• Toccata | Choreografie: Stefano Giannetti | © Claudia Heysel

  • Tanz am Vulkan | © Claudia Heysel

Ballettensemble des Anhaltischen Theaters Dessau

Portrait

Since the beginning of the season 2019/20, the ballet ensemble of the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau is directed by Stefano Giannetti. When it comes to his work quality and diversity are particularly important to him: “The audience in Dessau is made up of young and old people. Of course, I want to appeal to everyone”, Giannetti explains. He does not focus on any particular dance style. He rather uses the entire range of styles and forms of dance: “Dance is dance. Dance is modern, contemporary and classical. As a choreographer, I like to experiment with the individual styles“.
The constant dialogue between the dancers is important to Giannetti in order to ensure a good collaboration: “It’s like a give and take“.
The focus is also on shaping the personality of each dancer. Behind each individual role stands a person who should not be disguised. Ultimately, authenticity is of great importance: “The dancers are part of my creation. The young members also have the opportunity to unfold their own creativity in the format “Junge Choreografen” (Young Choreographers). In addition to the choreographies, the costumes, space and light concepts are also created by the dancers themselves. This results in extremely personal and diverse dance pieces.

 

History and biography

On the ensemble`s history
The first ensemble of permanently engaged artists in Dessau was formed under artistic director Michael Greiner, to which the first ballet ensemble joined in 1851. The ballet was directed by Richard Fricke, who supported Richard Wagner at the first “Bayreuth Festival. ” Apart from a few short interruptions, the ballet division has since become an essential part of Dessau’s theatre life, with its own productions as well as its involvement in musical theatre.
In the GDR, the ballet ensemble was firmly integrated within the state theatre. The national ballet competition of the GDR was arranged in the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau. After the german reunification, the ballet under the aegis of Arila Siegert, Gonzalo Galguera and Gregor Seyffert & Compagnie gained supra-regional importance with productions that were performed nationwide resulting in a sold-out auditorium. In 2009, Tomasz Kajdanski took over the direction of the ensemble. Kajdański made his debut at the Anhaltisches Theater with the dance theatre Lulu. Afterwards was followed by many other productions, such as: Der Widerspenstigen Zähmung (2010), Die Nibelungen: Siegfriedsaga (2011), Alice im Wunderland (2013), Cinderella (2013), Der Sturm (2013), Drei Grotesken (2017), Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray (2018), Carmen-Suite/Der Dreispitz (2019).
Kristallpalast, the revue of the century choreographed by Kajdanski in 2015, was awarded the „Theaterpreis des Bundes“. In total he was responsible for almost 20 ballet productions at the Anhaltisches Theater. Since the beginning of the season 2019/20, Stefano Giannetti has been the new ballet director and chief choreographer.

Stefano Giannetti studied dance at the Accademia Nazionale di Danza in Rome and at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris. In 1983 John Neumeier engaged him at the Hamburg Ballet. Other engagements followed, for example at the English National Ballet, the Zurich Ballet or the Ballet of the Deutsche Oper Berlin. Giannetti was the ballet director at the Northern Ballet Theatre, England and founded the „uomo danza“ dance centre in Berlin in 2004. From 2006 to 2015 he was the ballet director at the Pfalztheater Kaiserslautern. Since then he has worked as a freelance choreographer and ballet master. Engagements followed at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Landestheater Niederbayern and Teatro di San Carlo (Naples). Since the beginning of the season 2019/20 he has been ballet director and chief choreographer at the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau.

»There is a quotation of the American philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson: ›The creation of beauty is art.‹ - That is my motto«, Stefano Giannetti.

 

Productions

  • 2020/2021/2022

    2020/2021/2022

    Productions from seasons 2020/2021 and 2021/2022

    Toccata 20 (Premiere / 2020)
    Dance evening by Stefano Giannetti)
    Choreography: Stefano Giannetti
    Music by Claudio Monteverdi, Johann Sebastian Bach and others
    Musical Direction: Elisa Gogou
    Orchestra: Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau
    Duration 60 minutes
    Stage: „Appia Stage“ Bauhaus Museum Dessau 4 x (2,64m x 3,96m)
    4 dancers

    „Tanz am Vulkan“ (Premiere / 2021)
    Junge Choreograf*innen III im Wörlitzer Park
    Choreography: Fergus Adderley, Martin Anderson, Marcos Vinicius dos Anjos, Anna-Sanziana Beschia, Leonor Campillo, Julio Miranda, Cristiana Rauccio, Moe Sasaki
    Dauer: 90 Minuten
    Bühne: Insel „Stein“ 10m x 8m
    8 dancers

