By Martina Hafner
The Ukrainian dancer founded the Berlin Ballet Company with friends and celebrity colleagues such as Marian Walter and Krasina Pavlova, which is making its debut at the Jewish Culture Days.
Dancer Oleksandr Shpak (36) storms lightly up the stairs of the Deutsche Oper. On the way, State Ballet Director Christian Spuck (53) hugs his neck. And this despite the fact that the Ukrainian has quit his job with the Berlin troops.
Because, according to Shpak: “I founded my own small ensemble with some friends. Ten dancers form the core. We are the Berlin Ballet Company.” Some of the prominent ex-members of the Staatsballett are there, such as Marian Walter, Arshak Ghalumyan, Krasina Pavlova and Olaf Kollmansperger.
The first performance is already being rehearsed diligently in the old ballet hall of the Deutsche Oper. Because the new ensemble opens on 5 September the Jewish Culture Days in the synagogue on Rykestrasse. A choreography by Arshak Ghalumyan and Alexander Abdukarimov, the latter still an active member of the State Ballet, will be shown. Title of the twenty-minute work: “The Curlicues of the Path”, subject, according to Oleksander Shpak: “It’s about the ability of the Jewish people to see the beauty of life even in the most difficult situations.”
The dancers rush through the rehearsal hall in flowing duets, some barefoot, some in slippers, to the pulsating music of various, some Jewish, composers. A contemporary choreography interspersed with classical elements. “In the future we want to show the whole range from ballet to today’s dance vocabulary,” assures Oleksandr Shpak.
His ex-boss Christian Spuck wants that too! Is the small troupe a competitor to the State Ballet? New founder Shpak laughs: “Certainly not, we are only ten freelance dancers, the State Ballet has 90 and a budget for five years. We don’t have that, we have to finance ourselves and go on tour a lot.” Ballet boss Spuck didn’t take it amiss that he resigned himself, the dancer assures: “He was super nice and showed understanding that I want to realize my own projects. And that’s where I want to put 100 percent of my energy into,” Shpak continued.
Further performances are already being planned: a tour to Zurich is planned, after which the troupe wants to show a one-hour children’s production of “Sleeping Beauty” in Berlin. And the really big dream, according to Shpak: “One day I would love to bring the ‘Nutcracker’ to the stage!”
5.9.23 7.30 p.m., Rykestraße 53, from 31.35 euros