Hamburg's ballet days: Neumeier celebrates the mermaid's premiere!

Hamburg's ballet days: Neumeier celebrates the mermaid's premiere!

Hamburg, Deutschland - On July 9, 2025, the Hamburg State Opera was very busy: the highly expected Hamburg ballet days started with the premiere of John Neumeier's masterpiece "The Little Mermaid". After the surprising from the former ballet director Demis Volpi, the event became the scene of an interesting fresh start for the company. In just 18 days, the dancer managed to study a complex choreography inside by Lloyd Riggins, the deputy head of the company, as a "theater miracle".

The premiere itself was shaped by mixed feelings: while the viewers were impressed by the performances, many seats remained empty and there were returns of tickets. Originally, Volpi's piece "Demian" was the focus, but the circumstances led to a return of Neumeier, which will also talk about the history of the ballet days in the next two weeks.

a special anniversary

The Hamburg Ballet Days are celebrating their 50th anniversary this year. These celebrations were under the sign of change: some crowd favorites had to leave the companies because they did not want to work with Volpi, Neumeier's successor. After his release in June, some of the outgoing first soloists have already started new engagements, and an interim team has the business of the company.

The festival, which lasts until July 20, has a varied program to offer. In addition to the new version of "The Little Mermaid", the ballet school in Hamburg will also be represented on July 7th with "First steps" in works by Volpi and other pedagogue: inside. Another highlight are the performances by Friedemann Vogel, who will appear on July 14th with his solo "The Soul on the Faden".

Brief insights into the festival

Another captivating part of the program includes the performance of "Sonoma" by Marcos Morau and his company "La Veronal" on July 11th and 12th. In addition, John Neumeier will moderate the 50th Nijinsky Gala at the end of the festival-a great honor that illustrates the connection of the choreographer with the Hamburg ballet scene.

Ticket prices for the festival vary greatly and are between 6 and 207 euros to address a wide audience.

What remains to be said? The Hamburg Ballet Days present a mixture of tradition and renewal this year-undeniably a feast for the senses that will go into history. The challenge is not only in the dance itself, but also in convincing the audience of the new beginnings in the company.