The Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung offers the young artists a huge and internationally acclaimed repertoire ranging from classical and neo-classical to contemporary works. By dancing challenging pieces by choreographers such as George Balanchine, Jiři Kylián and Hans van Manen they experience the full variety of ballet and dance. By collaborating with hand-picked contemporary choreographers such as Aszure Barton, Caroline Finn, Eric Gauthier, Jörg Mannes and Richard Siegal on new creations, their future careers can start to blossom.

Dr. h.c. Irène Lejeune is the official Ambassador of the Bavarian Junior Ballett Munich.

Essay

From the Spirit of Hans van Manen – Unisono Returns to the National Theatre

When the curtain rises, at first—nothing happens. For four bars, 30 of the 48 children and young people involved in «Unisono» remain motionless in silence, strictly arranged in six rows, arms held close to their bodies, feet parallel in sixth position, the weight slightly shifted forward—the “Hans van Manen pose.” Like the columns of a cathedral, the young dancers form an architectural image of human figures. Gabriela Nicolescu, who has been rehearsing the work for nearly four decades at the Munich Ballet Academy, is certain: “Those four bars without movement have an enormous effect and—when everything aligns—are pure magic.”

Trailer

Explosive movement fragments from the studio

Created for the State Ballet School of Berlin in 2015, «All Long Dem Day» finds a perfect partner in crime with Nina Simone’s 1956 rendition of «Sinnerman». Originally a traditional African American spiritual song inspired by the book of Exodus, the lyrics describe a sinner attempting to hide from divine justice on Judgement Day. Simone often chose the song to close her early appearances in New York City’s Greenwich Village: “I want to shake people up so bad that when they leave a nightclub where I’ve performed, I want them to be in pieces.” Pairing Simone’s cries for forgiveness from transgression with Goecke’s explosive movement fragments, the relentlessness of «All Long Dem Day» reminds us that change is not only important but necessary to repair the social, moral and political ties that wither with the passage of time.

Portrait

Nothing short of miraculous

We are overjoyed at the great popularity and success of our performances of «The Triadic Ballet» in the Prinzregententheatre at the beginning of June. Due to a great demand and three sold-out performances, at short notice we decided to organise an additional performance. Thanks to the great support of everyone involved from the Prinzregententheatre, the Bavarian State Opera and the Central Ticket Office, we were able to realise the performance within three days and managed to sell 80% of the tickets. What a success for the young dancers! These four performances in three days allowed them to experience the demands of an ongoing performance rhythm and where they deepened their technique in «Concertante», they were able to develop artistically in «Triadic Ballet». We are deeply grateful to everyone involved who supported us in bringing this season to such a successful conclusion!

Essay

Tänzer müssen fliegen! August Bournonvilles romantische Ballettpantomime »Napoli«

„Der Tanz ist eine Kunst, weil er Berufung, Wissen und Können erfordert. Er ist eine schöne Kunst, weil er nach einem Ideal strebt [...]. Die Schönheit, nach der der Tanz streben muss, hängt nicht von Geschmack oder Vergnügen ab, sondern beruht auf den unveränderlichen Gesetzen der Natur.“ –August Bournonville (1848)

News

Completely sold out already in advance

Backstage at the Generalprobe of the Bosl-Matinée, there is always a heightened sense of anticipation as the young dancers of the Bavarian Junior Ballett Munich and the students of the Ballet Academy of the University for Music and Performing Arts Munich come together to bring their work of the past few months to fruition.

News

Changes in our management as we move into the next year

Our Stiftungsrat met together here at the Foundation on 16th November. The meeting is always a high point in our annual calendar as we present to them the year that was and look forward to the possibilities on the horizon for the next year.

News

On Tour with the Juniors

To finish the calendar year the juniors are travelling on 1st December to our former “Tanzland” partner city Villingen-Schwenningen to present the program »Liebesleid und Liebesfreud« at the Theater am Ring.

News

Seeing the world through the lens of our dancers

What would it look like to experience the junior company from the perspective of our dancers directly? This is a question that prompted us to engage dancer Ayesha Lucido to leverage her experience from inside the company directly.

News

Creating a home away from home…

For many of the residents in our boarding house, the possibility of travelling home to be with loved ones over the festive season is not an option. If the Christmas period is not filled with rehearsals and performances, often the flights are too expensive to fit into a student’s modest budget. Creating a home away from home is quite literally the best option they have.

News

Spreading the Christmas cheer

As part of the Siemens Arts Program, the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich and students of the Ballet Academy of the University for Music and Performing Arts Munich took to a temporary stage built in the atrium of the Siemens Wittelsbacherplatz division for their annual Christmas Party.

News

Dancing for Peace

The Heinz Bosl Prize was awarded on 3rd December 2023, honouring promising young talent. With this prize, the Foundation commemorates its namesake: Heinz Bosl was an extraordinarily talented artist - both popular and appreciated he died at the age of 28. Considered as one of the most prominent German dancers whose international career was abruptly ended by his early death, the prize was originally offered exclusively to promote young German male dancers. The Foundation has now expanded the prize's guidelines to include support for international dancers.

News

Blind dates of a different kind: Photoessay from dancer Ayesha Lucido

The new year brings with it new opportunities and in late January, ten of our junior company members travelled to Stuttgart to begin working with Eric Gauthier on his upcoming creation for our Spring Matinee series. For a week, Theaterhaus Stuttgart became their temporary home and the ballet studio a witness for a birth of a different kind.

