Why did we do all that: toughness, endurance, pain, the whole juvenile struggle and competition for skill and discipline with the goal of becoming classical dancers? Three decades later, four former ballet dancers and a performance colleague look back on the time of their common artistic imprint as guests of a gala of the “old hand” (“Alter Hase”) Lajos Talamonti, on the occasion of his 38th stage anniversary. In their bodies the memory of the structures is still awake, the demon in search of perfection, universal beauty, and of indescribable body-poetry is still alive, but life has written completely new pages: full of contradictions, new beginnings, changes of perspective. Art and life have indissolubly mixed and rubbed off on each other. In a last common dance they make, also through the distance in time, the rigid structures of the classic pliable and tell of life as an often surprising school, the method of which everyone has to invent anew for himself every day. The search for “expression”, once obsessively rehearsed according to precise rules, thus shifts to open terrain and also allows the question of “style” to appear in a new light.

The piece lasts a maximum of 90 minutes without intermission. It is in German spoken language. There are no extreme light effects or loud or surprising music. The piece is suitable for young audiences over the age of 12. The audience area on the grandstand is seated. There are two wheelchair spaces and one beanbag seat. If available, these can be reserved by phone or booked via the online ticket shop or at the box office. If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Gina Jeske at or 030 27 89 00 35.