February 18th, 2015
Viva España! We are on the road again! This time we are travelling to the Catalan Capital Barcelona and its beautiful old Gran Teatre del Liceu at La Rambla. After the premiere of David Dawson’s new creation »Tristan+Isolde« last Sunday, we are already looking forward to a little bit of sun and exciting new experiences. With two shows in three days, our trip is all but a vacation. Nevertheless, we hope to be able to get to enjoy some of the Spanish lifestyle, to walk up and down La Rambla and help ourselves to a healthy big portion of Paella. Likewise to the last three tours we will bring our Forsythe program along to Spain. Our mixed bill starts with the epic piece »In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated«, followed by »Neue Suite« and ends with the brilliant »Enemy in the Figure«. We are all very excited for tomorrow when we will hop onto our plane and fly down south!
February 19th, 2015
After a full day of rehearsals yesterday, we are leaving the cold and wintery Dresden for a ten degree warmer Barcelona. While rehearsals for our upcoming performances of »Swan Lake« are being conducted at home in Dresden, we are waiting at the airport for the plane to take us to Catalonia. Our technical crew on the other hand side, already arrived yesterday and has been busy preparing everything for our arrival. The trucks with our costumes and equipment arrived and need to be unloaded. Our barres need to be set up, too, so we can do our class tomorrow right on the stage of the Gran Teatre del Liceu. Here you can see the amazing view we will have in training. Isn’t this beautiful? The central corridor, the red upholstered chairs on the right and left side and the gold on the walls?
February 20th, 2015
THAT was quick! After arriving in Barcelona last night and a quick night at our hotel, we are already on stage with »An Evening with the Works of William Forsythe« tonight! But first of all we take a deep breath and get into our daily routine with daily class. Class is taught by Jose Cruz, Professor for classical ballet at Palucca Hochschule für Tanz Dresden and native-born Barcelonese today and tomorrow and we sure are looking forward to that. Some of us are a bit tired from yesterday’s trip and from gaining first impressions of the Spanish metropolis, but: there is no time to rest! After class we are heading into a full stage call – for the »Enemy in the Figure« cast, it is going to be in full costume. And after our premiere tonight, there will be a reception by one of the main sponsors of the Gran Teatro del Liceu. Full day and full excitement!
February 21st, 2015
After an epic premiere yesterday, today was our second show or rather shows! But first of all we had some time in the morning to get to know Barcelona a bit better and to see something of this beautiful city. We went to el Mercat de la Boqueria and saw the most delicious fruits and the freshest fish of all Barcelona. Being one of Barcelona’s biggest tourist attractions, it was crowded and we nearly got lost. But thanks to our »tour guide« Sonia Vinograd, who is a real Barcelonese, we were all back at the theatre on time for our second training with José Cruz. At 5:00 pm it was time for us to go on stage to dance our second show in Barcelona and at 9:00 pm the curtains raised once more for our third and last performance. What a hustle! But still, we enjoy life on tour, and this feeling: showing the world who we are and what we can do; this feeling is just beyond words.
February 22nd, 2015
Our second show yesterday night went great – thanks a lot Barcelona for being so generous and open and for welcoming us so warmly! Three shows in two days, a city and trip full of new experiences, impressions and adventures… off to bed we went than straight away – after all, it was an early start today, at shortly after ten in the morning. With a short stop in Munich, we all arrived safe and sound at 17:40 o’clock back at home in Dresden. And as a rolling stone gathers no moss, as they say, some of us will be back on the stage of the Semperoper already tomorrow for the 30th Anniversary Gala of our theater’s reopening in 1985! We will say »Happy Birthday, Semperoper!« with William Forsythe’s »Berio« pas de deux.