Semperoper Ballett

Welcome

Dear Ballet Audiences,

On behalf of Semperoper Ballett Dresden, I wish you a happy, successful, healthy and prosperous year 2024 – um próspero Ano Novo!

In the first half of January, after a short winter break, we are looking forward to performing the last performances of Johan Inger's new creation »A Swan Lake« in the current season. At the same time, the first rehearsals for our new US triple-bill »Classics«, which is to premiere on 2 June, have already begun. With »Serenade« (1934), »Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes« (2015) and »In The Upper Room« (1986), we are presenting three choreographic Signature Pieces by George Balanchine, Justin Peck and Twyla Tharp. In this context, we bridge from neoclassical and contemporary ballet and, once again, prove the company's virtuosity and diversity.

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This season, Tony Award-winner Justin Peck, who has been Resident Choreographer with New York City Ballet since 2014, presents his creation »Rodeo: Four Dance Episodes« to Semperoper audiences. Michael Breeden, who has been staging Peck’s works on an international level since 2017, has been rehearsing this creation with our dancers since the beginning of January, on the basis of Aaron Copland's ballet music »Rodeo« (1942).

At the same time, I myself am currently rehearsing a classic of the ballet repertoire for its revival on 9 February: »The Sleeping Beauty«. In 2007, former ballet director, Aaron S. Watkin, choreographed this full-length fairytale ballet for the Semperoper. This season, I am adapting this choreography and giving the familiar plot a slightly different shape. In doing so, I am proud to be again supported by internationally renowned guests: the multi-award-winning rehearsal director and ballet master Yannick Boquín and my long-time dance partner, and now artistic co-director at the Houston Ballet in Texas, Julie Kent.

After a break of several years, the Semperoper Ballett is also very happy about participating in the 16th SemperOpernball on 23 February in the course of which it will show some excerpts from this season’s repertoire.

So, I cordially invite you to enjoy the first weeks of this year and to immerse yourselves into Semperoper Ballett’s diversity!

Yours,
Marcelo Gomes
Artistic Manager Semperoper Ballett

News

News

Adapted revival: »The Sleeping Beauty«

Semperoper Ballett’s Artistic Manager of the 2023/24 season, Marcelo Gomes, is bringing Tchaikovsky's narrative story ballet back to life.

»In her fifteenth year, the princess shall prick herself on a spindle and drop down dead.« Who does not know the auspicious curse of the evil fairy from the story »La Belle au Bois dormant (The Sleeping Beauty or the Beauty Sleeping in the Wood)« from Charles Perrault's fairy-tale collection »Contes de Ma Mère l'Oye« (1697)? In 2007, the former Artistic Director of the Semperoper Ballett, Aaron S. Watkin, choreographed the ballet féerie about Princess Aurora (world premiere: 1890, St. Petersburg) at the Semperoper. From 9 February 2024, you can experience this creation again in the fabulous setting by Arne Walther (set design and video projections) and Erik Västhed (costume design). The members of the apprentice programme in cooperation with the Palucca University of Dance Dresden are involved in this production too.

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However, the magical narrative ballet will not only be revived, but will appear in a new shape, for Semperoper Ballett’s current Artistic Manager, Marcelo Gomes, who also performed in numerous versions of »The Sleeping Beauty« during his career as a Principal Dancer, is adapting the choreography as well as the staging and giving the story a new flavour. He re-created the 2023/24 version together with conductor Benjamin Pope, who has been associated with the Semperoper Ballett for many years. Since the beginning of January, Mr Gomes has been rehearsing intensively with the Dresden company and the apprentices to make this full-length repertoire work a unique experience of classical ballet for the whole family.

In addition to the Principal couple Kanako Fujimoto and Julian Amir Lacey as Princess Aurora and Prince Florimund, audiences can also look forward to several role debuts – already in the very first performance: Coryphée Swanice Luong dances Princess Florine for the very first time; Principal Courtney Richardson, who enjoyed success as Juliet, amongst others, interprets the Lilac Fairy, who turns everything around for the better, and Second Soloist Zarina Stahnke, who premiered as the female lead in Johan Ingers »A Swan Lake« in December, embodies the character of the evil fairy Carabosse. Darlings of the public such as Carola Schwab and Hannes-Detlef Vogel will also appear in this year's production as the royal couple.

