Staatsballett Berlin Forsythe Evening - Premiere 16. February 2024

[Sabine0308]

We had an AMAZING PREMIERE last Friday February 16 with Staatsballett Berlin, performing William Forsythe pieces Approximate Sonata 2016, One Flat Thing, reproduced and Blake Works I.

Since I assume that you are familiar with the pieces, I don't go into detail but will say some words about the company. It's been a while, that an ENTIRE ensemble took my breath away. BRAVO to everyone involved!!!!! What a  GORGEOUS evening❤️❤️❤️ The energy coming from stage was so strong that for example the amazing trio (corps de ballet dancers Marina Duarte, Leroy Mokgatle, Gregor Glocke) in "I need a forrest" (in Blake Works) got a long applause in the dark, while we were waiting for the next dancers to take the stage.
Let me say some words about corps de ballet member Gregor Glocke.
Forsythe decided to give him the opportunity to shine also as partner for Polina Semionova, as well as in other solo parts that evening. I was so happy for him. He graduated from Staatliche Ballettschule Berlin in 2017, joined SBB and was a very promising young talent, e.g. he danced the title role in Goecke's "Pierrot Lunaire" and other solo parts, but then a nasty injury put him on hold for 3 long years.
Seeing him now, alongside Polina, was such a joy!!
I also would like to mention corps dancer Gustavo Chalub (graduate from APG Monaco, then Zurich, then Dresden) who did 2 remarkable solos. And first soloist Michelle Willems, who came with Christian Spuck from Zurich. A stunning dancer!!

But it was actually a night of the company rather than for praising principals or soloists. The bows were all done in one row, nobody was asked to step in front of the others.

 

At the Premiere Party afterwards I spoke briefly with William Forsythe and thanked him for bringing back the Berlin company to Ballet's Worldmap.🙏🙏🙏 He praised them and the new AD later in his short speech, he was most impressed with the work atmosphere ("there is no fear").
Also, thank you to him and Christian Spuck for surprising the Berlin audience with the casting.
I was also very pleased that at the party, Christian Spuck introduced every dancer and asked them on the little stage one by one. I took some Videos, please check my instagram account
https://www.instagram.com/berlinsabine

So far, I'm very happy with the new AD Christian Spuck, I just hope he also keeps some of the classical ballets for the new season (will be revealed in March).

All in all: Highly recommended,  go watch this when you’re in Berlin!!

 

 

Edited February 20, 2024 by Sabine0308

[Vanartus]

…I’ll be going March 4 - really regret not trying to book for premiere…my loss, your report was wonderful- what a fab evening! 

[Emeralds]

Thank you for the report from Berlin, @Sabine0308. I think some of us are not so familiar with One Flat Thing, reproduced, but don't worry, we can look it up online. (I haven't seen it before). I saw the photos that  Polina Semionova and the company posted of the premiere online and it looks fantastic. Approximate Sonata and Blake Works 1 are such happy and chilled ballets. 

[Sabine0308]

17 minutes ago, Emeralds said:

Thank you for the report from Berlin, @Sabine0308. I think some of us are not so familiar with One Flat Thing, reproduced, but don't worry, we can look it up online. (I haven't seen it before). I saw the photos that  Polina Semionova and the company posted of the premiere online and it looks fantastic. Approximate Sonata and Blake Works 1 are such happy and chilled ballets. 

To describe One Flat thing..I said to my friend it's a mixture of a crazy classroom mates and Tetris😀. Yes please look it up on Youtube. Unbelievable speedy moves, I adore the dancers!!

[Emeralds]

15 hours ago, Sabine0308 said:

To describe One Flat thing..I said to my friend it's a mixture of a crazy classroom mates and Tetris😀. Yes please look it up on Youtube. Unbelievable speedy moves, I adore the dancers!!

Sabine0308, it reminds me of his company (when it was Ballett Frankfurt) dancing The Questioning of Robert Scott, a 1986 work of his, in the large hall of the Tate Modern (a museum of 20th century and 21st century art in London)  opening party in May 2000. But OFTR has much faster and  chaotic moves (like everyone trying to do Parkour on tables before rushing to some appointment, haha).  It must have been a noisy work! 😅 

[Sabine0308]

Here are some VERY short videoclips:

Approx. Sonata

with Weronika Frodyma (Green pants, the dancer who recently starred as Madame Bovary) and partner, and then follows the stunning Michelle Willems with partner, but the Clip is too short to show her skills.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QxhWNS8dVFk

 

OFTR

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOHPeg4o3C4

 

Blake works

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nni__f1XMtY

[Sabine0308]

Said Good-bye (for this season!) to this awesome dedication to Forsythe yesterday. Another brilliant performance by Staatsballett Berlin in a sold out house, which they brought down. 8 curtains for Blake Works at the end, and standing ovations. Note: I LOVE our audience, certainly many tourists among them, but quite and attentive and no filming during performance!!!🙏🙏🙏

Edited May 31, 2024 by Sabine0308

[Sabine0308]

The Forsythe triple bill is on again in Berlin, just came back from stage rehearsal. If you are around, do not miss. I just fell in love again with our excellent dancers.

(and I hope Lewis Turner recovers soon, he misstepped during "Two men down" and limped from the stage, everyone was shocked! Hopefully it's not serious🙏🙏, performances begin on Friday).

Edited January 22 by Sabine0308

[stucha]

@Sabine0308 l look forward to your impressions of the performance of the Forsythe bill.

 

Also, I hope you will also review the new Midsummer nights dream by Edward Clug. His ballets are always so imaginative.

[Sabine0308]

@stucha I will be at a ballet talk about Midsummernights Dream  next Sunday and then watch the rehearsals the next day, and then decide whether I go to the premiere or not. Having this opportunity has helped me twice to save money 😉. Will write about the rehearsal for sure.

 

As for the Forsythe evening: 15 minutes heavy coughing from audience members during the first piece soured the fun for me but what can you do...the dancers were fabulous as ever, and I must point out that Haruka Sassa danced Polina Semionova,  next to her, "away". She was just great, precise, crisp, quick. Awesome!!

Edited February 4 by Sabine0308

[TAHbKA]

Thanks @Sabine0308 for the advice both to come and see it and the seats to book!

Lessons learned: Forthyse does pieces I dislike after all (Approximate Sonata), not to watch pieces I have seen in Paris performed by other companies (Blakes works) Sakamoto is not only the best skater but a great dancer (even if those are two different Sakamotos) and Anthony Tette was great!

[FionaM]

👍 to Riho Sakamoto.  She’s been top class in everything I’ve seen.   Raymonda, O/O, Giselle and modern works. 

[TAHbKA]

Thing is that there seem to be 2 different ballets in Berlin - the ladies are in one league (the top one) together with Tette while the men... ugh. 

[Sabine0308]

1 hour ago, TAHbKA said:

Thanks @Sabine0308 for the advice both to come and see it and the seats to book!

Lessons learned: Forthyse does pieces I dislike after all (Approximate Sonata), not to watch pieces I have seen in Paris performed by other companies (Blakes works) Sakamoto is not only the best skater but a great dancer (even if those are two different Sakamotos) and Anthony Tette was great!

You're welcome, glad you enjoyed parts of it, and it was nice to meet you for the concert yesterday. Safe travels home.