A number of postponed productions are finally having their moment, but there are also lots of new productions that we haven't announced before.
People on stage and people in the auditorium and the galleries. The silence of an orchestra awaiting the maestro and the footfalls of performing dancers. Emotions in the theatre and encounters in the corridors. A glass of champagne in the foyer, perhaps ...? It's all gradually coming back.
No matter how pleased Opera Ballet Vlaanderen has been with the past few months' foray into streaming - see the press dossier -, everyone has felt what we have known for a long time: the connection between an audience in a darkened theatre and a live artist is difficult to replace.
Since March 11, 2020, the company's artists, technicians and all other employees in our house have been on an emotional rollercoaster of cancellations, startups, downshifts and performances without a live audience. As they gradually return to normal operations, we would like to sincerely thank them once again for their flexibility over the past year.
Next season, more than ever, staff will be the face of our house. Under the heading We are Opera Ballet Vlaanderen you will meet some of them in the images in the season brochure, on the posters in the cities and in videos on social media. And each of them has a unique story to tell. If we may be permitted to use the word 'essential' one more time, it certainly applies to them and, by extension, to the arts.
Together with them, Opera Ballet Vlaanderen presents a complete 2021-2022 season with 22 productions. A number of postponed productions are finally having their moment, but there are also lots of new productions that we haven't announced before. There will be a new series of chamber concerts and VONK - our pillar around innovation, talent development and inclusivity - will be collaborating with unexpected partners from the broad artistic field.
So, the next season will not just be a make-up round, but a full season that confidently returns to normal, in the post-vaccination moment.
Learn more about the full season here.
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