"The greatest success for me is that we have managed to become a family together."

The Ballett am Rhein has a new director: Raphaël Coumes-Marquet. His first few months have been full of work, new impressions and exciting premieres such as "Signatures". As the successor to Demis Volpi, who left for Hamburg, Raphaël is just getting to know the opera house, his company and Düsseldorf. The Frenchman is taking over the direction of the renowned Düsseldorf Opera Ballet in close collaboration with choreographer Bridget Breiner. The first premiere was already met with enthusiasm by the audience and the press. It will be interesting to see how the journey at the ballet continues. We met Raphaël Coumes-Marquet at the Balletthaus for an interview.

Bonjour Raphaël, you've been director of the Ballett am Rhein for a few months now. Have you had time to explore Düsseldorf yet?
I have to admit that I've been very busy at work. So I haven't managed to do as much as I would have liked. But my first impression was very positive because I found the people of Düsseldorf to be very friendly, open and warm-hearted.

How has the work on the opera and with the new company gone so far?
In my opinion, the premiere of "Signaturen" was incredibly good. And I'm not talking about the reactions from the audience or the press, although those were good too. I mean that the rehearsal process with the company was so positive. We managed to create an inspiring environment for everyone. I can feel a very strong connection between the dancers, who gave each other great support. And you can see the joy in everyone's eyes when they come to work at the Ballet House in the morning. The greatest success for me is that we have managed to become a family together.

Where did you grow up and how did you get into ballet?
I come from a music-loving family where everyone plays an instrument. I grew up in Champagnol in the French Jura. My parents enrolled me in a ballet class when I was six. When I was eleven, I went to the Paris Opera Ballet School. From then on, ballet became my "raison de vivre" (purpose in life / editor's note). It was a privilege to be at this school. It was a stroke of luck for me to learn the profession so early. At the age of twelve, I was already on stage at the Opera Garnier and toured Japan with the company for three weeks. Those were really formative experiences for me. Even if it wasn't always easy, because at such a renowned ballet school you are exposed to pressure very early on. Every year I had to dance a solo in front of a jury to get into the next class. When you're twelve years old and you experience that, it changes something in your head, you become very focused and goal-oriented.

As a dancer, you have traveled a lot.
Yes, I have worked in Monte Carlo, at the Vienna State Opera, in Amsterdam and at the Semperoper. I also created my first choreographies there in Dresden, worked as a ballet master and was assistant to the director of the company. It was in Dresden that I met Bridget Breiner, with whom I have been leading the Ballett am Rhein since this season - she as chief choreographer and I as director.

You're no longer on stage, but do you still train?
Yes, a little. I should actually train every day, but unfortunately I can't manage that. Instead, I go jogging along the Rhine in Düsseldorf, for example. I really like to do that during my lunch break to clear my head. If I don't exercise for too long, I quickly feel the effects on my own well-being.

What have you been able to experience in Düsseldorf despite your busy schedule?
I was lucky enough to see various things at the Düsseldorf Festival. I went to the premiere of "Nabucco" at the opera house. I also saw some exhibitions in the museums. I was particularly impressed by the Gerhard Richter exhibition at the Kunstpalast, which is an exciting museum. Otherwise, I walked through the streets to soak up the atmosphere of the city.

And what is at the top of your cultural to-do list?
I really want to experience a concert at the Tonhalle! I also want to get to know the region around Düsseldorf better, for example by traveling to Cologne or going to the opera in Essen.

Even though you've only been in Düsseldorf for a short time, surely you have some restaurant tips?
That's hard to say, there are so many nice places. For example, I really like going to A Tavola on Wallstraße. They even greet me by name when I enter the restaurant. In Little Tokyo, I went to Yaki-The-Emon, which is a very relaxed Japanese brasserie. And next to it is the Bambi cinema, where I watched a movie about the famous choreographer John Cranko. As a choreographer, Cranko revolutionized German ballet in the 1960s. He is practically the father of modern German ballet.

What's next on the Ballett am Rhein's program?
We are performing "Signatures" in Düsseldorf until the end of November - with choreographies by Bridget Breiner, Hans van Manen and David Dawson. In December, "Krabat", a play for the whole family, will be staged. This will be followed in January by "Three Masters - Three Works" with - as the title promises - choreographies by George Balanchine, Hans van Manen and William Forsythe. These are three choreographers who have had a significant influence on ballet. In March, we will be staging another three-part evening entitled "Kaleidoscope". One of the parts, the piece "Verse and Pays Sage", is by Jean-Christophe Maillot, the director of the Ballet de Monte Carlo. It's a wonderful piece that I was involved in creating. I am also very attached to this piece because it is so dynamic.

The Ballett am Rhein can be seen not only on the big opera stage, but also as part of the "Tanz mit" series. What's that all about?
"Tanz mit" is a program that has been around for some time. It brings together various event formats that allow the audience to approach our art form, our work, our athleticism and also our way of thinking in a different way. There are many different evenings or happenings. You can learn part of the choreography in a rehearsal and then simply try to repeat it in the studio afterwards. There is always the opportunity to watch classes and rehearsals in our beautiful ballet house.

How do you want to shape Ballett am Rhein in the coming years?
Bridget Breiner and I take care of the repertoire. That is our strength, that we are able to bring together two different souls and perhaps sometimes energies that help us to develop and complete a really broad repertoire. I can only bring in and program what I know, what I feel and what I have experienced. A lot of it has to do with where we come from and what experiences we've had as artists. It's certainly based on the classical school and the technique of a ballet dancer. But the audience will see ballet dancers on stage performing modern art in its purest form.

operamrhein.de

Text: Clemens Henle
Photos: Uwe Kraft
Photos of "Signatures": Yan Revazov for Ballett am Rhein