And off we go – the TU Dresden dance ensemble turns 60
Publication in the DNN of 18.11.2010
Dancing takes place on Wednesdays in the Alte Mensa on the Dresden campus. The dance steps and sounds may seem a little unusual, there is no rocking, nor are the latest sounds mixed, on Wednesdays and once a month at the weekend, folklore dominates the room. These are the rehearsal times of the folklore dance ensemble “Thea Maass” of the TU Dresden. The last rehearsals were particularly intensive, as the ensemble is celebrating its 60th anniversary at the Kulturhaus Freital on November 20.
I attend a rehearsal for the gala program, which takes place at 2 p.m. on the afternoon of the festival day. Twenty dancers doing introductory exercises and loosening up. That’s a must. Everyone comes to the rehearsal from somewhere else, some from home, others have just made it from the office to university or even just from one building to another. Amateurs dance here, but dance, especially folklore, is far more than just a hobby for them.
Otherwise they would not have made it this far. After all, the Dresdeners are right at the top in their field in Germany, and they also consistently perform well in international comparisons. The list of awards and prizes is long. So let’s get down to the hard rehearsals.
The instructions from choreographer Maud Butter, who directs the dance ensemble together with Gerd Hölzel, are clear. Again and again, and again, and one, and two, and three and four and stand! And down and down and all to the first position. Then come the first combinations, individually, in pairs, in the whole group, jumps, spins. Suddenly the spark is ignited. The whole troupe gets going, the room is full of energy, and off they go in a wild gallop, into the air. The 60-year-old ensemble, which has borne the name “Thea Maass” since 1990, who directed and shaped it from 1969 until her death in 1989, is quite lively. Thea Maass had studied with Mary Wigman in Dresden, then worked as a dancer and choreographer and had devoted herself to folklore since the 1950s. She has been able to preserve some things, rediscover others, reconstruct them and make them performable. The most important of her choreographies, in which she focused on the personalities of the dancers, will be danced by the Dresdeners, naturally also for the anniversary on November 20.
Before the rehearsal is dedicated to such a dance, changes and corrections keep the creations alive, the group becomes much larger. For some years now, interest in folklore dance has been on the rise again, and alongside the ensemble there is also a student group that enjoys this “exoticism” at university for the duration of their studies. The joint rehearsal phase serves to get to know each other and, not least, to recruit new talent.
There’s actually no shortage at the moment. During the break, I meet Raphael and Ben, 20 and 17 years old, one a math and physics student, the other a high school student. They came into contact with dance at an early age and are happy to stick with it. Raphael started at the age of four, good early musical education, Ben at five, his parents had danced in the university ensemble for 30 years. Of course, neither rock’n’roll nor breakdancing or beat are foreign words to them, quite the opposite, they don’t do badly at the party either, but the fun, the work, the success in the group, not to mention the team spirit, that’s what makes things not only different here, but also more essential for life.
*** Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version) ***
Christin (37) and Eike (40) couldn’t imagine their lives without dancing in the ensemble either. Both have been with the company since 1992, both graduates of Dresden University, a social education worker and a water management engineer. It’s not always easy to find the time, but when they are there, in rehearsal, when things are going well, no matter how problematic the day may have been, it’s given and forgotten. Of course, what counts is the adrenaline during the performances, the celebrations afterwards and, above all, the impressions and experiences at the many festivals and guest appearances, now all over Europe and in the USA.
The break is over. Duty calls, a mazurka is rehearsed. And again the exciting process, once more, once more, once more, and then, by now time has also progressed, suddenly the rhythm takes everyone with it in the same way. If you want to see the result, the “Neckmazurka” is on the program for the anniversary gala, along with other highlights of choreographic folklore from 60 years. The youngest well-wishers, the newcomers from the children’s dance groups, also have their place.
And after the party? Then we will see what dance is capable of. The university wants to part ways with the ensemble, and negotiations have to be held about collaborations. The founding of an association or the installation of a legal and existential form could be on the cards. The main thing is that the dance continues. The marketing motto for Dresden in the coming year is “Dresden on the move”.
Boris Michael Gruhl
