CARMEN

A classic brought to life through dance

All good things come in threes, as the saying goes. And in this case, the saying couldn’t be more apt. With the dance production of Carmen, we celebrate one of the most famous couples in world literature and, together with the great choreographer Enrique Gasa Valga and his Limonada Dance Company, we celebrate the third German premiere in 2026.

Symbol of passion and rebellion

Enrique Gasa Valga approaches the iconic figure of Carmen in his own unique way. In his production, he weaves elements from Prosper Mérimée’s literary template with motifs from Bizet’s opera, developing an independent choreographic narrative form. He understands Carmen not merely as a dramatic character, but as a symbol of passion, rebellion and the longing for freedom. With clear movements, intense images and emotionally charged body language, he creates a stage experience that allows the material to be experienced in an unusual, immediate way.

Opera meets flamenco

Gasa Valga’s approach to music is particularly striking. Instead of relying on a purely classical interpretation, he draws on a multi-layered soundscape: in addition to well-known arrangements of Bizet’s famous melodies, traditional Spanish music styles are also incorporated – such as flamenco, folk songs and rhythmic elements from Andalusian culture. This creates a lively musical texture that grounds the story while opening up new emotional spaces. This combination of classical opera tradition and folkloric sounds reflects the inner conflict of the main character: the tension between social order and individual freedom, between convention and instinct. Gasa Valga makes deliberate use of this musical diversity to reinforce the emotional depth of his interpretation of Carmen and to make the characters tangible in all their contradictions.

World famous thanks to Georges Bizet

The foundation for her great success was laid by Prosper Mérimée’s novella Carmen, which he published in 1845. He was inspired by a story that was allegedly told to him by Countess Maria Manuela de Montijo during a trip to Spain. Mérimée turned the character into a freedom-loving gypsy – mysterious and unpredictable. However, Carmen only became world famous through Georges Bizet’s opera, which premiered in Paris in 1875. The libretto by Ludovic Halévy and Henri Meilhac took a few liberties: characters such as Carmen’s husband Garcia were deleted, while others such as Micaela were reinvented. The bullfighter Escamillo – only a minor character in the novella – was also expanded into a central role. Since then, Carmen has become not only a literary figure, but also a musical myth – the sound of her name immediately brings melodies to mind.

Fotos @ Otmar Mosbacher