• Horizonte. Choreography Jörg Mannes. Photo Ida Zenna

  • Horizonte. Choreography Jörg Mannes. Photo Ida Zenna

Ballett Magdeburg

Portrait

The Ballet Theater Magdeburg consists of 22 dancers from eight nations and, starting with the new season, is under the artistic direction of Jörg Mannes and his team, which includes the choreographic assistant Monica Caturegli and ballet mistress Olga Ilieva. The ensemble places its full range of stylistic versatility and virtuosity at the center of its interpretation of upcoming productions.
A focus of the leadership is the continuous stylistic development, achieved through original productions and guest choreographers of distinction. Renowned choreographers such as Edward Clug and Philippe Kratz, two of the most important figures in contemporary choreography, have collaborated with the Ballet Theater Magdeburg in previous seasons.
Through various formats such as "Nah dran" an invitation for the audience to enter the ballet studio and closely witness the creative process, and the series "Wir, das Ballett" in which backgrounds and rehearsal developments are discussed, we aim to engage in a dialogue with the audience.
The ballet company of Theater Magdeburg is an integral part of the four-section theater of the capital city and actively participates in productions of the opera as well as in the DomplatzOpenAir events.

History and biography

On the ensemble´s history

In 1907, the opera house on Universitätsplatz opened as a central theater for vaudeville and operettas, which even then included a permanent dance company. For decades, the ballet was subordinate to the opera house and danced primarily in the productions of the musical theater. After reunification, under the direction of Irene Schneider (1991-2006), it developed into an independent division of the now merged Theater Magdeburg. Schneider helped the ballet to great popularity, as with diligence and dedication she and her ensemble created unforgettable ballet evenings and numerous world premieres. From 2006 to 2022, Cuban Gonzalo Galguera made his mark on Ballett Magdeburg, helping the company's 22 dancers achieve great successes that are also internationally recognized. The premiere of the double evening "Verklärte Nacht/Mahler 4" opens the new ballet direction under Jörg Mannes at the beginning of the 22/23 season.

Jörg Mannes, born in Vienna in 1969, was a dancer at the Vienna State Opera from 1985 to 1991. In 1991 he moved to the Deutsche Oper am Rhein in Düsseldorf as a soloist. In 2000, he became ballet director and chief choreographer at the Stadttheater Bremerhaven before assuming the same position at the Landestheater Linz in 2004. From 2006 to 2019, Mannes directed the ballet at the Hanover State Opera, where he created more than 30 ballet productions, including "Dangerous Liaisons," "Daphnis - Lost Love" and "Henry VIII." Guest choreographies have taken him to the Badisches Staatsballett Karlsruhe, the Bolshoi Ballet Moscow, Indianapolis Ballet Theate and the Bayerisches Staatsballett Munich, among others.

He won several competitions, e.g. the "Concours de chorégraphie classique" and was nominated several times for the German theater award "Der Faust". Since 2022 Mannes is ballet director of the Theater Magdeburg.

“Dance is a universal language that can touch us in a direct way at heart. In my creation I try to connect stories and characters with the here and now, incorporating the dancers personalities into the pieces to take the audience on an emotional journey.”

Jörg Mannes
Ballet director and choreographer at Theater Magdeburg

 

Productions

  • 2023/2024

    2023/2024

    Productions from the 2023/2024 season

    Schneewittchen (2023)
    World premiere
    Choreography: Jörg Mannes
    Music: Giovanni Sollima, Elena Kats-Chernin and Michael Nyman
    22 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 18 x 17.5 m
    Duration: 80 min (incl. intermission)

    Borgia (2024)
    World premiere
    Choreography: Jörg Mannes
    Music: Dimitri Shostakovich, Henryk Górecki and Philip Glass
    22 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 18 x 17.5 m
    Duration: 80 min (incl. intermission)

    Was ihr wollt (2023)
    Revival
    Choreography: Jörg Mannes after William Shakespeare
    Music: by Max Richter, Ezio Bosso, Philip Glass and others / without orchestra
    22 dancers
    Stage dimensions: 14 x 8.66 m
    Duration: 80 min

    Horizonte (2024)
    Working title
    Choreography: Georg Reischl, Gaj Žmavc
    22 dancers

  • 2022/2023

    2022/2023

    Productions from the 2022/2023 season

    Was ihr wollt (2023)
    Choreography: Jörg Mannes (after William Shakespeare)
    Libretto: Jörg Mannes after Shakespeare
    Music: a.o. by Max Richter, Ezio Bosso, Philip Glass
    22 dancers
    Stage: 14m width, 8,66m depth
    Duration: 80 min

    Lydia / Le Sacre du Printemps (2023)
    Choreography: Philippe Kratz / Edward Clug
    Music: Joseph Haydn and others / Igor Stravinsky
    22 dancers (Lydia) / 12 dancers (Sacre)
    Stage: 18m width, 17,5m depth
    Duration: 36 min (Lydia) / 35 min (Sacre) / 20 min (intermission)

    Verklärte Nacht / Mahler 4 (2022)
    Choreography: Jörg Mannes
    Music: Arnold Schönberg / Gustav Mahler
    22 dancers, 1 singer
    Stage: 18m width, 17,5m depth
    Duration: 130 min (incl. intermission)