Studio

Impressions from the Ballet Studio

The title of our main touring program this year is «Love Messages» and the title directly relates to Ivan Liška, Norbert Graf and Maged Mohamed’s ballet of the same name. Originally created in 2022, it was one of the first ballets that was staged for our new ensemble this season.

Essay

Danced Devotion: A Night on the Bald Mountain

Energetic music, passion, drama, ferocity, unbridled energy and a great deal of storytelling through music. This is how one could succinctly describe Modest Mussorgsky's composition "A Night on the Bald Mountain."

Interview

In tune with the times: A Conversation with Kinsun Chan

About a decade ago, Kinsun Chan, who will become the director of the Semperoper Ballet in Dresden starting the 2024/2025 season, choreographed «JIT» (2015) alongside «Storm», «Unleashed», and «Peter and the Wolf» as the fourth creation for the Munich Ballet Academy. After «JIT», along with the other three works, had already embarked on its international journey, the choreography returns to its birthplace with the current revival at the Spring Matinee. The Ballet Academy eagerly anticipates the valuable renewed collaboration with its almost 'resident choreographer.'

Essay

The Perceived World – John Neumeier, a Portrait from Munich

"John is like a catalyst. My career, not only as a dancer, has a lot, has everything to do with him. We met in 1977. Ever since, it has been an exploration of his world of ideas, movements, struggles, and ideals - in the ballet studio, on stage, and on the road." – Ivan Liška

Trailer

Dance-First Festival Fürstenfeld

We are delighted to return to Veranstaltungsforum Fürstenfeld’s acclaimed Festival DanceFirst to present an evening of 4 choreographies under the program title LIEBESBOTSCHAFTEN: John Neumeier’s «Bach-Suite 3», Eric Gauthier’s «Nacht auf dem kahlen Berge», Jiří Kylián’s «Lieder eines fahrenden Gesellen» and Marco Goecke’s acclaimed «All Long Dem Day». Ticket sales have already commenced so be sure not to miss this wonderfully varied evening of dance.

Essay

Growing Up On and Off Stage: A Year in Review of the Pastoral Care Program at the Heinz Bosl Foundation

Dance. Rehearsals. Stage. Applause. That’s the image many people associate with the daily life of young dancers—especially when they are part of a renowned institution like the Heinz Bosl Foundation. But anyone who thinks our work takes place only in the ballet studio or on stage is mistaken. A significant part of our commitment happens behind the scenes—far from the audience and the spotlight, yet just as important for the young people’s development.

Portrait

Sharp as a Blade: Jorma Elo and the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München

When Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo steps into the rehearsal studio in Munich, the room sharpens into focus. The young dancers of the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München are at work on «Slice to Sharp», one of his best-known and most demanding ballets. First created for the New York City Ballet in 2006, the piece is both fast and intricate, requiring precision, stamina and an unrelenting sense of musicality. For dancers at the start of their professional lives, it is a formidable task. “It’s been a wonderful shock to all of us,” Elo admits. “It’s a difficult technical challenge that is taking everybody by surprise. You try to catch the slices, the sharpness, and time it so it matches the music. But when it works, the reward is huge.”

News

Dance Connects – A Visit to Riem

A special outreach project in collaboration with the Rotary Club München Hofgarten recently brought the dancers of the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich to the Lehrer-Wirth School in the Munich district of Riem. There, the ensemble gave two one-hour performances for students in the 3rd/4th and 5th/6th grade levels.

News

When does the entrance begin?

The following photo essay by young photographer Emily Binding documents a performance day at the Heinz Bosl Foundation's Autumn Matinees 2024 and tells of dedication and the desire to show presence on stage in immersive images: an authentic peek behind the scenes.

News

Impressions from Simone Sandroni's «Binding Pulse»

Simone Sandroni returns to Munich to create his first new work for the students of the Ballett-Akademie der Hochschule für Musik und Theater München. After «Cambio d'abito» and «Das Mädchen und das Messerwerfer» for the Bayerisches Staatsballett und «Boy Meets Girl» for the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München, rehearsals have been taking place for the past month with a lively and energetic pulse in the Wilhelmstrasse studios.

News

David Russos new creation «Drifting»

David Russo is a dancer, choreographer, and dance educator. After training at the John Cranko School in Stuttgart, he was a soloist in Saarbrücken and Munich. Today, he lives and works in Munich. Since 2004, he has choreographed his own pieces for renowned institutions worldwide. Russo teaches contemporary dance at the Ballet-Academy of the University of Music and Performing Arts Munich.

Ballet and Wilderness

Wandern im Wechsel der Jahreszeiten

Zum Auftakt der Spielzeit unternahmen die Tänzerinnen und Tänzer des Bayerischen Junior Balletts München eine Exkursion in den Nationalpark Bayerischer Wald, um in das Projekt „Ballett und Wildnis“ eingeführt zu werden. Mit dem folgenden Impressionstrailer möchten wir einige Eindrücke dieser Reise vermitteln. Neben den ersten Anzeichen des Herbstes in der Landschaft war der Tag eine wunderbare Gelegenheit, die Natur zu genießen, bevor die Eindrücke zurück ins Ballettstudio gebracht wurden.

