A Midsummer Night’s Dream, conceptualised and choreographed by Edward Clug and performed by Staatsballett Berlin, had its premiere on 21 February 2025 at Deutsche Oper Berlin.
Corps de ballet translated from French to English literally means the body of ballet. Wikipedia describes it as a group of dancers who “often work as a backdrop for the principal dancers”. They are not the face—the star—but the body of the company. In Jérôme Bel’s piece Veronique Doisneau (2004), the 41-year-old corps de ballet dancer of the Paris Opera Ballet says that she was neither talented nor physically strong enough to become a star. She comments that the moments when corps de ballet become “a human decor to highlight the stars” makes her feel so horrible that she wants to “scream or even leave the stage”.
In A Midsummer Night’s Dream—celebrating its world premiere at Deutsche Oper Berlin this evening with concept, libretto, and choreography by Edward Clug, music composition by Milko Lazar, and performance by Staatsballett Berlin—I get to observe each dancer of the corp de ballet up close as they march in a row along an extended forestage that wraps around the orchestra pit. This narrow extension of the stage is positioned so close to the audience that those in the first row could reach out and touch the dancers. From the fourth row, I can see their individual movements and hear them breathe.
The first time the thirty-odd corps de ballet members perform their march, all of them are dressed in identical costumes (designed by Leo Kulaš), which include full head masks that cover their faces. The costume resembles a leaf, with shades of green, intricate vein patterns, and hands enveloped in sculpted leaves; feet and ankles are accentuated by red. They become a mass of leaves that create a magical forest that is alive in playful and unpredictable ways. When they stand in a row and do a mid-height front développé in canon, it is as if a wind brushes through trees. Watching them all lying on the floor and doing simple choreography only with their legs in the air is captivating. When their legs plop down to the floor in unison, it creates drama and humour. I realise that I am so taken by this collective dance that the solos and duets unfolding beside it often lose their significance.
The second time the corps de ballet walks closely along the audience, their faces are uncovered. They all wear the same beige flowy see-through top and hold a bucket in each hand. As they pass by, I enjoy having the chance to see their youthful faces. Together, they create a stunning scene, my favourite in the piece. They swing the buckets back and forth, on and on, to the sound of church bells. The accumulated sound of the metal buckets flying through the air with the visual image of their swinging conjures a sensation of a sea of church bells ringing. This is the final wedding scene between Theseus and Hippolyta. It is satisfying to experience this extravagant grand finale of love and harmony in such a minimally beautiful aesthetic.
When the soon-to-be-wed couple enters the stage, the corps de ballet appears without their buckets. They dance in energetic unison, every performer wearing a beaming smile, while the couple stands on a large rock with their arms extended. Each corps de ballet dancer shines like a star, illuminating a midsummer night’s sky where lovers and fairies dream.
A Midsummer Night’s Dream, by Edward Clug, performed by Staatsballett Berlin, premiered on 21 February 2025 at Deutsche Oper Berlin.