    Tanzgala 2021 (2021)
    Dance evening with orchestra
    Choreography: Marius Petipa, Stefano Giannetti, Jutta Ebnother, Martin Anderson, Leonor Campillo, Julio Miranda
    Music by Ludwig Minkus, Igor Strawinsky, Pjotr I. Tschaikowski and others
    Musical Direction: Wolfgang Kluge
    Orchestra: Anhaltische Philharmonie Dessau
    Duration: 120 minutes
    Stage: 26m x 19m
    11 dancers

    achthochzwei (Premiere / 2022)
    Junge Choreograf*innen IV (dance theatre)
    Choreography: Fergus Adderley, Martin Anderson, Anna-Sanziana Beschia, Leonor Campillo, Marcos Vinicius dos Anjos, Julio Miranda, Cristiana Rauccio, Moe Sasaki
    Stage: Bauhaus Museum 8m x 8m
    8 dancers
    Premiere on 7 April 2022

  • 2019/2020

    2019/2020

    Productions from the 2019/2020 season
     
    Violett (stagecomposition)

    Production and choreography: Arila Siegert
    Composition and sound design: Ali N. Askin
     
    Cabaret (musical)
    Musical direction: Wolfgang Kluge
    Production and stage: Malte Kreutzfeldt
    Choreography: Gabriel Galindez Cruz

  • previous seasons

    previous seasons

    Productions from the 2018/2019 season
     
    Carmen-Suite / Der Dreispitz (Ballettabend)
    Musical direction: Markus L. Frank, Elisa Gogou
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    King Arthur (multi-disciplinary semi-opera)
    Musical direction: Elisa Gogou
    Production: Mario Holetzeck
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski
     
    Junge Choreografen ll (dance theatre)
    Choreography: Fergus Adderley, Leonor Campillo, Johanna Raynaud, Moe Sasaki, Daisuke Sogawa, Anna-Maria Tasarz, Vincent Tapia
     
    Productions from the 2017/2018 season
     
    Dorian Gray (ballet)
    Musical direction: Elisa Gogou
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    Kiss Me, Kate (musical)
    Musical direction: Wolfgang Kluge
    Production: Johannes Weigand
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    Junge Choreografen l (dance theatre)
    Choreography: Daisuke Sogawa, Maria-Sara Richter, Nicola Brockmann, Vincent Tapia, Fergus Adderley, Johanna Raynaud, Julio Miranda
     

    Productions from the 2016/2017 season
     
    Schneewittchen and die sieben Zwerge (ballet)

    Production and choreographie: Tomasz Kajdański
    Music: Bodo Reinke
     
    Walk of Fame! (musical-revue)
    Musical direction: Wolfgang Kluge
    Production and lyrics: Jana Eimer
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    Faust. Der Tragödie erster Teil (multi-disciplinary play)
    Production: K.D. Schmidt
    Choreography: Hannah Ma
     
    Drei Grotesken (dance evening)
    Musical direction: Elisa Gogou
    Production and choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    staging the bauhaus VI (performance)
    Musical direction and piano: Laura Bos
    Production and choreographie: Tomasz Kajdański
     

    Productions from the 2015/2016 season
     
    Sugar – Manche mögen’s heiß (musical)
    Musical direction: Wolfgang Kluge
    Production: Johannes Weigand
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
    Step-Choreography: Keith Wilson
     
    Zaubernacht (dance project for children a spart of the Kurt Weill Fest)
    Musical direction: Sebastian Kennerknecht
    Production and choreography: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    Der wanderbare Mandarin (dance theatre)
    Musical direction: Markus L. Frank
    Choreography and production: Tomasz Kajdański
     
    Herzog Blaubarts Burg (dance theatre)
    Musical direction: Markus L. Frank
    Production: Benjamin Prins
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdański

     

    Productions from the 2014/2015 season

    Das verlorene Paradies (2015)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski, Music: Kurt Weill, Paul Hindemith, Arnold Schönberg
    Stage 26 x 19 m

    Kristallpalast (2015)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski
    Stage 26 x 19 m

    Der Revisor – Eine Stadt steht Kopf (2014)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski, Music: Alfred Schnittke, Libretto: after Nikolai Gogol  
    13 dancers, stage 26 x 19 m, 75 min

    Cinderella (2013)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski, Composition: S. S. Prokofjew
    15 dancers, Anhaltische Philharmonie, stage 26 x 19 m, 120 min


    Productions from the 2013/2014 season

    Der Revisor – Eine Stadt steht Kopf (2014)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski, Musik: Alfred Schnittke, Libretto: nach Nikolai Gogol  
    13 dancers, stage 26 x 19 m, 75 min

    Amadeus (2013)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski
    14 dancers, stage 26 x 19 m

    Cinderella (2013)
    Choreography: Tomasz Kajdanski, Composition: S. S. Prokofjew,
    15 dancers, Anhaltische Philharmonie, stage 26 x 19 m, 120 m

Materials

 

Violett

Contact

Anhaltisches Theater Dessau (Großes Haus)
Friedensplatz 1a | 06844 Dessau-Roßlau    

Anhaltisches Theater Dessau (Altes Theater)
Lily-Herking-Platz 1 | 06844 Dessau-Roßlau

Tel 0340 2511 0 | Fax 0340 2511 0