Trailer

Erste Schritte eines jungen Choreografen

Für sein neues Werk ließ sich Adamson-De Luca von seinen eigenen Lebenserfahrungen inspirieren, insbesondere vom kürzlichen Verlust eines geliebten Menschen. Obwohl es unvermeidlich ist, dass wir irgendwann im Leben mit unserer eigenen Sterblichkeit konfrontiert werden, ist der Trauerprozess mit seinen zahlreichen Facetten eine zutiefst persönliche Erfahrung. Adamson-De Luca glaubt, dass Tanz „einer Person das Gefühl geben kann, gesehen zu werden, sowohl aus der Perspektive des Tänzers als auch des Beobachters“. Die Transformation solch wichtiger Lebensereignisse könne etwas berühren, das wir alle universell erleben. In dieser Hinsicht kann der kreative Prozess vielleicht an sich schon als Schöpfungsakt dienen.

Ballet and Wilderness

When the wilderness becomes a stage

The Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich gives free rein to primal instincts and connects with the spirit (and the spirits) of the Bavarian Forest National Park. A search for clues to mark the twentieth anniversary of the "Ballet and Wilderness" project.

Essay

Raymonda - climax and swan song

"Mr Petipa's creativity, his highly artistic taste and mastery, spoke in Raymonda in their full beauty and power. The balletmaster carefully avoided any 'stunts' striking for effect - everything in Raymonda is artistic, intelligent, and beautiful." (Theatre Echo, in: Petersburg Gazette, 8 January 1898)"

Interview

Connected to dance heritage – two choreographers explain...

The Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich will be presenting two new works at this year's Autumn Matinés. Both creations were created by choreographers with close ties to the Heinz Bosl Foundation and the Bavarian Junior Ballet. Kammertanzer Norbert Graf is a deputy chairman of the Foundation, a former "Boseleaner" and has already created five works for the Juniors. Simon Adamson-De Luca, 19 years old, is currently a dancer with the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich and is creating a new work with his colleagues. With both of these new commissions, the Heinz Bosl Foundation remains true to its repertoire policy for the junior company by engaging established choreographers and young artists to give the young artists as broad an experience as possible.

Trailer

Living Sculptures in Munich

Last week the juniors performed at the official opening of Luca Pignatelli’s “Muse” Ausstellung in Munich’s Glyptothek. With a star studded assembly of invited guests, we performed excerpts from our production of «Pictures at an Exhibition» to great resonance! See for yourself in our impressions trailer from the performance.

Trailer

Bach-Suite 3 from the studio

Since the beginning of January, the dancers of the Junior Company have been working intensively on John Neumeier's "Bach Suite 3". The ballet, which was created in 1981 for the opening of the Hamburg Operettenhaus, represents a time in which Neumeier worked intensively with the music of Johann Sebastian Bach. Since its premiere in Hamburg, the work has also been danced by the Deutsche Oper Ballet, the Zurich Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet and the Vienna State Ballet. By including the piece in the BJBM's repertoire in the 2023/24 season, Ivan Liška is honouring the choreographer John Neumeier, who is now celebrating his last season after 51 years at the helm of the Hamburg Ballet.

Trailer

Vielleicht das bisher persönlichste Werk

«Stück im alten Stil» bedeutet eine Rückkehr zu Grafs Wurzeln, und zwar zu den wichtigsten choreografischen Stimmen, die zu seiner künstlerischen Entwicklung in verschiedenen Phasen seiner beruflichen Laufbahn als Tänzer beigetragen haben. In Vorbereitung auf das neue Werk begann Graf allein im Studio mit Bewegungsimprovisationen, um zu untersuchen, wie die Begegnung mit solchen choreografischen Meistern auch nach all den Jahren nachwirkt. Diese Suche wurde zur Grundlage für das bis heute vielleicht persönlichste Werk von Graf.

Portrait

"It is kind of a living tradition..."

Students of the Ballet Academy of the University for Music and Performing Arts have had the opportunity to study the style of renowned Danish choreographer August Bournonville through the invitation of teacher and Bournonville-specialist Dinna Bjørn. In this video, Dinna goes into detail about what it means to study the work of August Bournonville and what relevance it has for audiences today.

Essay

»Ruslan und Ludmilla« oder die Welt des Michel Fokine

Wiederholte Male müsse man einer Vorstellung von »Ruslan und Ludmilla« beiwohnen, ehe sich einem alle Vorzüge der Oper erschließen; gleich jener „sehr gelehrten Bücher“, die es „viermal zu lesen gilt, um alles zu verstehen, […] alles zu bewundern“, konstatiert Journalist Ossip Senkowski in seiner Kritik der Uraufführung am 27. November 1842 im Bolschoi-Kamenny-Theater in Sankt Petersburg. Lange Zeit spaltet Michail Glinkas Märchenoper die Gemüter und hält sich das Bonmot des Komponisten Michail Wielhorski, dass es sich bei »Ruslan und Ludmilla« um eine ‚chose manquée‘ – ‚Panscherei‘ – handle. Auch Tschaikowski formulierte später geringschätzig: „Ruslan war kein Meisterwerk. Es war nur ein magisches Spektakel, begleitet von hervorragender Musik, zu schwierig für die Ausführung“.

Trailer

Choreographic jewel as a dance prelude

As a dance prelude for our upcoming performances of «Das Triadische Ballett» in Munich's Prinzregententheater, the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich will present Hans van Manen’s «Concertante» set to the music of Frank Martin. At their core, Hans van Manen’s ballets are about the complexities of human relationships. His unique and immediately recognisable choreographic language highlights the subtleties that all too often go unnoticed in daily life. His ballets typically show dancers in postures of an almost electrically charged physicality, which celebrate the strengths of their individuality. Originally created for the young ensemble of the Netherlands Dance Theatre II in 1994, «Concertante» has lost none of its original charm. The timeless beauty of its group sections, trios and duets and the shimmering iconic unitards designed by van Manen’s longtime collaborator Keso Dekker continue to thrill audiences to this day.

