With 70 dancers and 100 performances per year, it would be easy for a dancer to get lost in the happenings of Stuttgart Ballet. It is for this reason that Reid Anderson sets aside time for what he calls “Dancer Talks”.
It is ironic that during my time in Stuttgart, the company has been preparing for the World Premiere of Orlando, a new full-length ballet by Resident Choreographer, Marco Goecke, based on the novel by Virginia Woolf.
Stuttgart Ballet’s yearly line-up of activities is very extensive. Though Reid Anderson knows exactly what is happening at all times, he trusts his staff to manage their affairs and does not interfere.
“Wirbelwind” is German for “whirlwind”, a word that aptly describes my first week in Stuttgart. Reid Anderson’s activities as the “Intendant” or General and Artistic Director of Stuttgart Ballet have been varied and numerous, so I have chosen to give an overview of the week rather than go into the details about...