Anna Laudere

"Rejoice, exult" - John Neumeier turns Buch's Christmas Oratorio into an experience that confronts us all with the most basic questions of trust, hope, faith, doubt and self-sacrifice. "My choreography is not a religious undertaking. We perform to Bach's music, for a few hours unifying individuals of many different cultural and religious backgrounds, For me, the basic human values expressed through the choreography are always the most important thing. Therefore, in my ballet, Mary is known simply as 'The mother' and Joseph as 'Her husband'." "Once again it is impossible not to be impressed by the flawless technique of the ensemble ... When at the end Lloyd Riggins tap-dances his way across the stage like Fred Astaire, the Christmas oratorio is complete" (Sueddeutsche Zeitung).

In his 45th year as artistic director of Hamburg Ballet, John Numeier directs a modern adaptation of Tolstoy's masterpiece "Anna Karenina" in co-production with the Bolshoi Theatre and the National Ballet of Canada.