STUTTGART, GERMANY: Theaterhaus Dance presents world première of Egon Madsen's "Greyhounds"
Company:
Egon Madsen/Theaterhaus Stuttgart
Greyhounds, the new dance production of Theaterhaus Stuttgart, takes a fresh look at an art form which is usually only associated with youthfulness. However, dancing is a lifelong, life-fulfilling story. Who would know better than the great Egon Madsen who, in summer 2012, was able to celebrate both his 70th birthday and his 60th stage anniversary? Together with Marianne Kruuse, a colleague from the John Cranko era, as well as former Stuttgart Ballett soloists Julia Krämer and Thomas Lempertz, Madsen explores what dancing will do to artists who have finished their active career. Greyhounds features choreographies by Marco Goecke, Amos Ben-Tal, John Neumeier, Mauro Bigonzetti and Eric Gauthier.
Production: Theaterhaus Stuttgart
Staging Dance & Artistic Direction: Egon Madsen
Featuring Marianne Kruuse, Julia Krämer, Thomas Lempertz and Egon Madsen
Choreography: Marco Goecke, Mauro Bigonzetti, Eric Gauthier, John Neumeier, Amos Ben-Tal
Costumes: Gudrun Schretzmeier
Set & Lighting Design: Flurin Borg Madsen
Dramaturgy: Phillip Koban
Choreographic Assistant: Milena Twiehaus
Assistant Director: Bibi Deibler
Assistant Set Designer: David Fitzgerald
Technician: Wolf Markgraf
Wardrobe Department: Kerry Rees (Head), Christine Lange, Ramona Wunderlich, Aische Weber
Set construction: Marc Dobmaier, Max Hochreiter
Props: Beate Mergel
Once a dancer, always a dancer? A lifelong journey and permanently in motion? Two generations of dancers, four protagonists who devoted their lives to dance and have, for various reasons, pursued new goals. Now they are returning to the stage as „Greyhounds“: Julia Krämer and Thomas Lempertz passed their careers with the Stuttgart Ballet, Marianne Kruuse with John Neumeier's Hamburg Ballet. Egon Madsen is one of the legendary dancers who shaped the Stuttgart ballet miracle in the late 1960s. At his invitation, they are performing a leap in time. For they have lived dance lives – to this day. The piece combines some of their memories with new choreographies by Marco Goecke, Mauro Bigonzetti, Eric Gauthier, Amos Ben-Tal and an early work by John Neumeier.
Marianne Kruuse: Born in Denmark, she was a member of John Cranko's legendary Stuttgart ensemble where she also got to know John Neumeier. She followed him to Frankfurt and later to Hamburg. Neumeier created 24 important parts for her including Julia in Romeo and Juliet, Marie in The Nutcracker and Helena in A Midsummer Night's Dream. After the end of her active dancing career she changed to The School of The Hamburg Ballet, first as a pedagogue and subsequently Deputy Director. She retired at the end of the season 2012/2013.
Julia Krämer: She was educated at the John Cranko School and danced with the world-famous company of her home city for 16 seasons, finally as first soloist. Her repertoire comprised leading roles in Cranko's classic ballets as well as contemporary productions. She now works as a dance educator, occasionally also with her old company.
Thomas Lempertz: Another home-grown Stuttgart talent, he trained at the John Cranko School and rose fast in the ranks of the Stuttgart ensemble, finally as a soloist. In 2004 he realised his alternative dream and set up his own fashion studio under the label Goldknopf Couture.
Egon Madsen is very much a living legend. As Mercutio, Lensky, Joker or one of the original four inititials in John Cranko's R.B.M.E. – Madsen was amongst the defining dancers of the John Cranko era. Right from the beginning, he was closely associated with Gauthier Dance and Eric Gauthier: as the whimsical old gentleman in Christian Spuck's hugely successful Don Q., side by side with his young companion Eric Gauthier, which provided the decisive impetus for the foundation of the company. And until today as Company Coach for the Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart.
Venue: Theaterhaus Stuttgart, T2
Dates: World première Sunday, November 1, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. / Monday, November 2 / Tuesday, November 3 / Wednesday, November 4 & Thursday, November 5 at 8:15 p.m.
[Photo by Regina Brocke]
Share Your Audience Review. Your Words Are Valuable to Dance.
Are you going to see this show, or have you seen it? Share "your" review here on The Dance Enthusiast. Your words are valuable. They help artists, educate audiences, and support the dance field in general. There is no need to be a professional critic. Just click through to our Audience Review Section and you will have the option to write free-form, or answer our helpful Enthusiast Review Questionnaire, or if you feel creative, even write a haiku review. So join the conversation.
