The Staatsballett Berlin is once again delighted to present the annual gala of the Staatliche Ballett- und Artistikschule. This year’s programme features not only two demanding works by Uwe Scholz, the dazzling Grand Pas from Don Quixote after Marius Petipa, and a contemporary piece by Arshak Ghalumyan – but also Pinocchio, a full-length dance production choreographed by Torsten Händler.

With this varied line-up, students from all year groups take to the stage to show the results of their hard work over the course of the school year. This time, the spotlight is on the younger training levels – the crucial years in which the technical foundation and artistic expression required for a professional dance career are carefully built.

The programme as a whole reflects both the tradition of classical ballet – represented by Petipa – and the rich diversity of dance as an art form: Uwe Scholz, one of Germany’s most influential choreographers, left a lasting mark on Leipzig Ballet with his distinctive neoclassical style; Torsten Händler has long been creating narrative ballets for companies across Germany; and Arshak Ghalumyan, once a soloist with Staatsballett Berlin, now works as a choreographer, primarily with his own Berlin Ballet Company.