STRIP is an abstract ballet about the struggle for freedom within spatial and social restrictions. The piece recalls an era that was shaped by hope and uncertainty.
My research into the repertoire of the Leipzig Ballet led me to Abraxas, a ballet by former fascist composer Werner Egk. It premiered in Munich in 1948 and became a hit with audiences in the GDR in 1962. The fact that this work could become popular in a state of opposing ideology reveals the false neutrality of dance and music and raises fundamental questions: Can ideology be seen and heard? How do we deal with the performance of old ballet works and compositions whose supposed harmony stands in stark contrast to the brutality of their outside world?
Combined with works by Hanns Eisler (composer of the GDR anthem) and Franz Schubert’s Unfinished symphony, this conflict forms a central moment in STRIP. Pantomime, the formality of classical ballet, and cult-like group scenes highlight the ambivalence in dance and music.
The stage design — a white corridor with a banner displaying the years in which the ballet Abraxas was performed (1948.1962.2025) — serves as a guiding law for the choreography. Trapped in this cosmos of past and present, the dancers perform a ghostly revue, ending in an image of promising melancholy.
Credits
Choreography, Costume Design, Concept: Louis Stiens
Stage Design, Costume Design, Concept: Bettina Katja Lange
Music: Werner Egk; Hanns Eisler; Franz Schubert
Light Design: Michael Röger
Rehearsal Director: Isis Calil de Albuquerque
Dramaturgy: Anna Diepold
Photography: Ida Zellner
Dancers (original cast): Evelina Andersson, Yukino Chiba, Letícia Calvete, Ronan dos Santos Clemente, Madoka Ishikawa, Landon Harris, Anna Jo, Emanuele Faifer, Marcelo Ferreira, Alessandro Repellini, Igor Silva, Marcos Vinicius da Silva, Flavio Salamanka, Carl van Godtsenhoven, Diana van Godtsenhoven, Oscar Ward, Vivian Wang, Ana Belén Villalba, Yun Kyeong Lee
Premiere: February 01, 2025, Leipziger Ballett
Gewandhausorchester Leipzig (Conductor: Yura Yang)
Duration: 35’
