Christian Spuck new director for Staatsballett Berlin from 2023

[Angela]

Choreographer Christian Spuck will direct Berlin State Ballet from season 2023/24.

More info to follow 

 

[Sabine0308]

As you can imagine, I am relieved. Finally a name!!! Press release to follow.

[Angela]

This is the German press release by the Berlin Senat:

https://www.berlin.de/sen/kulteu/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/2021/pressemitteilung.1095732.php

 

As there seems to be no English version available, this is a rough translation:

 

PRESS RELEASE OF THE SENATE ADMINISTRATION FOR CULTURE AND EUROPE OF 15 JUNE 2021

 

Christian Spuck will be the new artistic director of the Staatsballett Berlin beginning with the season 2023/2024. In order to to approach his directorship responsibly with the appropriate preparatory time, he will already be assisting the Acting Artistic Director Christiane Theobald as artistic advisor during the 2022/2023 season.

 

After the resignation of the co-directors Waltz/Öhman in January 2020, we sought the best possible solution for the Staatsballett and its further development under the umbrella of the Berlin Opera Foundation in terms of content and personnel. Our focus was on modern leadership that creates stability, continuity and unity in the ensemble, has diversity skills, is a team player and bears in mind the individual development of the dancers of the ensemble and the staff. At the same time, we wanted to ensure the further development of the ensemble's profile from classical to neo-classical to contemporary ballet as well as a national and international profile and positioning of the ensemble.

 

The future artistic director should also have a broad network at his or her disposal in order to establish collaborations between the ensemble and both leading international choreographers and promising young talents. He should be able to select a programme for three different opera stages with different profiles and audiences.

 

The Senator for Culture and Europe, Dr. Klaus Lederer: "Christian Spuck is an internationally successful choreographer who has great experience in directing a ballet company and is aware of his responsibility towards the ensemble and the staff. I am very pleased that I have succeeded in winning him for the direction of the Staatsballett. He will put his full concentration on the development of the Staatsballett Berlin and its profile, and further develop its already established profile from classical to neoclassical to contemporary ballet across the board. I am convinced that his election is a great gain for Berlin and for the Staatsballett. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the international and multi-perspective panel of experts with Janine Dijkmejer, Dr. Dorion Weickmann, Ted Brandsen and Ivan Liška for their immensely thoughtful and experienced advice throughout the entire appointment process. I would also like to extend my heartfelt thanks to the interim Artistic Director, Dr Christiane Theobald."

 

Christian Spuck: "I am very much looking forward to the new task of leading the Staatsballett Berlin as artistic director from the 23/24 season. I have always been a great admirer of the company with its great dancers and diverse repertoire. With great respect for this new responsibility, I would like to give the Staatsballett Berlin a future in which both classical ballet and contemporary dance are further developed. This will happen together with the most important choreographers and artists of our time. With top-class classical and contemporary dance, for which the Staatsballett Berlin will stand, I would like to inspire a large audience for this beautiful and unique art form together with the company. Berlin stands for diversity and it is a great concern of mine to further develop this diversity in the ensemble and in the repertoire of the Staatsballett together and to consolidate the excellent, international reputation of the company."

 

Christian Spuck (*1969) comes from Marburg and received his training at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart. He began his dance career in Jan Lauwer's Needcompany and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker's ensemble ROSAS. In 1995 he became a member of the Stuttgart Ballet. His first world premiere for the company was the choreography "Passacaglia" in 1998.

 

In 2001 Christian Spuck was appointed house choreographer of the Stuttgart Ballet. He has choreographed a total of 15 world premieres for the company. In 2006, Spuck was appointed resident choreographer of the Hubbard Street Dance 2 Chicago company for one season and received the German Dance Prize "Future" for choreography. Since 2005 Christian Spuck has also worked in film and opera. Since the beginning of the 2012/13 season, Christian Spuck has been director of Zurich Ballet.

 

In 2020, the magazine tanz named Ballett Zürich "Company of the Year". In 2020, Spuck’s choreography "The Little Match Girl" was chosen as "Production of the Year" by tanz magazine. In March 2021, his ballet production of the Virginia Woolf classic "Orlando" had its world premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow.

 

_________

 

In the press conference, Spuck said he wants an easy, friendly transition from Theobald's direction and that he wants to get to  know the dancers before (not) kicking anybody out. He will keep most of the classical repertoire and plans to have a half classical, half modern/contemporary schedule. He may import one or two of his previous productions, by his contract demands to create new full-length ballets. He will not focus on his own works, but invite other choreographers and keep a classical repertoire. He was introduced to the dancers today and Christiane Theobald said they applauded.

[Lizbie1]

Thank you so much for translating this!

[Sabine0308]

I always roll my eyes when press releases are not released in English the same day. I mean they do run an English version of their website, and rightly so but...arrgh.😁