Whether waltz or polka, step or hip-hop, classical dance or modern dance - the artistic spectrum of the nine ladies and nine gentlemen of the Staatsoperette Dresden Ballet is enormously versatile. In addition to the extensive dance tasks in almost all operetta and musical productions, the dancers also take on smaller roles that call for acting and also singing talent.

Since 2017, a special highlight has been the tango operita "María de Buenos Aires" (staging and choreography: Radek Stopka) - a dance evening carried by the ballet of the Staatsoperette Dresden. The ballet will soon be presenting "Backstage", a production that brings the everyday life of dancers onto the stage in an entertaining way.

Radek Stopka has been ballet director of the Staatsoperette Dresden since 2011.

History of the ensemble
The Staatsoperette Dresden has been in existence since 1947. The theatre's repertoire consists mainly of operetta, musicals and operas. The theatre's ballet ensemble has also existed since that time and is an indispensable part of almost every production. Ballet directors such as Mola Hillebron, Rudolf Klüver, Ingeborg Kassner, Eva Reinthaller and Winfried Schneider have developed and shaped this versatile and powerful ensemble.

Radek Stopka Ballet Director | Choreographer | Director
Born in Pilsen into a family of artists (grandparents dancers and actors), Radek Stopka took piano and ballet lessons at the Great Theatre in Pilsen at the age of eight, where he gained his first stage experience. He attended the Prague State Conservatory (classical dance, pedagogy), received various scholarships after graduating from high school and was engaged at the National Theatre in Prague. Radek Stopka took part in television productions of the Barrandov Studios, received an engagement as a dancer and choreographic assistant at the Städtische Bühnen Regensburg in 1993 and at the Staatsoperette Dresden in 2002. He was choreographer in the "Tanzschau" at the Uckermärkische Bühnen Schwedt and responsible for the choreographic rehearsal of the ballet evenings "Romance de Barrio" and "Passions" in Cottbus. In 2008, Radek Stopka became assistant ballet director and has been ballet director of the Staatsoperette Dresden since 2011. Here he choreographed "PariserLeben", "Die verkaufte Braut", "Anatevka" and "Orpheus in der Unterwelt", among others.

“For us, the entertainment factor is crucial. We aren’t creating our art for ourselves but rather for the audience; visitors to our performances should be able to leave their everyday lives behind, switch off and enjoy themselves.”

Radek Stopka

26.6.2017 | Jens Daniel Schubert (Sächsische Zeitung)
Leben und Sterben in berauschenden Bildern - Rezension zu »Maria de Buenos Aires«

"Radek Stopka is responsible for the staging and choreography.
He has transformed the tango into varied choreography worth seeing [...]"