Nordhausen

Nine years is quite a long time, twelve dancers are no small task, and an interim venue is the ultimate challenge anyway. Ivan Alboresi seems to be doing everything brilliantly in Nordhausen on the southern edge of the Harz Mountains: firstly, after almost a decade as ballet director, he's coming up with consistently original ideas; secondly, he's making the most of the temporary structure that's been added, serving as a stage during the theater's renovations; and thirdly, he's delighting a dozen dancers. At least, that's what a few members of the ensemble, still chilling outside the entrance, say after the performance on Sunday afternoon, describing what it's like to be a dancer in this community of 41,000 people, for whom high-quality culture seems to be a must-have: "We're simply like a ...