Essay

Thank you from our heart - our recent "Thank-you Reception"

Art does not exist in a vacuum. It needs audiences and lovers, who with open hearts, to take what they see and hear into their hearts and to experience together the abundance of life in this world.

Studio

A bonbon...? - Rehearsals for Lior Tavoris new creation

A special highlight awaits the audiences of the autumn matinees 2022: the Heinz-Bosl-Foundation has commissioned a new score for Lior Tavori's new creation «bonbon». The Israeli composer Itamar Gross has written a piece that musically expresses the artistic work of the choreographer Lior Tavori with our dancers. In doing so, Lior Tavori explores the tensions between folk dance and contemporary dance and draws on his early experiences in Israeli folk dance.

Portrait

When treasures live on...

It was even more lively than usual last weekend: the local communal flea markets attracted many people to the various inner courtyards here in Schwabing. And we were there! Dancers from our boarding house sold some of their most beloved treasures ranging from leotards to ballet shoes, books to bitts and bobs. Many of them finding their new owners. Participation in the flea markets was offered by Viola Kleinfelder, our head of pastoral care, and Ida Keller, our boarding house manager. As part of ongoing pastoral care for the underage students of the boarding house, the evening before Viola Kleinfelder had baked cakes with them for which the proceeds went to supporting future socio-educational projects in the future. We look forward to participating again next year!

Portrait

Epochal masterpiece of the avant-garde

After a long time «Das Triadische Ballett» (The Triadic Ballet) is finally returning to Munich on the occasion of its 100th anniversary. With costumes by Oskar Schlemmer, the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich will present the choreographic reconstruction in the choreography by Gerhard Bohner at Munich's Prinzregententheater from 1st to 3rd June 2023 . The young company has been delighting audiences around the world with the production since it entered their repertoire in 2014.

Studio

Every detail scrutinised, every intention considered…

Behind every stage performance lay hours of tireless and dedicated hours of work by dancers and repetiteurs in the ballet studio. Ahead of our upcoming Spring Matinees, dance photographer Marie-Laure Briane has captured snapshots in time of the Ballett-Akademie and Bayerisches Junior Ballett München long and exciting journey to the stage.

Essay

Rückkehr in kein fremdes Land

„Während meiner vielen Besuche beim Bayerischen Staatsballett konnte ich mich nie dem mächtigen Eindruck des Nationaltheaters entziehen, einem Gebäude, das eng mit München verbunden ist. Es ist das unruhige Herz dieser Stadt.“ – Jiří Kylián, 2008

Essay

As free and as wild as possible

Marco Goecke created «All Long Dem Day» 2015 for the Berlin State Ballet School. He was only commissioned for a two-person piece, but then decided to work with a whole group of students. Marco Goecke explains the fact that his choreographic language has been included in the repertoire of classical ballet schools over the past thirty years with the intention of opening up these these institutions to experience other styles and themes : “The good dancers of today have to be able to dance everything. The profession of dancer would not make sense if you did what you already knew you could do each day.”

Portrait

Dance history danced anew

We really enjoyed working with the DANCE Festival! As part of the DANCE History Walk & Talk Tours, our juniors danced choreographies by Alexander Sacharoff and Clotilde von Derp in the Lenbachhaus, reconstructed by Maria Barrios, Ivan Liška and Claudia Jeschke and evoked the spirit of Isadora Duncan's in reconstructions by Ivan Liška, were danced in Villa Stuck.

Portrait

When the audience dance too

A rare and special occasion saw the entire audience of Munich's Nationaltheater dancing a sequence of choreography from Caroline Finn's «When she knew» ahead of the ballet's premiere at the Autumn Matinee series. We were aware that our audience loved dance but little did we know they could all move so well themselves! This moment undoubtedly counts amongst one of the best in our long and cherished tradition of our Sunday Matinees performances.

Portrait

Mischievous Tales from Dancing Days: Konstanze Vernon's final Bosl-Matinee appearance

While the dancers frantically change into their next costume backstage, in front of the curtain Konstanze Vernon always had a good story to keep the audience amused. Filmed at her final Bosl-Matinee appearance in 2012, in this video Konstanze tells the story of how Heinz Bosl was kicked out of the studio for mistakenly imitating choreographer Glen Tetley and about her own infamous audition for Heinz Rosen that landed her the job with the Ballet Company of the Bavarian State Opera - later to be known as the Bavarian State Ballet.

Essay

Abstrakte Sensibilität: 100 Jahre Triadisches Ballett. 1922-2022

„Zeichen unserer Zeit ist die Abstraktion […]. Zeichen unserer Zeit sind die neuen Möglichkeiten, gegeben durch Technik und Erfindung, die völlig neue Voraussetzungen schaffen und die Verwirklichung der kühnsten Phantasien erlauben oder hoffen lassen. Die Bühne, die Zeitbild sein sollte und besonders zeitbedingte Kunst ist, darf an diesen Zeichen nicht vorübergehen.“ – Oskar Schlemmer

Essay

„Wer nicht an Wunder glaubt, ist kein Realist…“

Bettina Wagner Bergelt: Ich habe nicht nachgesehen, von wem dieses Motto stammt, das von Anfang an über der Gründung der Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung stand, und das sowohl Konstanze Vernon als auch ihr Ehemann und Mitstreiter Fred Hoffmann immer wieder zitierten.

