Means of Movement – The River of Life

We dreamt of a city by a river, a place with a love for art, for humanism and for exchange. And as good fortune would have it, we were invited to exactly such a place. To Basel. 
Much like the river that runs through this city, the art of dance is always in flux. Through its inherent movement, dance encompasses the singular confluence of physical, emotional and intellectual breadth so fundamental to our human being.
In our work for Ballett Basel, we depart from the stance that there is no one right answer to the questions at the center of our lives. And certainly not in the realm of art. Instead, we strive to create aesthetic experiences that are as open, challenging, beautiful and unexpected as life itself. Art that offers a multitude of answers, a plurality of viewpoints, and a host of new questions to live with.
We believe in an art that is fluid, in dance that an once expresses and renews our shared humanity. We believe that everyone deserves to partake in the transcendence, friction, and freedom that can be found through performance. Dance as encounter. Art as experiment. Together, we search further afield.
Collectively, we embark on a journey that will question, with rigor and a good sense of humor, what dance and choreography are today. We will look to the stories at the center of our lives, individual and collective, as event horizons and sites of constant change.
The world is changing radically. Any attempt to reinvent ourselves and our relationship to the world, absent creative community, will inevitably lead back to where we started. To make art, one has to be courageous and encouraged in equal measure. Ours is an art of moving, a living body in its conditio humana. 
Join us!
And lest we forget – one cannot get into the same river twice, as it and we are never the same. 

First we close our eyes. Then we see beyond the horizon. 
Here, in Basel. 
For you.

A longer version of this text can be found in the media library

Adolphe Binder, Künstlerische Direktorin und Kuratorin und Tilman O'Donnell, Stellvertretende Künstlerische Leitung
Adolphe Binder, Artistsic Director and Curator and Tilman O'Donnell, Associate Artistic Director
Calendar Ballet 23/24

Die Abos für die Spielzeit 23/24 sind im Ticketshop und bei der Billettkasse im Verkauf. Noch unentschlossen? Einen kleinen Wahl-o-mat zur Entscheidungserleichterung und den Überblick über das Angebot finden Sie hier:

Abos

Premieres & World Premieres 23/24

Saburo Teshigawara

A series of encounters with choreographer Saburo Teshigawara. Meet the Japanese master and winner of the prestigious Golden Lion of the Venice Biennale in different formats and dialogues. A unique and deep insight into the work of this exceptional artist.

  • Show of works: October 5-7, 2023
  • Kleine Bühne
  • in English and German

Bobbi Jene Smith

A series of open formats and dialogues with choreographer Bobbi Jene Smith. Meet the rising star of the dance world in a series of up-close encounters that provide unique insight into the artist's work and processes.

  • Showcase of works: Oct. 13-14-15, 2023.
  • Kleine Bühne
  • in English and German

In addition to the spoken introductions, Ballett Basel offers guided movement sessions with the audience so that they can not only see but also feel some of the movement methods of the individual choreographers. The introductions are led by the Ballett Basel team.

  • New spaces for getting to know each other and for encounters
  • In English and German

For all

No obstacle to moving or being moved. Here, the members of Ballett Basel lead the audience into a rich world of senses, memories and presence.

For children

Spread throughout the season, four movement workshops at primary schools led by members of Ballett Basel introduce children to various forms of movement and play and convey central movement principles of contemporary dance that are typical of the works of Ballett Basel.

  • New spaces for getting to know each other and for encounters
  • In English and German

Ballet direction

Ballet Operations Office

  • N.N.

Dramaturgy / Text / Communication

  • Judith Vrancken

Rehearsal management

  • Jonathan Earl Fredrickson
  • Fernando Carrión Caballero

Physiotherapy

  • Tommaso Pennacchio
  • Fulvio Faudella (guest)

Choreography

Choreographic Assistance / Production Dramaturgy

  • Jonathan Fredricksson
  • Chiara Mezzadri
  • Rihoko Sato
  • Or Schraiber
  • Ján Špoták

Musical direction

Stage / Costumes

  • Christian Friedländer
  • Fabrice Mazilah
  • Anne-Marie Miene
  • Members Ballet Basel
  • La Ribot
  • Victor Roy
  • Marion Schmid
  • Bobbi Jene Smith
  • Saburo Teshigawara

Lighting design

  • Daniel Demont
  • Sergio de Carvalho Pessanha
  • Roland Edrich
  • Matthias Rieker
  • Harry Schulz
  • Saburo Teshigawara

Music

Dance / Performance Parties & Guests