The Dance of Memory: John Neumeier and the Lost Souls of the Stage — “Die Unsichtbaren”

“Die Unsichtbaren” pays homage to the pioneers of German Ausdruckstanz (Expressionist Dance) from the early 20th century onward. Yet the true focus of the project is on the “invisible” artists whose lives were upended, exiled, silenced, or murdered after the National Socialists came to power in 1933.

An Artistic Collage: Where Yesterday Meets Today

Rather than following a traditional narrative, John Neumeier chooses the form of a dance collage. The stage is not limited to dancers alone; it is enriched with live chamber music and documentary-style play scenes, offering the audience the following experiences:

• Historical Journey: A return to the years when modern dance was taking root, following in the footsteps of figures such as Rudolf von Laban and Mary Wigman.
• Political Rupture: A critical examination of how art fell silent after 1933 or was turned into an ideological instrument (as seen, for example, in Wigman’s ambivalent stance).
• Biographical Memory: Restoring visibility to the dancers who suffered persecution and whose names were erased from public consciousness.

The Energy of Youth and an Authentic Narrative

The work is performed by the Bundesjugendballett, the youth ballet company founded by Neumeier, made up of young talents who have completed their professional training. The virtuosity of these young dancers brings tremendous authenticity and freshness to the revival of the dance rebels of the past. Each biographical segment speaks in its own choreographic language—an approach that keeps the approximately three-hour performance dynamic and alive.

“John Neumeier more than lives up to the title ‘The Invisibles’ with an extremely powerful evening of dance and theatre… With great artistic associative power, he draws a realistic picture.” — Stefan Grund, Welt

Don’t Miss This Performance!

Running parallel to the stage production is a biographical exhibition that delves deeply into the life stories of the artists who were declared invisible. Visiting this exhibition before or after the performance will allow you to connect with the real human stories behind the characters you see on stage.

Tickets for this compelling performance are now available at the Berliner Festspiele online shop.

Dates: 4–5 March 2026

Time: 19:30 – 22:30 (approximately 3 hours, with one intermission)

Venue: Haus der Berliner Festspiele, Berlin