Touring

100 Years Later: The Triadic Ballet on Tour in Stuttgart and Berlin

Exactly 100 years after the first performance at the Wüttemburgishe Landestheater, on 30th September 2022 the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München returned to Stuttgart to perform Oskar Schlemmer's cult «The Traidic Ballet» before four sold-out performances. The tour concluded in Berlin with another three performances at the Academy of Arts Berlin, where Gerhard Bohner's reconstruction was critically investigated in 1977. Considered as one of the greatest achievements in the Bauhaus art movement, Schlemmer’s reimagining of the human body as a new artistic medium still manages to captivate audiences 100 years later.

Ballet and Wilderness

15 Jahre Ballett und Wildnis: Die Mischung macht's

Am Anfang stand eine Idee: Ein Staatsballett, eine Staatsoper, ein Nationaltheater, das sind die Aushängeschilder für die Leistungen, die in einem Bundesland im Sektor der Hochkultur erbracht werden. Ein Nationalpark wiederum ist das Aushängeschild für die Leistungen eines Landes zum Schutz seiner Natur, zur Bewahrung seiner landestypischen Artenausstattung. Die Mischung aus beidem, Natur und Kunst, bilden seit 2004 die Quintessenz des Projekts „Ballett und Wildnis“. Die letzten fünf Jahr trug das Bayerische Junior Ballett München das Projekt mit Erfolg weiter.

Essay

„Welcome to professional life“: Von der Verantwortung des Zuschauers

Als sich der Vorhang in Villingen-Schwenningen für die jungen Tänzerinnen und Tänzer des Bayerischen Junior Ballett München öffnet, liegen drei Wochen intensiven Probens hinter ihnen – ein fast zweistündiges Programm musste in dieser kurzen Zeit einstudiert werden.

Portrait

Serving young artists in their professional development

In 2016 we invited videographer Severin Vogl to create a portrait that captures the essence of what we do here at the Foundation. Ivan Liška explains the ideology that is integral to our mission and how we constantly strive to create opportunities that bridge the gap between the end of a dancer's training and their pledging professional careers.

Essay

Blick hinter die Kulissen: Vision einer künstlerischen Gesellschaft

Die Entstehung einer neuen Ballett-Kreation ist ein geheimnisvoller Prozess, den Choreograf und Tänzer in der verborgenen Welt des Ballettstudios gemeinsam durchleben. In wochenlanger Arbeit entwickeln sie ein neues Stück, welches das Publikum bei der Premiere als fertiges „Produkt“ erlebt. Dieses ist die konzentrierte Form eines intensiven künstlerischen Prozesses hinter den Kulissen.

Interview

Choreography is never a one-way street: A conversation with Jörg Mannes

Jörg Mannes was born in Vienna in 1969. Between the years 2006 and 2019 Jörg was the Ballet Director and Chief Choreographer of the State Theatre in Hannover. During this time he created individual 38 ballets, mostly full-length evenings for up to 30 dancers, which played to almost consistently sold-out audiences. Munich’s audiences may already be familiar to Jörg’s choreography through his creations «Der Sturm» (The Tempest) and «Wohin er auch blickt» (Wherever he looks) for the Bavarian State Ballet in 2007 and 2010 respectively. The following interview took place in the middle of March via video call.

Music

Danse à la russe: Balanchines »Allegro brillante« nach Tschaikowskys 3. Klavierkonzert

Peter Tschaikowskis Erstes Klavierkonzert zählt nicht nur zu seinen beliebtesten Werken, sondern zu den meistgespielten Konzerten überhaupt (zusammen mit seinem berühmten Violinkonzert). Dass der russische Komponist noch drei weitere Stücke für Klavier und Orchester geschrieben hat, ist weniger bekannt, wobei zwei von ihnen – die zweisätzige Konzertfantasie G-Dur op. 56 sowie das Dritte Klavierkonzert Es-Dur op. 75 – salopp gesagt, als »Abfallprodukte« verworfener Symphonieprojekte entstanden.

Essay

Der Konstanze-Vernon-Preis – Ein künstlerisches Vermächtnis

Fast zehn Jahre sind es her, seitdem die bayerische Landeshauptstadt mit Konstanze Vernon (2.01.1939 – 21.01.2013) eine der bedeutendsten Persönlichkeiten in ihrer Geschichte des Balletts verloren hat. Als Initiatorin der Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung, Erneuerin professioneller Tanzausbildung in München und als Gründungsdirektorin des Bayerischen Staatsballetts ging sie in die Annalen ein. Wen wundert es da, dass bei solch einer Erfolgsgeschichte gern in Superlativen von der ehemaligen Tänzerin, Pädagogin und Visionärin gesprochen wird.

Music

Der Riese unter den Klavierspielern: Beethoven und sein Klavierkonzert

»Ein Jahr nach dem Erscheinen der Zauberflöte«, heißt es in einem Beitrag des Komponisten und Musikschriftstellers Ignaz Franz von Mosel in der Allgemeinen Wiener Musik-Zeitung, »ging über Wien am musicalischen Horizonte ein Stern erster Größe auf.

Essay

Die Entstehung einer neuen Kreation. Eine Reise.

