International Ballet Festival Gera26
100 Years of Dance Innovation — Two Weeks of Dance Between Tradition and Avant-Garde at Theater Altenburg Gera
About Ballet Festival Gera26
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A Festival for a Hundred Years of Dance History in Gera
When Theater Altenburg Gera hosts the International Ballet Festival Gera26 in May 2026, it's more than just a dance showcase: it's a tribute to an anniversary that no dance history of Central Germany can afford to omit. On August 10, 1925, the then 22-year-old choreographer Yvonne Georgi began her engagement at the Reußisches Theater in Gera. In her one and a half seasons on the Weiße Elster, she translated Mary Wigman's dance impulses into her own style, blending modernity and tradition — and laid the groundwork for a dance ensemble that continues to this day with the Thüringer Staatsballett under Vitaliy Petrov.
Four International Companies Guest in Gera
From May 8 to 21, 2026, the Grand Hall, the Concert Hall, the Bühne am Park, and the Orangerie of the Gera Art Collection will transform into venues for a festival that brings the international dance world to Eastern Thuringia. Sasha Waltz & Guests, one of Europe's most significant contemporary dance ensembles, will come to the city. The Aalto Ballett Essen presents Johan Inger's multi-layered interpretation of "Carmen," the Boston Dance Theater brings a spectacular American signature with the "Carol Kaye Project" and "Pinnacle Works," and the Bundesjugendballett John Neumeier travels with "Die Unsichtbaren" (The Invisible Ones), a dance exploration of exclusion and persecution during National Socialism.
The Thüringer Staatsballett in Focus
The in-house ensemble opens the festival on May 8 with the premiere of "Romeo and Juliet" choreographed by Emanuele Babici, immediately taking center stage. This is followed by the double bill "Jeu de Cartes / Pulcinella" after Stravinsky, and as a historical reunion, Georgi's choreography "Glück, Tod und Traum" — an interdisciplinary foyer production that combines dance, music, and spoken word, bringing the dance creations of the late 1920s back to Gera.
"Bravo, Gera!" — Exhibition and Supporting Program
Accompanying the stage week, the Gera Art Collection and the Orangerie will showcase the exhibition "Bravo, Gera!" featuring photographs, posters, costumes, and archival material from a hundred years of Gera's dance history. Workshops with dancers from the guest companies, public festival forums, film screenings, and the 9th Philharmonic Concert "Alles Balletti!" with works by Stravinsky, Bartók, and Rieti on May 20 and 21 will round off the festival. Those who book three or more guest performances will receive a 15% discount on each ticket.
Gera — City of Dance Tradition in Thuringia
The city of Gera in the state of Thuringia, at the southern gateway to the Vogtland region, was one of Central Germany's most vibrant dance centers during the Weimar Republic. Today, the independent city with its 95,000 inhabitants is home to Theater Altenburg Gera, which, in its two-venue structure with neighboring Altenburger Land, forms Thuringia's largest multi-disciplinary theater. The BallettFestival Gera26 underscores this cultural identity, making Gera one of the most important addresses for German dance for two weeks.
Ballet Festival Gera26 — edition 2026
Ballet Festival Gera26 — The Anniversary Edition
The 2026 festival marks one hundred years of dance history at Theater Altenburg Gera — dating back to choreographer Yvonne Georgi's engagement in 1925 at the then Reußisches Theater. Over fourteen festival days, the in-house Thüringer Staatsballett under Ballet Director Vitaliy Petrov and four international guest companies present a dense program of premieres, repertoire pieces, and reconstructions.
Sasha Waltz & Guests represent the experimental-contemporary profile, while Aalto Ballett Essen, Boston Dance Theater, and Bundesjugendballett John Neumeier broaden the view of international creations. The reunion with "Glück, Tod und Traum" brings Georgi's dance language from the late 1920s back to the Gera foyer stage. The 9th Philharmonic Concert "Alles Balletti!" concludes the festival musically, guiding the audience through a century of ballet music with works by Stravinsky, Bartók, and Rieti.
