Dance at Cologne Opera

»Everything is possible«—that was the statement of our Head of Culture at a panel on the Future of Cologne as a City of Dance. If everything goes to plan, Bühnen Köln will move back to Offenbachplatz in the summer of 2024. This will leave behind the Depot in Cologne-Mülheim, an established, essential cultural location with two stages and a wonderful garden, used by many. An accessible meeting point, of which there are only a few in our big cities. For more than a decade, dance professionals and friends of dance in Cologne have been looking for a House for Dance. For more than ten seasons, international dance companies from all over the world have been coming to the Depot and the enthusiasm of the choreographers and dancers is unanimous: what a great place for dance and what an emphatic, open dance audience. A House for Dance in Cologne would be a milestone for the future of the Dance City of Cologne, where this art form has been steadily regaining international prestige since the 2009.10 season despite many difficulties and hurdles. While the future of the Depot and a permanent House for Dance in Cologne is still uncertain, it is certain that in the 2023.24 season, the Depot (and the Staatenhaus) will once again host eleven outstanding and brilliant guest performances from nine countries. Additionally, there will be a premiere of »Richard Siegal /Ballet of Difference at Schauspiel Köln« and three revivals, as well as a co-production of Oper Köln with »XX Tanztheater« and the Culture Department. The first guest at the Staatenhaus is the »São Paulo Dance Company«, which moves back and forth between Brazilian and contemporary dance vocabulary effortlessly and full of relish. In a second edition of »Dark Matter II«, we will show choreographies from very different creative periods by Marco Goecke, performed by four German dance ensembles. The Nederlands Dans Theater will close the dance season at the Staatenhaus in May 2024 with a high-energy evening by choreographers Ohad Naharin, Crystal Pite and newcomer Nadav Zellner. Four young, talented choreographers who are still relatively unknown to us will also be given a platform at the Depot. Oona Doherty comes to us with her company from Belfast. Her work is characterised by themes such as identity, class and gender, her hand is rough and unpolished, but also poetic and tender. We are co-producing the world premiere of »Pupo«, by the young Italian Sofia Nappi. Inspired by »Pinocchio«, her focus is on the melancholic side of this story. Botis Seva, a newcomer to the British dance scene, will show »Mama«. His company »Far from the Norm« stands for a dedicated ensemble that fuses hip-hop with contemporary dance and African styles and deals with the issues of London's black community. Shahar Binyamini, a young Israeli dancer and choreographer, presents »More Than«. Originally coming from a scientific background, he and his dancers explore the interface between body, mind and soul. These newcomers‘ works are complemented by four creations of choreographers who are established in the dance world. Maria Campos and Guy Nader will present to live music »Made of Space« about rhythm, time, space and transience. »Momo«, the latest work by Ohad Naharin and his »Batsheva Dance Company«, will be performed to a soundtrack by Laurie Anderson and the »Kronos Quartet«. In December, the collective »Peeping Tom« comes to us with their German premiere of »S 62° 58‘, W 60° 39«, a visually impressive cinematographic performance. Wim Vandekeybus and »Ultima Vez« present »Infamous Offspring«, a fictional dance, film and theatre piece. I am looking forward to the next dance season, not least because with you, dear audience, dance has the best hosts in the Dance City of Cologne: curious about the new and unknown, enthusiastic about the virtuosity of the dancers, loyal to artists already known in Cologne and, last but not least, to the dance location Depot.