Als Peter Leung im Januar diesen Jahres nach München kam, um mit dem Bayerischen Junior Ballett München ein neues Stück aus dem Nichts zu kreieren, ahnten die jungen Tänzerinnen und Tänzern wohl kaum, dass es eine Reise werden würde, die sie in ihrem ganzen Wesen fordern sollte. Eine Reise, die sie an ihre Grenzen und darüber hinaus führen würde.

Interview

Gemeinsam ein Kunstwerk erschaffen – Ivan Liška und Allan Bergius im Gespräch

Zum vierzigjährigen Jubiläum der Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung fand im Jahr 2018 die erste Zusammenarbeit zwischen dem Bayerischen Junior Ballett München und dem Jugendorchester ATTACCA statt. Zur Frühlings-Matineen 2022 begleitet ATTACCA mit »Appalachian Spring« von Aaron Copland das Bayerische Junior Ballett München zum zweiten Mal.

Essay

Immer einen Schritt voraus

Sie war ein Kriegskind, Jahrgang 1939. Der Winter 1940 ging als der härteste aller Zeiten in die Annalen der Stadt ein. Als Konstanze Herzfeld, geboren an einem 2. Januar in Berlin, eineinhalb Jahre alt war, fielen die ersten Bomben.

Portrait

Ist Boxen ein Tanz?

München feiert dieses Jahr das 50. Jubiläum der Olympischen Spiele München 1972 - Festival des Spiels, des Sports und der Kunst. Und die Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung ist dabei! Gemeinsam mit Tänzerinnen und Tänzern des Gärtnerplatz Theater und der Choreografin Jasmine Ellis schaffen wir etwas Neues: Ballett trifft auf Boxkunst. Die namhafte Choreografin Jasmine Ellis der Münchner Freien Szene ist auch unserem Publikum bereits aus der letzten Frühlings-Matinee 2022 bekannt. Ist Boxen ein Tanz? Die Parallelen von körperlicher Spitzenleistung in Verbindung mit räumlicher und künstlerischer Präzision unübersehbar. Kampfkunst und Tanz gehören zu den ältesten Ausdrücken kulturellen Handelns. Sie sind Kunstformen, die stark integrativ arbeiten und Menschen verschiedenster Nationalität und Kultur miteinander verbinden. Sie teilen Inhalte wie Rhythmus, Vertrauen, Respekt oder Durchhaltevermögen. Im Boxen und im Tanz treten Künstlerinnen und Künstler der Präzision und Körperbeherrschung an. Beide erreichen den Gipfel des menschlichen Könnens und sind darin geschult, in Sekundenbruchteilen Entscheidungen der Wahrnehmung und Reaktion zu treffen. Die Brutalität des Balletts wird oft übersehen und die Anmut des Boxens entgeht vielen. Zusammen können sich beide Disziplinen gegenseitig neu gestalten. Ein Projekt im Rahmen des 50. Jubiläums der Olympischen Spiele München 1972 - Festival des Spiels, des Sports und der Kunst. Gefördert durch das Kulturreferat der Landeshauptstadt München.

Interview

Ivan Liška - ein Leben mit dem Triadischen Ballett

Es ist das bekannteste unbekannte Bühnenwerk des 20. Jahrhunderts: »Das Triadische Ballett« des Bauhaus-Künstlers Oskar Schlemmer. Das 1922 in Stuttgart uraufgeführte Werk erlangte erst mit Gerhard Bohners aufwendiger Rekonstruktion von 1977 zur neu komponierten Musik von Hans-Joachim Hespos Weltruhm. Nach dem Tode von Bohner übernahmen Ivan Liška und seine Frau Colleen Scott - einst Solisten in Bohners Fassung - »Das Triadische Ballett« und setzen seitdem dessen Erfolgsgeschichte fort.

Essay

Jung unter Jungen: Ivan Liška und das Bayerische Junior Ballett München

Von Berlin aus gesehen, ist Bayern ein gesegnetes Land. Zumindest jenseits politischer Stammtische. Die Landschaft ist göttlich, die Städte sind schön, Tradition wird groß geschrieben, Innovation mit Volldampf betrieben. Das zieht natürlich auch Künstler an, die hier Gelegenheit (samt Geld und Gönnern) finden, das umzusetzen, wovon sie träumen. Ein solcher Freigeist ist Ivan Liška.

Essay

Kinder im Fokus: Die Jungstudierenden der Münchner Ballett-Akademie

Vorhang auf! – heißt es bei den Herbst-Matineen endlich auch wieder für die Jungstudierenden der Münchner Ballett-Akademie, die sich heute, nach zweijähriger coronabedingter Bühnenabstinenz, stolz an der Seite der Tänzerinnen und Tänzer des Bayerischen Junior Balletts München im Nationaltheater präsentieren. Eine Vorstellung der Junioren sozusagen, der großen und ganz kleinen.

Music

Maskenspiele der Vergänglichkeit: Jiří Kyliáns »Un Ballo« nach der Musik von Maurice Ravel

»Ich habe nie die Notwendigkeit verspürt, meine ästhetischen Grundsätze zu formulieren, weder für andere noch für mich«, bekannte Maurice Ravel in den Lettres, die 1956 posthum in der Revue de Musicologique veröffentlicht wurden.