Programme Ballet Festival Gera26 2026
International Ballet Festival Gera26 — Program Overview
⭐ Friday, May 8, 2026 — Opening
- Grand Hall — "Romeo and Juliet", Premiere, Thüringer Staatsballett, Choreography Emanuele Babici
Saturday, May 9, 2026
- Grand Hall — "In C", Sasha Waltz & Guests (Berlin)
Sunday, May 10, 2026
- Grand Hall — "Carmen", Aalto Ballett Essen, Choreography Johan Inger
- Bühne am Park — "Glück, Tod und Traum" after Yvonne Georgi, Thüringer Staatsballett (Foyer Production)
Monday, May 11, 2026 — Tuesday, May 12, 2026
- Grand Hall — Boston Dance Theater: "Carol Kaye Project" and "Pinnacle Works"
Wednesday, May 13, 2026 — Thursday, May 14, 2026
- Grand Hall — Bundesjugendballett John Neumeier: "Die Unsichtbaren" (Dance collage on exclusion and persecution in National Socialism)
Sunday, May 17, 2026
- Grand Hall — "Jeu de Cartes / Pulcinella", Double Bill Thüringer Staatsballett (Music Igor Stravinsky)
- Bühne am Park — Revival "Glück, Tod und Traum"
Wednesday, May 20, 2026 — Thursday, May 21, 2026
- Concert Hall — 9th Philharmonic Concert "Alles Balletti!" — Works by Stravinsky, Bartók, Vittorio Rieti, and Tchaikovsky (Excerpts from "The Sleeping Beauty")
Accompanying Program May 8-21
- Orangerie of the Gera Art Collection — Exhibition "Bravo, Gera!" (100 Years of Dance History)
- Workshops with dancers from the guest companies
- Festival Forums, Film Screenings, and Artist Talks
- Ballet Gala and Festive Evenings
Full Schedule, Times, and Tickets: theater-altenburg-gera.de.
Highlights Ballet Festival Gera26 2026
- 100 Years of Dance History since Yvonne Georgi (1925)
- Premiere of "Romeo and Juliet" with the Thüringer Staatsballett (May 8)
- "In C" by Sasha Waltz & Guests (May 9)
- "Carmen" by Aalto Ballett Essen, Choreography Johan Inger (May 10)
- Boston Dance Theater on two evenings (May 11/12)
- "Die Unsichtbaren" by Bundesjugendballett John Neumeier (May 13/14)
- Reconstruction of "Glück, Tod und Traum" after Yvonne Georgi
- Exhibition "Bravo, Gera!" in the Orangerie
- 9th Philharmonic Concert "Alles Balletti!" (May 20/21)
Prices Ballet Festival Gera26 2026
Tickets available through the Theaterkasse Gera, online at theater-altenburg-gera.de, and at all known advance booking offices. Festival Discount: 15% off each ticket when booking at least three performances by guest companies. Student discounts available.
Practical information — Ballet Festival Gera26
Date 2026
Friday, May 8 to Thursday, May 21, 2026 — two festival weeks with performances, concerts, workshops, and an exhibition.
Venues
Theater Altenburg Gera: Grand Hall, Concert Hall, and Bühne am Park. Accompanying exhibition "Bravo, Gera!" in the Orangerie of the Gera Art Collection.
Tickets
Advance sales through the Theaterkasse Gera, online at theater-altenburg-gera.de, and at all known advance booking offices. Those booking at least three guest performances receive a 15% discount on each of these tickets. A festival brochure is available at the theater box offices.
Getting There
By train: IC to Gera Hauptbahnhof, then a 10-minute walk to Theaterplatz. By car: A4 exit Gera, follow signs to Innenstadt (city center). Parking garages "Theater" and "Markt" are within walking distance.
Accommodation
Hotels, guesthouses, and apartments in the city center of Gera. Several establishments cooperate with the theater for festival visitors — inquiries to the Tourist-Information Gera.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Ballet Festival Gera26
Theater Altenburg Gera (Großes Haus, Konzertsaal, Bühne am Park, Orangerie)
Theaterplatz 1, 07545 Gera