Opera/Ballet and Learning Vast and Varied Repertoire

The Berlin Ballet had a very vast and diverse repertoire and being in the company I got to see the rehearsals of many interesting and unusual styles.

Notice I said, “I got to see the rehearsals of …”
The Berlin Ballet did varied performances but more often than not, at the beginning, I was not cast in them.
The way things are put together in a German Theater are very different than in American companies.

American companies tend to do runs of shows. This is more cost effective to move entire sets in for say, Swan Lake. Then do a week’s worth of performances, do many casts of that show, make the money, then close that season of shows, take all the sets and costumes back to the warehouses, and the dancers either get a short break or go back to rehearsing the next series of performances for the next run.

In Berlin, it is an Opera and a Ballet company. Shows change constantly. There are not really long runs of shows. The audiences want to see a constantly changing variety of shows and because of that there are endless rehearsals going on for a multitude of ballets and operas. Things change daily.

In Berlin, everyone was housed in this massive building a couple of blocks long and a couple of blocks wide. And there were many floors below the stage, as well as above the stage and on either side of the stage.
In that building all the sets are stored there, all the costumes are there, all the wig makers are making the wigs and costumes there, all the stage crews are housed and working there, building sets there, the Orchestra is practicing there, the singers are rehearsing there, the dancers are practicing there … you get the idea.

There is a Cantina for food for all the workers available with drinks such as beer and wine.
And the audiences see the performances there.
All the administration is handled there … with all the advertising groups for the performances and the finance groups are all housed in this same building.
It is its own small city within a city.
It is a massive operation. But the building is owned and operated by both companies.
On one level it saves money because the building is large enough to not have the huge moving expenses or the storage expenses of American companies.

Opera and theater are big business and a very important part of the lifestyle of the German population.
Everyone has gone to the theater in Germany. Whereas, in America, most people have never been to live theater.

The Berlin Ballet was larger company than most American Ballet Companies, except perhaps, New York City Ballet, and American Ballet Theater.
At the time I was dancing there, I believe we had between 60-90 dancers. And the stage was so large that you often needed that many dancers to fill the space, even after all the sets are in and the costumes on.

The theater holds an Opera company and a Ballet company.

As dancers, if an Opera required dancers … we were those dancers. It was part of our job, and I personally loved that part.
It was great fun to be onstage with great singers such a Pavarotti and Domingo.

Because of hearing such talent constantly, I am unfortunately somewhat of an Opera snob. When you hear great singers practicing in the studios above the dressing rooms of the dancers consistently, or over the intercom as they are onstage, one gets spoiled.
It was not lost on me that I was hearing the best of the best in Opera and that such a thing the gift in a lifetime.

Even the corps of the Opera were much more technically advanced compared to anything I had heard in American. Except perhaps … at the Metropolitan Opera house, that it was constantly amazing to be surrounded by such exquisite sounds, talents, personalities, and temperaments.
It was thrilling to hear the stage explode in the powerful sounds of an Opera.
I loved to listen to the singers project out and occasionally say bad words to each other (with a wry smile) as they twisted the lyrics (ever-so-slightly) to make them funny but not so loud as to make the audience hear them above the cacophony of the massive groups of singers all singing in harmony with each other.
They would do this mostly in bawdy sections of things like the Merry Widow. After all, chaotic sections were primed for such outlandish behavior.
Besides in Berlin, they used real wine or beer at certain scenes to make them appear more authentic and real.
So as the acts of certain operas continued … the behavior got more carried away and silly, because the singers were getting more drunk.

And the orchestra would start missing notes as the Acts progressed because they too were drinking beer during intermissions.
In performances cigarettes were really being smoked … to add to the atmosphere of bar scenes, though there were ashtrays with water in them on the tables for the fire danger.

While ballet is not silent … dancers on a stage tend to be more silent.
In a ballet, the orchestra is powerfully generating the music that sets the mood, tone, and rhythm to which a dancer dances. But we are a … more quiet bunch, especially compared to the Opera.
The Berlin Ballet did a lot of the classics because they had the huge stages to put on such lavish events and the company was being subsidized by the German government.
So, they had huge budgets for wig makers, costume and stage designers, and all those people needed to do the big blockbusters performances.
Bigger is always better for German audiences.

Such audiences are well educated and because of that they are picky. They are also uninhibited if they do not like something. They will let you know in no uncertain terms that they dislike something.
In general, American audiences will not get rowdy and “boo” something they do not like.
German audiences will.
I will never forget a particular performance of Giselle. Rudolph Nureyev was supposed to be guesting with us that night.

At the time he was HIV positive and we all knew it but the world did not. Rudi was going to Switerland and having full body, blood transfusions at that time. I know because he told me personally. He was so weak and these situations threw his electrolytes out of balance. That performance day, he was not well, and by the evening as we all prepared for the performance, he did not show.

In another, chapter I said that shows do not get held for dancers and that dancers are never late because the “show must go on”. People have paid for tickets and they have paid a premium to see Rudolph Nureyev.

But he was a “no-show” that night. The director, Gert Reinholm was scrambling backstage to get another Russian, Vladimir Gelvin, to come perform with Evdokimova at the last minute.

Now Vladimir was one of Eva Evdokimova’s regular partners but to just get thrown in at the last minute is tricky.
He had to put makeup on, the costumers had to shift all the costumes, etc.
All the other dancers were ready but the curtain could not go up until Vladimir was warmed up and ready.

Needless-to-say, the audience was grumbling and not happy.

Gert Reinholm (the director) came on the intercom and explained in German what was happening and that they show would go on but that there was a delay while Vladimir was preparing and that Nureyev was sick and unable to perform.

Then the noise in the audience got much louder.

Once the curtain went up, 30 plus minutes late, the audience was not happy but complaining so loudly that the dancers could not even clearly hear the music.

I had never seen such a thing! I had never seen an audience act this way.

It became so bad that the director put the curtain down because the “booing” was demoralizing for the dancers.

Once the curtain was down, the director went in front of the audience to say that the ticket booths were open and that if anyone wanted a refund they could leave now and get a refund. But that to please respect the effort of the dancers to be quiet and allow them to do the performance.

Half the audience got up and walked out.

I was astounded!

At least we continued the performance without any further rudeness from the audience.

At the end, the remaining audience gave Vladimir a standing ovation for jumping in at the last minute. For Rudi.

He deserved that standing ovation.

I can’t imagine thinking that I have a performance off and then suddenly having to pull my “shit” together that rapidly and do something very difficult without any rehearsal.

This is what I loved about all dancers and performers of live theater. Crazy things are bound to happen, and we discover what we are made of in those moments.

Performers are professional and tough.

Just remember that when you think all ballerinas are so beautiful and sweet. Just remember that under that tutu are nerves of steel, and a competitive spirit that never stops competing with itself.
We are a tough bunch. Not much intimidates us.
We don’t allow others to define who we are. We always do our best. And the standards to which we hold ourselves is going to be much higher than the opinions you may have over us.
Critics may try to tear us down, but they will never tear us apart.

Pedestals are for pussies.
We are statues of marble that personify grace and confidence.

We chipped away at our own marble and sculpted who are what we are.
While we care greatly about doing the right thing. The opinions of those that have not been through the gauntlet of our reality really hold no sway over us.

~Suzanne Wagner~

 

 

 

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