The play without any costumes
For most of us, the move to the home office was straightforward: Laptop, screen, mouse and maybe a few important documents tucked under your arm and off you go home. But what is everyday working life like for people who need a lot of space and physical freedom for their job? For dancers, for example. For ballet companies all over Germany, the motto for the past two weeks has been: we stay home.
The Staatsballett Berlin shows that life can go on without stage performances, rehearsals and training with its online piece From Berlin with Love. First soloist Ksenia Ovsyanick initiated a collaborative choreography by the dancers of the Staatsballett in quarantine. In a three-minute video, the dancers can be seen dancing across the screen in their living rooms, gardens, hallways and on their balconies to Beethoven’s 7th Symphony in A major op. 92. About half of the 92 dancers contributed to the piece. The choreographic pieces were created by each dancer themselves and flowed seamlessly into one another thanks to delicate transitions. The idea behind the choreography was that each dancer begins their sequence with the last movement of the previous one. Communication took place via WhatsApp. Some of the participating dancers incorporated props into their choreography that reflected the current situation: Toilet paper rolls or breathing masks, for example.
Normally you see the dancers through their costumes, only as the characters they are portraying. But in From Berlin with love , the dancers move across the screen in winter boots, cotton socks, jogging pants, jeans or poison green patent leather boots. This creates a very personal insight into the dancers’ personalities, as they are not alienated by their costumes.
But it is not only the Berlin State Ballet that has reacted quickly to the situation. Other ensembles have also developed a digital repertoire. It is definitely worth taking a look at these schedules if you want to bring the theater atmosphere into your home. We have therefore put together some ballet recommendations for the coming weeks:
until April 03, 2020
Stop-motion by the Nederlands Dance Theater
Choreography: Sol León & Paul Lightfoot
April 10 to April 17, 2020
Portrait Wayne McGregor from the Bavarian State Opera
Choreography: Wayne McGregor
April 5 to 11, 2020
Messa da Requiem from the Zurich Opera House
Choreography and direction: Christian Spuck
Conductor: Fabio Luisi Conductor
Stage design: Christian Schmidt
Costumes: Emma Ryott
The Hamburg Ballet also offers its own training plan. In times when it feels like everyone who has ever done a push-up shares their workout on Instagram, the Hamburg Ballet’s program is a quality product. Together with physiotherapist Daan van den Akker, dancer Nicolas Glässman demonstrates bodyweight exercises to do at home.
Click here for the fitness program.
And last but not least, here is the final home office culture tip: Country life by Werner Bätzing.