Ralf Dörnen, you were a soloist with John Neumeier in Hamburg, and since 1997 you have been directing the Ballett Vorpommern with its current 13 dancers—what changes do you observe?
The development is complex, and of course I know that the profession is very tough. We were under incredible pressure in Hamburg, which at least for me was mostly good—because I wanted to achieve something. The change already begins in the application process, although I would like to emphasize: We are not talking about all dancers here, but about phenomena that I am increasingly observing.
What's the deal with the application process?
We receive around a thousand applications every year—and that's the first impression you get. Half of them are misaddressed, to the wrong theater, the wrong person, the wrong ...
