- The Dresden Semperoper Ball commemorates its 2025th milestone anniversary.
Dresden is commemorating the centennial of its ball tradition on February 7, 2025, at the prestigious Semper Opera House, under the banner of the "Celebrate 100" edition. This event signifies the resurgence of the Dresden Semper Opera Ball post-COVID-19, as expressed by the newly chosen head of the ball society, Gerhard Müller, who presented a novel concept for this comeback.
With the slogan "Let's Dance," approximately 2,000 attendees can dance in the globally recognized theater hall, accompanied by parallel happenings at an open-air ball outside the building. According to Müller, "This distinctive attribute we are determined to preserve."
A significant portion of the tickets, approximately 80%, have already been purchased, as per Müller's statement. Dresden fashion designer Dorothea Michalk has been commissioned to create a flowing, golden radiating gown for the debutantes, which will be handcrafted in Saxony, along with matching jewelry from the atelier of Dresden jeweler Barbara Oehlke.
The ball will serve as a significant cultural landmark and will be an integral part of the opera director Nora Schmid's 2024/25 season plan, aside from the Staatskapelle, Staatsopernchor, soloists, and ballet acting as key performers. For the first time, the children's choir of the Semper Opera will also join the program.
Sponsors and debutante couples for the jubilee ball and 100 debutante couples are still being sought. On September 21, aspiring dancers between the ages of 16-29, including couples, will have a chance to exhibit their skills in Viennese waltzing, including turns to the right and left. Among the debutantes awaiting their dance partners is Lucia von Faber-Castell, daughter of actress Mariella Ahrens. Interested applicants can submit their dance videos via the Instagram account of the Semper Opera Ball.
The first opera ball at the theater constructed according to Gottfried Semper's designs, from 1871 to 1878, took place on February 21, 1925. This tradition continued annually in early February until 1939, with the 12th grand ball in the opera house marking the end of this era and coinciding with the onset of World War II.
In July 1989, a muses' festival honoring the past was held in and around the opera house, in a style evoking Baroque times. The first ball organized by the Saxon State Opera in 2006 rekindled this tradition, after a 67-year hiatus, with an event under the open sky.
[Link to information]
The "Dresden Opera Ball" on February 7, 2025, is expected to draw over 2,000 attendees, eager to dance in the Semper Opera House. Dresden fashion designer Dorothea Michalk has been tasked with creating a golden gown for the debutantes, specifically for the "Dresden Opera Ball."
