Simone Orlando

Premiere of “Orlando”, a new ballet by Marco Goecke

Opening Night Reception of Orlando

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.

Speaking with Esther Dreesen-Schaback, the dramaturgist, she tells me that Marco and her have been planning the piece for 18 months, determining how the novel will be structured as a dance piece.

The fine-tuning continues right up to the premiere on June 2. During the stage calls in the Opera House, set pieces, props, and costumes come and go as Marco hones his vision for the piece. Sometimes the changes are quite drastic, like eliminating 1,000 burning candles from one scene. Other times the changes are subtle, such as altering a dancer’s entrance point onto the stage. Every revision is critical, however, and Marco has the advantage of a massive production team on his side and time to actually try things out on stage to see what works. At Stuttgart Ballet, new full-length ballets are given up to 6 lengthy stage calls to ensure the piece is properly staged.

There has been much anticipation with Orlando as this is Marco Goecke’s first full-length ballet on the Opera Stage - a very “different animal” (as Reid puts it) than the Play House stage, where his pieces have been presented in the past. With the Opera House, the audiences’ expectations are different. Firstly, ticket prices are higher. Secondly, the venue is larger with 1400 seats, a huge stage and orchestra pit. Thirdly, this is where the masterpieces of opera, dance and music are experienced on a nightly basis.

Regarded by some as the “l’enfant terrible” of the dance world, Goecke’s style is unique. A singular voice in the world of contemporary ballet, his vocabulary is full of intricate gestures and movements of the upper body. His choreography is almost void of traditional ballet steps, yet requires the technique and finesse of a highly trained classical dancer. In the case of this new ballet, the resounding star is principal dancer Friedemann Vogel, who plays Orlando. Friedemann worked for 3 months, day in and day out, with Marco to create the part.

As the story of Orlando, or Virginia Woolf for that matter, are not well known to Germans, it has been uncertain how the public would receive the idea of this ballet, let alone Goecke’s minimalist rendering of the story.  Therefore, this new work holds a large potential for risk.

Notes from my journal on the World Premiere, June 2:

“On opening night, during the first act, the audience is incredibly intent. It’s as if they are tasting something for the first time – something exotic and complex. At intermission, the foyer is unusually loud; everyone is eager to discuss what he or she had just witnessed. The ballet ends with an extraordinary solo for Friedemann Vogel, to cap off what has already been a remarkable display of artistry and stamina on the part of this dancer. When the curtain comes down, the applause is immediate and the curtain calls numerous. There is no doubt that the piece is a massive success and hundreds of people congregate in the foyer to celebrate the premiere. When Friedemann emerges from backstage, Reid walks him through the crowd, prompting even more ovations.”

A day after the premiere, there was a stack of local and national reviews of the new work on Reid’s desk. He kindly translated each one to English. They were predominately positive ¾ glowing in fact. Paraphrasing Julia Lutzeyer of the Stuttgarter Nachrichten: “there are so many layers, it holds so many secrets but also so many associations. One must see it again, like all great art.”

Based on audience reaction and critical reviews, this new piece was definitely a risk worth taking!

reid anderson, marco goecke, stuttgart ballet, orlando, friedemann vogel