Ballet season 2016/2017 has finally arrived! This saturday, I went to Deutsche Oper Berlin (where Staatsballett Berlin trains and performs), for their opening of the ballet season 2016/2017! It was a great event with ballet rehearsals, costume exhibitions and I took a lot of pictures 🙂 Follow me around!
Tutus to the max
First, I went to the costume department, that had a big section there. I think it even was the largest one! At the tutu exhibition area I had the chance to take a close look at all the costumes – loved it!
On a table in front of the tutus, there were several old rehearsal tutus and new unfinished ones, that I could study. They also had the “costume bible” with sketches, fabric and decoration pieces and patterns. Mrs Katzer, the director of the costume department, was there and answered all questions.
I learned that for a big production like The Nutcracker, they have to start making and ordering the tutus at least 9 months before the premiere, to make sure everything is ready in time. It was very interesting to hear that the ballerinas dancing there all have pretty much the same measurements around the hips, but not at the waist and bust! This means, if they manifacture costumes for 20 dancers, they make 20 bodices but only 16 tutus, plus a wider and a smaller one as replacement if needed.
Quick tip: If you want to know how much layers a tutu has, the easiest way is to look at the inside of the hip part: the number of horizontal seams corresponds to the number of tulle segments! Just take a look at the photo on the right and you will exactly know what I mean 🙂
Special memories and even more costumes
For the children, there were activities like face painting, a ballet workshop and handicrafts. They could dress a ballerina drawn on paper by glueing a little sparkling “tutu” on her body, made from fabric pieces left over from the real tutus and costumes! Such a nice idea, don´t you think? So the kids can take a special memory and piece of the opera home with them. I wish I could have too… I thought about looking for some fabric pieces for myself for a second – but that´s not what they were meant for, so I went on.
Next to the tutus, all sorts of opera costumes were hanging on racks. I had never seen as much in one place before. There were knight´s armors, a king´s robe, dresses from different eras, feathered hats, voluptuous cloaks and some special suits, like a bear’s costume. The best part was: you could try them all!
I went there right in the beginning, in hope to be able to try some ballet costumes 🙂 But there were only a few and they just displayed the extra small ones – only kids could try them. As you can perhaps imagine, it was incredibly crowded and people were very excited about all the costumes. I couldn’t even look at them calmly or take photos, because everyone was so eager to get closer to the dresses… I ended up not trying anything, because it was a very hot day and there were just too many people…
Finally heading to the stage
Instead, I went to see the technique show on the largest stage! Some actors of the opera played several short pieces. They were specifically put together to show us functions like the turning part of the stage, the trap doors and several movable stage sections. I enjoyed it a lot and would have loved to see more. But I wanted to leave to watch the ballet rehearsals!
Ballet rehearsals and focal themes of the ballet season 2016/2017
In this season, Staatsballett Berlin focuses on Tschaikowsky, with performances of Nutcracker, Sleeping Beauty and Swan Lake. But they also have a strong modern technique and feature choreographies from George Balanchine, Nacho Duato, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Benjamin Millepied and Jiri Kylîan.
First, I saw the Nutcracker rehearsal. The corps de ballet did Snowflakes and principals Iana Salenko (Marie) and Marian Walter (Prince) danced the awakening of the Nutcracker/Prince and a beautiful Love Pas de Deux. They were so expressive and technically stunning!
Next, the corps de ballet men rehearsed Nacho Duatos contemporary piece Multiplicity. The first part was called Violins, but I didn´t like it. The dancers did a great job of course, but the choreography was not bright. It was one of these dances were the men have to act kind of weird, feminine and brutal at the same time – that does not appeal to me at all. But the second part, Toccata, was interesting, with dynamic formations, dramatic acting and great music. As this rehearsal took place in a ballet studio and was a lot more intimate, we were asked to not take photos.
Then, after a long day, filled with new ballet experiences, happy and inspired from the theatre atmosphere, I went home! 🙂
Your point(e):
Have you been at the opening event of this ballet season 2016/2017 of your local company? What did you see?
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