Together

Christian Spuck gets by with very little: a desk, a corner sofa, a small side table—a pretty and nicely organized office in the Deutsche Oper. His guest today is already familiar with the space: Gabriele Brandstetter, the doyenne of German dance studies, negotiated several collaborations between Berlin’s Freie Universität and Staatsballett Berlin here before Spuck took over the top job. Now both are being honored with the Deutscher Tanzpreis 2026: He is receiving the award for "his courageous, clear and outstandingly successful work with the Staatsballett Berlin" while she is being honored for "outstanding developments in dance".

Back to the beginning: How did you get into dance in the first place?
Gabriele Brandstetter: My interest was sparked when I was 14 and friends took me along to ...