New creations are the lifeblood that allows young dancers to cultivate their unique artistic personas. The experience they gain from working in direct contact with a choreographer is invaluable, as it brings to the fore qualities that are unique to their individuality. They learn to imbue movement with purpose and intention, and – in the best of scenarios – they develop the ability to serve the creative act and experience the joy of seeing the infinite spectrum of possibilities alive behind every expressive choice.

First performed at the Florian-Stadl in the historical monastery complex in Andechs, Bavaria, «Liebesbotschaften» (Love Messages) features a range of solos, duets and trios. Artistic Director Ivan Liška invited Norbert Graf and Maged Mohamed to join him in working with the young dancers in smaller constellations. The project’s one-on-one focus became a way of nurturing the young dancers’ potential as future soloists, another aspect of their artistic development.

The title, «Liebesbotschaften», references the piece’s musical framework, which comprises selections from the song cycles of Franz Schubert. Schubert composed more than 380 songs in a late Romantic style, characterised by introspection and foreboding melancholy, and often set to words by famous German authors. Like many of the romantic landscape paintings of the time, the idyllic and serene scenes appear to conceal searching questions and dark aspects of our collective nature.

ABOUT THE CHOREOGRAPHERS
As well as his acclaimed directorship of the Bavarian State Ballet, Ivan Liška is known as a choreographer for his historical reconstructions of «The Sleeping Beauty» and «Le Corsaire». His miniatures are regularly performed by the junior company. A former principal dancer and now ballet master of the Bavarian State Ballet, Norbert Graf’s choreographic career has seen numerous of his works performed at the Matinees of the Heinz-Bosl-Stiftung. Maged Mohamed is known for his recent works for the pre-professional dancers of the Ballet Academy of the University for Performing Arts Munich, the Zurich Dance Academy and the Bavarian Junior Ballet Munich.

First premiered on 6 June 2022 as part of the Jubilee Festival 2022 at the Florian-Stadl Andechs