Ballet

Opulent images, sensual and exciting subjects as well as expressive devotion to movement and dance ‒ this is what the ballet of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz under the direction of its director Karl Alfred Schreiner is dedicated to.

Since the founding of the then Actien-Volkstheater am Gärtnerplatz in 1865, the ballet has been an integral part of the ensemble and has had a decisive influence on its artistic profile in the course of its eventful history. The company’s ballet directors have included Werner Stammer, Günther Pick, Ivan Sertić, Philip Taylor and Hans-Henning Paar. Since the 2012/2013 season, Karl Alfred Schreiner has been Artistic Director of the Ballet of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz.

The ballet of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz stands for contemporary dance. The focus of the company’s artistic work is the development and perfection of an immediately touching, dynamically powerful dance language that creates new forms of expression based on the classical movement repertoire.Numerous world premieres (e.g.»memento mori« by Edward Clug and Karl Alfred Schreiner, »Arsen – Ein Rokokothriller« by Jo Strømgren, »Hattrick« by Jo Strømgren, Marco Goecke and Jacopo Godani, »Peter Pan« by Emanuele Soavi, »Jean and Antonín« by Michael Keegan-Dolan and Karl Alfred Schreiner, »La Strada« by Marco Goecke, »Romeo and Juliet« by Erna Ómarsdóttir (nominated for the German Theatre Prize »Der Faust« 2019), »Salome Tanz« by Eyal Dadon, »Der Sturm« by Ina Christel Johannessen and »Höhenrausch« by Georg Reischl bear witness to the 20 dancers’ enthusiasm for the undiscovered, the innovative dance soap »Minutemade« to their fascination with experimentation and improvisation. In addition, the ensemble also pays tribute to the great masterpieces of the dance repertoire such as Tchaikovsky’s »Sleeping Beauty« and »The Nutcracker«, Richard Strauss’ »Schlagobers« or Adolphe Adam’s »Giselle« (all choreographed by Karl Alfred Schreiner), but also with works such as »One Flat Thing, reproduced« by William Forsythe, which has become a modern classic.

The ballet company of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz regularly works with internationally renowned guest choreographers. Among others, Georg Reischl, Mauro Astolfi, Alexander Ekman, Antony Rizzi, Georg Reischl, Mauro Astolfi, Alexander Ekman, Antony Rizzi, Christopher Roman, Michael Schumacher, Nanine Linning, Marguerite Donlon, Erna Ómarsdóttir, Emanuel Gat, Benoît Lachambre, Jeroen Verbruggen, Iván Pérez, Roberto Zappalà, Lukas Timulak, Andonis Foniadakis, Roy Assaf, Damien Jalet, Jacopo Godani, Marina Mascarell and Ionannis Mandafounis choreographed for the company.

In 2022, the ballet company of the Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz was honoured with the »Dance Prize of the City of Munich«. The award highlights collaborations with festivals and partners in the city, where the dancers can also be experienced outside the theatre with their current, contemporary repertoire in the highest professionalism.