AERI KIM, Dancer at Friedrichstadt - Palast

How did you first discover your passion for ballet, and what inspired you to pursue it as a career?

I started dancing ballet in kindergarten, just for fun like any other kid, after watching a lot of ballet performances, I got a desire to be on stage like the dancers I admired. The way how they danced and of course the sparkling jewelry and ballet tutus captivated my heart.

My parents sent me to other activities too but ballet was always my absolute favorite, unlike piano or painting, I never wanted to miss a ballet class. The joy of learning, improving and achieving made me fall in love with ballet more, I found true happiness in expressing my emotions through dance.

The feeling of being on stage and receiving the applause from the audience was the most significant inspiration and motivation for me to pursue ballet as a career.

FILIPA CAVACO, Dancer at Staatsballett Berlin

Can you tell us about your background in ballet and how you got started?

This is actually an interesting story, my mum danced ballet, not professionally, when she was pregnant of me. So I dare to say that, she had a strong influence on me. Later, when I was around 4 years old I saw some pictures of her, younger, dancing ballet in my grandmother’s house, so with that, I just copied the ballet position I’ve seen in the picture, and told her that I wanted to be “on the tips of my feet”. With 5 years old, I started with a Russian ballet teacher in my home town, Faro, until I was 18 years old, but always as a hobby. Was only when I was 18, that I decided to follow ballet as a career path when I was invited by the director of the Nacional Conservatoire in Lisbon, which I joined the last 2 years of the the course. I started my professional career in the National of Portugal, right after finishing the conservatoire, and there I stayed for 2 years. Later, I joined the Staattsballet Berlin, where I’m currently in my 6th season with the company.

Can you share a particularly memorable or challenging performance in your career and how it influenced your growth as a dancer?

I’ve had couple of memorable and challenging performances in my career, but the one that really stands out was dancing “The rite of Spring” by Pina Bausch, last year. It was a dream for me to dance this masterpiece since I was younger. It was not only exhausting physically but also mentally. It was a very long and methodical process, full of details, and the stagers who worked with us really took the best out of each dancer. The choreography was extremely challenging, but in a way very delicate. We were dancing on soil which added to the challenge but also added to the sensory part of the experience. I remember crying after most of the shows. Some dancers were even crying during the show. It was the most rewarding experience on stage I’ve had so far.

ELISA CARRILLO CABRERA, Principal Dancer at Staatsballet Berlin

Ballet is often considered a highly visual art form. How do you believe it can be appreciated on a deeper level, beyond its aesthetics?

Ballet can be considered on a deeper level. It allows you to connect with the audience on a deeper level because it‘s not only a visual art; there are a lot of emotions that come through the dance and movement.
Seeing a body move in sync with the music is something very special. I would say that, more than being a visual art, dance is an amazing way
of connecting with the human spirit. It‘s not just about what you see with your eyes; it‘s a moment where you witness something beautiful and feel the emotions as dancers move and breathe, speaking through
their bodies and movements. There is a special energy that reaches you when you are in the audience. This is exactly what I have to do - make
people see and feel something different. It‘s not only about seeing things; my job is also to make them feel something in their hearts when they experience this combination of the beauty of the scenery, music, and movement. I believe that if, as a dancer, you have these emotions in your heart, you can always share them with the audience and it will come across that way.

In the world of ballet, there is often a need for continual growth and adaptation. How do you approach expanding your repertoire and exploring new dance styles or techniques?

Dancers always have to grow and discover new movements, but this is also a challenge that makes it very interesting. Throughout the years, I have been learning and growing as a dancer and as a person through different repertoires - from modern to classical - and getting to work with different people with different styles has made my technique stronger and
my artistic presence even stronger. It‘s very important, just like in life, to adapt and learn new challenges because then your movement, technique, and performance become stronger and reach people on a different level of energy. I think it‘s always amazing to have the opportunity to grow and try new things and styles because then a dancer becomes more complete and richer.

KATHARINA GARBERS- VON BOEHM, Art Laweyer

What is your biggest daily challenge?
Some days, a great many things happen at once, all of which need immediate attention. It is challenging, but I honestly love the flow when the days are too short. The most important thing is to keep a cool head and remain calm. That gives a sense of control.

Is it still difficult to be taken seriously as a woman working in the art industry in 2021?
I rarely encounter real male chauvinism anymore; a lot has changed in the past 10 to 15 years. My status as a lawyer perhaps also helps me to be taken seriously in the art world. I try to counter the machoism that can sometimes still be found in the legal world with humor.

MARTA GNYP, Gallery Owner & Author

What do you rely on most in your work?
Expertise, detail control, and intuition.

What is important to you when purchasing art?
A work of art’s potential to be of lasting, art historical significance, socially relevant and, ideally, financially valuable.

DIANDRA DONECKER, Partner & Managing Director at Grisebach.

Did you always want to work in the art industry?
I had always wanted to study art history. I found the combination of history and art as a medium utterly fascinating. It was also clear to me early on that I wanted to combine art and the markets, art and demand, art and trade. The pleasure of beholding, of collecting, and also that a work of art can have its price appealed to me. I enjoy working with people, getting out and about, and travelling, too – this mix is what attracts me and continues to nourish me to this day!

What has working in the art industry taught you?
Flexibility, openness, internationality, discipline, team spirit, and an insatiable thirst for knowledge.