Ballet and Wilderness

Pas de deux with a sycamore maple

"Less aesthetic and more natural please." These were choreographer Martina La Ragione's instructions to the dancers at a gathering of spectators interested in sharing the development of her project in June 2019. And when the command "break up the lines again" was given, the artists of the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich knew immediately what was meant.

Music

Pioniere in Pennsylvania: Coplands Ballett »Appalachian Spring«

Aaron Copland ging als populärer Schöpfer eines unverwechselbar »amerikanischen« Klangidioms in die Musikgeschichte ein. Bis heute nehmen die »Filmscores« unzähliger US-Blockbuster auf seine Werke Bezug – spätestens, wenn die »Stars and Stripes« der amerikanischen Flagge im Kamera-Ausschnitt zu sehen sind.

Interview

Animal instincts and open-heart surgery: Lior Tavori in conversation

Ahead of his new creation for the Autumn Matinees 2022, choreographer Lior Tavori spoke with Terence Kohler about his roots in Israeli Folk Dance, in bringing the animal kingdom to the studio and how physicality drives an honesty in the dancing body.

Essay

UnHeaven – Dem Prozess vertrauen

Federn. Weiße Federn auf dem Bühnenboden. Weiße Federn in der Luft – aufgewirbelt durch die Bewegungen der Tänzerinnen und Tänzer. Federn-Straßen und Federn-Kreise. «UnHeaven» von Martina La Ragione besticht durch ein Meer aus Federn als Bühnenbild.

Interview

Von der Kunst der Vielfalt: Drei Frauen. Ein Gespräch

Deike Wilhelm: Seit 2012 begleite ich die jungen Tänzerinnen und Tänzer des Bayerischen Junior Ballett München als Inspizientin auf allen Gastspielen. Ich bin für den Ablauf der Vorstellungen hinter der Bühne verantwortlich. Vor und während der Vorstellung rufe ich alle Beteiligten – Künstler und Kollegen der Technik – rechtzeitig zu ihren Einsätzen, gebe alle Musik- und Lichteinsätze, sage Vorhänge und Bühnen-Verwandlungen an. Es ist ein Wirken zwischen Kunst und Technik, das besonders erfüllend ist, wenn ich den Fluß der Vorstellung fühle und durch mein eigenes Zeitgefühl mit gestalte. Da ich die neuen Kreationen meist als fertige Werke kennen lerne, interessiert mich der Blick hinter die Kulissen und ganz besonders die Sichtweise der Choreografinnen und Choreografen. Ich hatte die Gelegenheit mit den Choreografinnen der neuen Stücke zu sprechen. Das Gespräch mit Caroline Finn führte ich per Video-Skype. Mit Maria Barrios konnte ich in München persönlich sprechen.

Essay

Why we love dance

Right now, we have to do without. We are without art, without culture, without dance. The theatres have been closed for weeks. Creative practitioners and art lovers are falling on hard times, not just financially, but mentally and emotionally, too. Why do we need cultural input? Why do we need our theatres?

Interview

When beginnings flow: the remarkable TANZLAND cooperation.

The Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich (BJBM) and the City of Villingen-Schwenningen have been building a close partnership over the last three seasons. The company visited the city on four occasions between Spring 2018 and Autumn 2020, performing four different programmes. In addition, there have been many workshops and participatory projects. The collaboration is one of thirteen projects in Germany funded through the TANZLAND programme, which aims to bring contemporary dance to regional audiences who do not have easy access to big cities or cultural centres. The TANZLAND fund for touring partnerships was initiated by the German Federal Cultural Foundation and is managed by the Umbrella Association for Dance in Germany, the Dachverband Tanz Deutschland e.V.. It funds collaboration between dance companies and theatres or venues that do not have their own dance ensembles (“INTHEGA venues” in German).

Essay

Wenn junge Künstler nach dem Licht suchen

Wie ein Funke springt die jugendliche Frische und Freude im Nationaltheater von der Bühne in den Zuschauerraum. Berührend sind die jungen Tänzerinnen und Tänzer, die ihr Talent mit uns teilen.

Portrait

Transforming beyond one's self

Xin Pen Wang’s 2019 piece «In the Forest», which was created for seven men of the company, uses the orchestral score «Vajrayӑna» by the composer Camile Pépin to explore concepts of Eastern philosophy and metaphysics. Ahead of the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung Digital Season in 2022, former ensemble members Joaquin Angelucci and Arnau Redorta share insight into their interpretations of the choreographic text.

Essay

Wir sind Tanz

Tanzen verbindet. Tanz ist Kommunikation. Tanz ist Berührung. Tanz ist Gemeinschaft. Nach zwei Jahren Pandemie – nach Abstandsgeboten und Social Distancing – ist unsere Sehnsucht nach Begegnung, nach Gemeinschaft, nach Berührung groß. Wir sind soziale Wesen, wir brauchen einander, wir brauchen Gesellschaft und Räume, in denen wir uns begegnen können. Solch ein Raum ist das Theater.

Portrait

When Choreography becomes one with the Music

Shirley Esseboom, trusted stager of Jiří Kylián’s ballets, returned to Munich in 2022 to work on «Un Ballo» with dancers of the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich ahead of the Heinz-Bosl-Foundation’s Spring Matinees. In this video she talks about Kylián's work and the challenges it contains for young dancers coming straight out of school.

Essay

Wir sprechen keine Worte – aber viele Sprachen!