  • 2021/2022

    2021/2022

    Productions from the 2021/2022 season

    Paquita (2021)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera
    Libretto: Paul Foucher & Joseph Mazilier
    Music: Édouard Deldevez, Ludwig Minkus a.o.
    30 dancers
    Stage: 18m width, 17,5m depth
    Duration: 160 min

    Das Leben: Ein Fest (2022)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music: Robert Schumann, Franz Liszt, Alexander Scriabin, Sergei Rachmaninov, Edvard Grieg
    23 dancers
    Stage: 18m width, 17,5m depth
    Duration: 105 min

  • 2020/2021

    2020/2021

    Productions from the 2020/2021 season

    EDEN ONE (2021)
    Online format
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music: George Frideric Handel, Johann Sebastian Bach, Domenico Cimarosa, Alessandro Marcello
    5 dancers
    Stage: 18m width, 17,5m depth
    Duration: 27 min

  • previous seasons

    previous seasons

    Productions from the 2019/2020 season

    La Fille mal gardée (Premiere 2019)
    Choreographer: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music includes Peter Ludwig Hertel
    Dancers: 4 soloists + ensemble
    Duration: 120 min

    Der Zauberladen / Petruschka (Premiere 15.02.2020)
    Choreographer: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music by Ottorino Respighi after Rossini and I. Strawinsky

    Tanzbegegnungen 9 (Premiere 25.04.2020)
    Revivals
    Diva (2018)
    Choreographer: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music: Thomas Duda
    70 min

    Der Nussknacker (2010)
    Choreographer: Gonzalo Galguera
    Music: P. I. Tschaikowsky
    after E. T. A. Hoffmann
    145 min

     

    Touring program 2017/2018

    Romeo und Julia
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera

     

    Productions from the 2016/2017 season

    Die Wahlverwandtschaften (2016)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: Franz Schubert and Thomas Duda
    22 dancers and 11 supernumeraries, stage 16 x 18 m, 135 min

     

    Le Corsaire (2017)   
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera after Marius Petipa, music: Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes and others 
    approx. 30-35 dancers and supernumeraries, stage 16 x 18 m

     

    Ein neuer Tanzabend (2017)   
    Choreography: Mauro Astolfi       
    approx. 11 dancers, stage 11,41 x 14m

     

    Coppélia (2016)   
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: Léo Delibes  
    31 dancers and 8 supernumeraries, stage 16 x 18 m, 135 min

     

    Der Nussknacker (2010)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: P. I. Tschaikowsky   
    22 dancers and 6 supernumeraries, stage 16 x 18 m, 145 min

     

    Dornröschen (2015)   
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: P. I. Tschaikowsky   
    29 dancers and 12 supernumeraries, stage 16 x 18 m, 150 min

     

    Le Sacre du Printemps (2014)   
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: I. Strawinsky, Arvo Pärt
    22 dancers, stage 16 x 18 m, 120 min

     

    Productions from the 2014/2015 season

    Tanzbegegnungen 5 (2015)

     

    Dornröschen (2015) 
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: P. I. Tschaikowsky
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m, 150 min

     

    Bluthochzeit/Lorca (2014) 
    Choreography: Antonio Gades, Gonzalo Galguera, music: Emilio de Diego, Perelló y Monreal, Felipe Campuzano and others
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m

     

    Le Sacre du Printemps (2014) 
    Choreografie: Gonzalo Galguera, Musik: I. Strawinsky, Arvo Pärt
    22 Tänzer/innen, Bühnenmaße 18 x 22 m, 120 min

     

    Romeo und Julia (2013) 
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: Sergej Prokofjew
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m, 150 min

     

    Lina und das Traumfängerchen (2012)
    Choreography: Olga Ilieva, music: Georges Bizet, Claude Debussy, Alberto Ginastera and others
    2 dancers, 50 min

     

    Der Nussknacker (2010) 
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: P. I. Tschaikowsky
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m, 145 min

     

    Productions from the 2013/2014 season

    Tanzbegegnungen 4 (2014)
    Choreography: Pablo Lastras Sanchez, Fredy Franzutti, music: Christoph Willibald Gluck, Niccolò Piccinni, Von Magnet and others
    22 dancers

     

    Le Sacre du Printemps (2014)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: I. Strawinsky, Arvo Pärt
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m, 120 min

     

    Tanzbegegnungen 3 (2013)
    Choreography: Can Arslan, Olga Ilieva, music: A. Vivaldi, Steve Reich, Plasticman and others
    22 dancers

     

    La Sylphide (2013)
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: Herman Severin Løvenskiold, John Lanchbery
    22 dancers, stage 18 x 22 m

     

    Carmina Burana (2012) 
    Choreography: Gonzalo Galguera, music: George Gershwin, Maurice Ravels, Carl Orff
    22 dancers 

Materials


Was ihr wollt
Trailer


Schneewittchen
Trailer

Contact

Theater Magdeburg
Universitätsplatz 9
39104 Magdeburg
Telefon: (0391) 40 490 1111
E-Mail: info@theater-magdeburg.de


http://www.theater-magdeburg.de