A New Sound Body in Berlin
Berlin stands like no other city for movement, rhythm, and freedom. But who would have thought that right here a new art form would arise, blending classical ballet technique with electronic club culture? The project A Techno Ballet Odyssey by the Berlin Ballet Company breaks all boundaries. No opera houses, no fixed rows – the audience stands right in the middle of the action. Amid laser lights, fog, and basslines, the dancers move directly within the crowd, and the dance becomes part of the beat.
“We dance right next to the people. Stage and audience are one,” describes dancer Lucio Vidal the idea behind the show. What emerges here is no classical ballet – but a living art experiment between body and sound that even hardened ravers find surprising.
A Techno Ballet Odyssey – When Stage and Beats Merge
The show is divided into three acts – Pre-Show, Performance, and Afterparty – following the natural rhythm of a Berlin night. At Hangar 5 at Tempelhofer Feld, visitors are greeted by a spherical sound before the space transforms into pulsating waves of light. Then the ensemble steps onto the stage – or rather: the dance floor.
The choreography comes from Arshak Ghalumyan and Alexander Abdukarimov, both former dancers of the Berlin State Ballet. The sound is provided by Serbian DJ Marko Nastić, who replaces the classical violin bow with low-frequency basslines. The result: a hypnotic symbiosis of precision and ecstasy. Where once pirouettes and pas de deux dominated, today bass drops and strobe lights tell of breaking old forms.
Between Club Night and Play
A Techno Ballet Odyssey is not a production to watch – it is an experience that feels like a collective frenzy. In the Berlin scene, where raves are often seen as refuges for self-expression, the techno ballet creates a new level: it connects the energy of the floor with the discipline of dance.
On Reddit and in forums, Berliners describe how “fluid” and “beautiful” dancing in the city feels. This very feeling is taken up by the piece – the body becomes the medium of the sound, every movement a frequency. The audience stands so close that they can feel the dancers’ breaths. Here the line between performance and party blurs – and that is exactly what makes the appeal.
More Than an Event – a Movement
What began as an experiment is developing into a growing trend. After Berlin, guest performances follow in Frankfurt, Baden-Baden, and Cologne, each with local club flair. But the idea goes beyond the spectacle: the techno ballet stands for a new attitude in Berlin’s art and club scene – one that celebrates openness, physicality, and community.
Choreographer Lívia Delgado once put it this way:
The truth on stage comes from within – not from shock, but from the context you share.
That is the core of this show: it does not want to provoke, but to connect.
Between discipline and ecstasy, a space arises where techno fans, dancers, and art lovers can meet – and perhaps understand each other better.
Dates, Venues & Tour 2024/25
- Berlin – Hangar 5, Tempelhofer Feld: 11–13 Dec 2024
- Frankfurt am Main: Summer 2025
- Festspielhaus Baden-Baden: Autumn 2025
- Bootshaus Cologne: Spring 2026
Each city interprets the concept differently – sometimes as immersive theatre, sometimes as a club night with ballet moments. Those who take part experience a piece of Berlin cultural history in motion.
Conclusion – Dance, Light & Bass in Perfection
A Techno Ballet Odyssey is more than an event – it is a sign that Berlin continually reinvents itself. When the bass sets the pace and pointe shoes glide across the dance floor, it becomes clear: Here not only an ensemble dances, but a whole city moves to the rhythm of its own freedom.
