Scapino strikes new course

Scapino Ballet Rotterdam is preparing for an exciting new season under the leadership of new artistic director Nanine Linning. The first performance in Linning's new position at Scapino is the 2025 choreography Anima Obscura. A large-scale, multimedia production for 25 dancers with a video scenography of holograms, digital animations, graphic drawings and live cameras in combination with orchestra and choir, soprano, baritone and harp.

Linning’s first season marks the four-year collaboration between two Rotterdam icons: the Rotterdam Philharmonic Orchestra and Scapino Ballet Rotterdam. Together with the 50 singers of the Laurens Symfonisch, they bring to life Johannes Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem and the contemporary composition by Yannis Kyriakides for Anima Obscura, in collaboration with the young star conductor Guiseppe Mengoli and famous Dutch harpist Remy van Kesteren.

Anima Obscura shows the artistic innovation that Linning has in mind with Scapino. Collaborations with other art disciplines, digital art, science and technology around urgent themes for a broader and younger audience. For example, Anima Obscura is about the malleability of humans and the use of artificial intelligence in the desire for immortality. Anima Obscura is presented at the O. Festival for Opera. Music. Theatre. and will be presented from 28 May to 1 June at the Nieuw Luxor Theater.

Nature versus Nurture - overarching theme for Linning's artistic vision for the coming four years: "We live in a world that is changing rapidly and in which the challenges have never been greater. Alienation from nature and the ability to manipulate man go hand in hand with the high pace of development of technology and digitalization. These are challenging themes for 'mission driven' performances in which we, seen through the eyes of artists, want to think along. Performances that make an impact around social themes, from which wonder, confusion and activism speak."

Origin

The new performance Origin is created by three avant-garde creators, with a socially critical outlook in their work. All three have earned their spurs abroad and are now being commissioned for the first time by Scapino to create a major work for the major theaters, presented throughout the Netherlands. Sarah Baltzinger and Isaiah Wilson create an imaginative satire on contemporary times and the psychology of the masses. Olivia Court Mesa shows human resilience in times of tragedy and chaos. She does not shy away from humor in the process. Scapino brings Origin in 2025 in partnership with choreographer competition RIDCC. 
Scapino is entering into a four-year partnership with Cinedans Film Festival. Within that framework, Cinedans will curate a number of dance films for Origin that connect the two dance pieces by Baltzinger & Wilson and by Olivia Court Mesa.

Cathedral, an evening with Arvo Pärt

In December 2024, Scapino will bring the successful production Cathedral, an evening with Arvo Pärt by Spanish dance and theater maker Marcos Morau. Cathedral shows a world in which life is dominated by digital technologies and in which we are increasingly losing each other. Combining artistic disciplines, extraordinary design and inventive movement language, Morau is one of the leading dance artists in European theater. Scapino has a long-term long relationship with Marcos Morau and was the first company to commission Morau in the Netherlands. Scapino is the only company in the world to have this performance in its repertoire and will play this production both at home and abroad. In Rotterdam, Arvo Pärt's music will be performed live by Sinfonia Rotterdam. 

Oscar

Before Nanine Linning finally takes over from current artistic director Ed Wubbe on 21 Oct. 2024, Scapino will bring its production Oscar one more time. From August 31 until the end of September, the performance with live music by Blaudzun, dance and circus acts will once again be seen with twelve performances in Royal Theater Carré and for the first time with eight performances also in the New Luxor Theater in Rotterdam. Scapino created the show two years ago, commissioned by Theater Carré because of the theater's 135th anniversary. All eighteen performances were sold out. With this new series, Ed Wubbe bids farewell to Scapino after more than 30 years.