Die Studierenden der Münchner Ballett-Akademie lernen ebenfalls von Kindesbeinen an mit ihrem Körper und der Schönheit ihrer Bewegungen parallelisiert zur Musik zu sprechen; doch außerhalb des Ballettsaals haben sie auch verbal einiges zu sagen – und zwar in vielen Sprachen!

Portrait

When props provide a challenge

In Marek Svobodnik's homage to master choreographer Jiří Kylián «Petite Corde», dancers find themselves on roller skates, swirling toreador capes and juggling martini glasses with champagne bottles. Ahead of the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung's Digital Season in 2020, former ensemble members Benedetta Musso and Lucas Praetorius explain the challenges of dancing with props.

Essay

The first consideration: bodies of artists in an art of bodies

The 18th century dance reformer Jean Georges Noverre is celebrated primarily as a pioneer of the ballet d’action, a precursor of our beloved 19th century narrative ballets. However, he also expressed, in a very blunt manner, his views on the absolute standards of bodily perfection required of professional dancers. He believed that anyone who did not meet these standards should be excluded from the profession, on the grounds that “the first consideration to be taken is that of physique”.

Portrait

"Don’t be afraid to be ugly!"

Created for the 2019 Autumn Matinees, celebrated British choreographer Caroline Finn talks about «When she knew» and the physical authenticity that emerges from the vulnerability of the human condition. Set to Jordi Savall’s hauntingly beautiful interpretations of renaissance music and a countertenor aria from Antonio Vivaldi, this portrait was created ahead of the Heinz-Bosl-Foundation's Digital Season in 2020.

Studio

Quicksilver footwork and a generous upper body

«Allegro Brillante» marks a return to Balanchine's origins and retrospectively becomes a celebration of his training at Saint Petersburg’s Imperial Ballet School and his time with the Mariinsky Ballet. Balanchine's masterpiece entered the repertoire of the Bayerisches Junior Ballet München in 2012 and has become a calling card for the different generations of ensemble members since. Ahead of the Autumn-Matinee performances in 2022 dancers of the Bayerisches Junior Ballett München have been working with ballet master Olivier Vercoutere to refine the choreographic and stylistic qualities synonymous with Balanchine's work.

Portrait

A Day in the Life of the Juniors

Former Ensemble member Phoebe Schembri explains what her daily schedule with the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich looks like: from waking up in the Heinz-Bosl-Foundation’s boarding house to daily training and rehearsals. Originally filmed for our Digital Season in 2020, today Phoebe is a corps-de-ballet member of the Bavarian State Ballet.

Studio

A Group piece to showcase the ensemble's talents

Following the success of his 2018 creation «Stimmenstrahl Trio», in 2022 Maged Mohamed returned to reinterpret Aaron Copland's famous ballet score «Appalachian Spring». With its accentuated dances and idyllic interludes that fade into nocturnal slumber, «Appalachian Spring» is an inspiring musical springboard to showcase the diversity of the current generation of the junior company.

Portrait

Backstage at the Bosl-Matineen

Over the past few years we have had talented videographer Anne Gryczka from Rue Nouvelle accompany our Bosl-Matineen to capture the candid experiences of students from the Ballet Academy of the University for Music and Performing Arts and ensemble members of the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich. In this portrait, former BJBM members Lotte James and Severin Brunhuber share their personal experiences of how it feels to perform onstage and the challenges that come with the preparation and lead up to the curtain opening. The Bosl-Matineen exist to provide much needed stage experience for your dancers in their professional development as young artists. Today, Lotte James is a member of the Ballett am Rhein Düsseldorf/Duisburg and Severin Brunhuber dances with the Bavarian State Ballet.

Portrait

Dancing under the Stars: Brunnenhof Open Air

When the sun sets upon the horizon the stage lights come in at full power. For two consecutive years the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich performed as part of the Brunnenhof Open Air Festival. Artistic Director Ivan Liška curated programs featuring the most beloved jewels of our repertoire that managed to captivate audiences with the youthful vigour that abounds from the stage.

Portrait

Interpreting Beethoven's mystery for the stage

Renowned dance film director Benedict Mirow spoke with Jörg Mannes ahead of his 2020 creation «Immortal Beloved». Originally intended to be performed as part of the global Beethoven 250 celebrations, Mannes' ballet to Beethoven's 4th Piano Concerto was first performed as part of the Bavarian State Opera's "Mondaypieces - Live Stream Series" following repeated cancellations due to theatre closures during the pandemic.

Portrait

Rhythm and Jazzed up Grooves

Staged for five years consecutively, «The New 45» quickly became an audience favourite wherever the company travelled and offered generations of dancers the chance to weave the movement’s playful nuances together with their distinct individuality as dancers. Ahead of the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung's Digital Season in 2022 former ensemble member Lotte James shares her experiences of learning and performing Siegal's ballet.

Portrait

Stories of Empowerment: 10 Year of the Juniors

To celebrate the 10th Anniversary of the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich in 2020, we invited talented young videographers from Rue Nouvelle & Studio CNP to travel across Europe and create portraits of some of our former ensemble members. However, Covid-19’s restrictions meant the team were no longer able to travel and were forced to rethink the idea. What emerged was a concept where each of the dancers filmed themselves. A detailed plan was created and the team sent out two video kits containing the equipment along with instructions on how to use it. These kits travelled from one city to another and each of the scenes were filmed within a period of one month. Connecting the dancers’ unique personalities across different locations and scenarios, they filmed themselves responding to a series of questions through improvised movement creating an installation-like film that expresses the role that dance plays in their lives today.