sync with the underground world of today’s Berlin: Zoe Gyssler’s Firestarter
Surreal queerness, limitless imagination, kinky fantasies, mystical visions, loud, monotonous techno, kitschy excesses…and a pinch of occultism
Tanz im August: new takes on flamenco and ballet, and a dash of hip hop
Sometimes more performance-oriented than dance-driven, the festival demonstrated how the various arts languages are increasingly combining