Farewell

It's quite astonishing. The audience at the Vienna Opera House stands and applauds for minutes. The dancers appear relaxed, as does the choreographer. Perhaps no one expected the final chord to turn into a veritable embrace. A tribute to Martin Schläpfer, who took over as director of the Wiener Staatsballett in 2020 — in the midst of the pandemic. A tribute to his company which has artistically revitalized the concept of "diversity" and lived it out in its essence.

And yet, the relationship with Vienna remained volatile, fragile, and unstable. Schläpfer isn't a man for showbiz à la Opera Ball, for high-end, luxurious revivals of classics, and for dance lines that adhere to strict academic standards. His predecessor, Manuel Legris, is better suited for this. His successor, Alessandra Ferri, ...