Breaking down the borders that traditionally exist between classical and contemporary dance and redefining dance as a culmination of both.«
(Aaron S. Watkin)
Season 2011/12 – »The next chapter«
Dear Ladies & Gentlemen,
As the initial chapter in the short life of the newly branded »Semperoper Ballett« comes to a close, an exciting new chapter is about to unfold. The first 5 years of our existence have been dedicated to building and defining our company as a unique entity and making our presence known both locally and nationally as one of the leading ballet companies in Germany. I have been very fortunate to have a talented, consistent group of dedicated dancers in my ensemble, the pioneers of the Semperoper Ballett. These artists have diligently carved our identity into the dance scene as dynamic group of highly versatile world-class dancers with an all-encompassing repertoire.
I compare the next chapter in the life of our company to that of a relationship. As is normal, relationships grow and develop and natural metamorphosis occurs. This change can bring feelings of sorrow and loss, but it also brings a wonderful feeling of excitement and new inspiration for the future and the unknown. My primary goal now is to focus on our international presence by touring abroad. After two very successful tours last season to Gran Teatre de Liceu, Barcelona and New York City Centre, we have received several offers for tours to two other continents, in particular America and Asia, which we are working hard to realize over the next few seasons. Here at home I have planned a season with 6 premieres, including »Jewels« (Balanchine), »A Dresden Ballet Gala«, »The Nutcracker« (Watkin/Beechey), »Young Choreographers«, »An Evening with the Works of William Forsythe«, »Les Ballets Russes – Reloaded!« (Creations by Jiří Bubeníček (Faune) & Jacopo Godani (Sacre) and including Stijn Celis’s Les Noces & George Balanchine’s Apollo). I have planned 5 other existing productions, including 3 full-length classical ballets as well as a new mix from of our existing modern productions to create our »Black Magic« programme (Touzeau/Ek/Godani). For our Youth Scene we will continue with more performances of the highly successful »Cinderella« by Stijn Celis. For the first time we will present a »Ballet Week« from September 22nd to October 1st 2011. This week will include lectures, open rehearsals and 4 different programmes of dance from our classical, neo-classical and modern repertoire. Our Dresden Gala evening will provide a fitting climax to the Ballet Week. I have invited directors, agents and critics from all over the word to enjoy an exciting week of dance with us with the objective of personally presenting my company to them.
For those of you who are unable to visit us in person, we encourage you to connect with us via our website, YouTube and Facebook.
I invite you to experience the personality and magic of the Semperoper Ballett firsthand, a three-dimensional harmony of sight, sound and emotion.
With warm regards,
Aaron Sean Watkin
Artistic Director
