Hamburg Ballet: Interim management remains until the end of the season, successor uncertain

Hamburg Ballet: Interim management remains until the end of the season, successor uncertain

There is currently a lot going on in the field of ballet in Hamburg. The cultural sector, unsettled by the sudden departure of director Demis Volpi around a month ago, is faced with the challenge of finding a suitable successor. The Hamburg Senate's Culture Committee has dealt intensively with the situation and is ensuring that the current transition team, consisting of Lloyd Riggins, Nicolas Hartmann and Gigi Hyatt, remains in office for the entire current season. This was announced by Culture Senator Carsten Brosda, who emphasized that they wanted to take time to plan the succession and that the dancers of the Hamburg Ballet should be interviewed before a new appointment was made. External moderation will support these surveys to ensure that artists' opinions are heard.

The background to the change is complex. After Volpi's surprising departure, John Neumeier's company, whose legacy should now be preserved, was brought on stage with "The Little Mermaid" at the opening of the Ballet Days. But not everyone is behind the handling of the situation. CDU MP Dietrich Wersich criticized Senator Brosda's lack of self-criticism. Left Party MP Marie Kleinert also criticized that Volpi's old working environment in Düsseldorf was not sufficiently incorporated into the decision-making process.

The search for the successor

What happens next? Brosda explained that the search for a new artistic director is not only a question of calling, but also of risk. It is not always predictable when a process will fail, which does not make the search any easier. “The challenge is to find someone who will maintain Neumeier’s legacy and at the same time bring new dance languages ​​to Hamburg,” Brosda continued. According to him, the replacement of Neumeier's company has already begun after months of conflict between Volpi and the ensemble.

Anyone who deals with the Hamburg Ballet in this situation cannot ignore Demis Volpi. He is scheduled to officially take over as director of the Hamburg Ballet on August 1, 2024 and will therefore be the successor to John Neumeier, who has directed the ballet since 1973. Volpi, a 36-year-old German-Argentinian, has achieved international recognition as a choreographer and was previously ballet director and chief choreographer at the Ballet am Rhein in Düsseldorf.

A difficult transition

The decision to appoint Volpi was made unanimously by the supervisory board of the Hamburg State Opera. Neumeier himself extended his contract until summer 2024 to ensure a smooth transition and trusts that Volpi will lead the Hamburg Ballet into the future. Volpi himself said that he sees the challenge and opportunity of succeeding Neumeier as great and plans to keep his rich repertoire alive.

What happens next remains exciting and the dancers of the Hamburg Ballet now have the opportunity to contribute their voices. In these dynamic times, it is to be hoped that a solution will be found that meets both the ensemble's requirements and its profound artistic visions.

For current developments and the next steps, the Hamburg Ballet will definitely remain very popular with Hamburg residents and ballet lovers. The challenges are great, but with a good hand for the future-oriented cast, the ballet faces an exciting time.