While re-creating  »The Sleeping Beauty«, Marcelo Gomes is joined by two top-class guests from the ballet world: multi-award-winning soloist, rehearsal director and guest ballet master Yannick Boquín, and Julie Kent, the longest-serving ballerina of American Ballet Theatre, former Artistic Director of The Washington Ballet and current Artistic Co-Director of Houston Ballet, will pass on their dance experience and technical knowledge to the dancers of the Semperoper Ballett during the rehearsal process.

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Rehearsal kick-off: »In The Upper Room«

Semperoper Ballett has been rehearsing for its last premiere of the 2023/24 season, the mixed bill »Classics«, since January. Twyla Tharp's multi-layered work »In The Upper Room« has also been in rehearsal since March.

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This week, stager Kaitlyn Gilliland joined the Semperoper Ballett in order to rehearse this energetic work from 1986 - which was also commissioned to the master of minimal music, Philip Glass - together with the artistic manager of the Dresden company, Marcelo Gomes. Ms Gilliand danced with the New York City Ballet between 2006 and 2011. Then, she worked as an independent artist before joining Twyla Tharp's anniversary tour on the occasion of 50 years of dance in 2014. Since then, Ms Gilliand has created and interpreted Ms Tharp's leading roles in numerous creations, most recently in the Bessie Award-winning revival of »In The Upper Room« as part of New York City Center's 2022/23 season. Furthermore, she also works a Tharp repetiteur.

Marcelo Gomes is very grateful to be able to show »In The Upper Room«, a »classic« from the repertoire of Ms Tharp, who is presenting her work at the Semperoper for the very first time this season: »Twyla and I have a long artistic history together, and she has known me since I was 17 years old. »In The Upper Room« was a ballet that I participated in and that I have a lot of respect for, as I knew even then what a masterpiece it is. If you get to perform it once in your life as a dancer, it's a great honour to be part of that choreography. I think it's a perfect piece for this programme and to show off Semperoper Ballett because the duality of this work, the different groups on pointe and in sneakers mirrors the fusion of different techniques, diversity, thoughts and backgrounds that we have in our company.«

Two ladies, whom Twyla Tharp describes as »ceramic, Chinese temple guard dogs«, form the framework of her creation. The choreographer also characterises three couples wearing running shoes as »the stompers« and two ladies in ballet shoes as the »bomb squad«. They all work according to their nicknames, stomping and »bombing« the dark stage space with their delicacy, vigour and strength. This performative experience is complemented by Jennifer Tipton's ground-breaking lighting design, which, together with Philip Glass' music and the colour contrasts of the set and costumes designed by Norma Kamali, creates a propulsive drive that lifts dancers and audience alike to a higher level.

Homecoming - Gareth Haw returns to Dresden as a guest soloist

The long-standing, popular former member of the Semperoper Ballett, Gareth Haw, will perform as Prince Florimund in »The Sleeping Beauty« on 28 February and 10 March.

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In 2015, the British dancer joined the Semperoper Ballett under the former ballet director Aaron S. Watkin. After being appointed coryphée in 2017 and Second Soloist in 2020, Mr Haw has held the rank of a First Soloist since 2022. At the start of the 2023/24 season, he moved to this position at the English National Ballet in London.

In February and March 2024, Gareth Haw is returning to the Semperoper to dance alongside Principal Dancer Svetlana Gileva (Princess Aurora) in two performances of »The Sleeping Beauty«.

The Artistic Director of the Semperoper Ballett, Marcelo Gomes, is looking forward to Gareth Haw's guest appearances: »When I was a ballet master, our ways cross-pathed, for example during the productions of »La Bayadère« or »Swan Lake« by Aaron S. Watkin. I therefore had the opportunity to collaborate closely with Gareth Haw. Now, I am very much looking forward to his Dresden homecoming, because I trust him very much as a dancer, highly appreciate his reliability and am proud to present his artistic development to the Semperoper Ballett audience.«

Company

Company

Ensemble

The Company

The international artistic team and dancers making up Semperoper Ballett ensure the company’s brilliant reputation both in Dresden and around the world.

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Publication

Season brochure

Season brochure 2023/24 of Semperoper Ballett

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Auditions

Auditions

The application deadline for the season 2024/25 audition has passed. We will publish future calls for application at this place and will be happy to receive your application.

Tour Diary

TOUR DIARY

Apprentice Programme

Involvement

Young talents

Apprentice Programme

The Apprentice Programme offers young dancers the opportunity to gain practical experience with the Semperoper Ballett while studying at the Palucca University of Dance Dresden.

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