Hamburg Ballet Prepares To Dazzle Chicago In Behind The Scenes Videos
By Michelle Meywes Kopeny in Arts & Entertainment on Feb 22, 2016 6:02PM
The Hamburg Ballet in Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler. Photo by Holger Badekow.
When you go to the ballet, it's usually to see incredible dance—but especially when it comes to touring ballets, there's as much talent behind the scenes as there is onstage. Take the The Hamburg Ballet, returning to the Harris Theater this week in their only U.S. performances of the season. They have an enormous team of pros handling the sets, lighting and sound, making their productions look seamless in city after city.
The ballet gives us an insider’s look at all that invisible technical work, too, with three behind-the-scenes videos. Check out backstage details, from ribbons and paints to crews loading wall-sized sets onto trucks, in the videos below:
Hamburg’s Technical Director Frank Zöllner, above, is responsible for making sure all the physical pieces get where they need to go. The crew of 20 often spends an entire day loading trucks, and the packing list is hefty: 100 transport boxes, 200 stage lights, 400 cables and costumes for 3 casts and 60 dancers—including all of their ballet shoes, pointe shoes, bandages and more.
The ballet is beautiful to watch, but can you imagine it without the powerful musical accompaniment? Frédéric Couson, Head of Sound at Hamburg Ballet, prepares to fill the Harris Theater music for the company’s four performances here next week.Save your seat for the Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler on Feb. 26 + 27 --> http://bit.ly/23F9WzQ
Posted by Harris Theater for Music and Dance on Wednesday, February 17, 2016
When it comes to music and costuming, it’s all about precision. As Head of Sound Frédéric Couson tells us in the video above, "Before every show, I check and recheck that every piece of music is played at the right settings." During performances, he also follows along with printed musical scores and watches the stage for crucial cues such as dancers landing a jump or a lighting change.
Kirsten Fischer, on the other hand, works to ensure to ensure that colors throughout the production are matched perfectly as production manager of the costume department. The company's dye expert “has to do magic on the dresses,” she says, and if the colors aren’t right, they make the garments all over again.
Kirsten Fischer, Head of Costumes for Hamburg Ballett, gives a behind-the-scenes peek at the artistry and expertise that help make the Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler come to life! Save your seat for Feb. 26 + 27 --> http://bit.ly/23F9WzQ
Posted by Harris Theater for Music and Dance on Tuesday, February 16, 2016
The Hamburg Ballet is performing two ballets over only four performances while they’re at the Harris Theater. Othello, which is presented in conjunction with Shakespeare 400 Chicago, shows on Tuesday or Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.; Milwaukee native John Neumeier’s Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler shows on Friday or Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $55.