Staatsballett Berlin Goes Clubbing

Staatsballett Berlin has a new stage: a techno club. The company is currently performing inside one of Berlin’s most popular nightclubs, Berghain. Located in the city’s ex-communist east side, the venue is known for throwing massive, sexy parties. Masse, featuring three contemporary pieces by choreographers Nadja Saidakova, Xenia Wiest and Tim Plegge, is scored by DJs who regularly play at the club.

This co-production between Berghain and Staatsballett Berlin is part of the fight against the decline of the city’s alternative culture, which, after thriving during the wild post–Berlin wall years, is now being squeezed out by a real estate boom. In that spirit, the show celebrates the city’s gritty, provocative nightlife. The set features a bus wreck and twisted steel. The dancers wear bondage masks. And the tickets are sold out through the end of the run—fans who haven’t been able to get in have apparently taken to sneaking into the club during the day to wait for the show.