Porsche and the Dance

It is Germany’s first ballet school ever to be built specifically for that purpose. At ninety meters long and embedded in a choice part of downtown Stuttgart, it bridges ten sloping levels. Stages like those of a career ladder. “For ballet lovers, the Stuttgart ensemble is what Porsche is for car fans,” says Tadeusz Matacz, who has directed the John Cranko School since 1999. Stuttgart had already acquired an outstanding international reputation for dance back in the early eighteenth century, when the Duke of Württemberg brought the great stars of Parisian opera to the city. The eyes of the entire world have been on the capital of Swabia since the 1960s, when Stuttgart’s “ballet miracle” came into being under choreographer John Cranko. The close ties between the school and the Stuttgart Ballet are unusual. “Nowhere else in the world can students gain their first experience as part of the company and stand in the same ranks with great dancers. That is unique,” explains Matacz. The relatively small number of students—one hundred twenty—also ensures that each individual receives a high degree of attention.

Striking aesthetics, excellent composition

Spacious corridors, halls, and stairways all feature exposed concrete. The design is clear, composed, and concentrated. No element distracts from what is essential—the dance. The nearby opera house and a panoramic view of the city are always present through windows and from the balcony.

The goal and the audience are constantly in sight. For the students, this motivating and identity-shaping place represents a great improvement. “Our previous home was in miserable condition,” says Matacz in recalling the uninspired small rooms whose height did not even allow for high leaps.

Dance—a language understood by all

The one hundred twenty students at the John Cranko School come from twenty-six countries. Most of them live in the school’s new dormitory. “Young people from around the world are educated here under superb conditions,” says Andreas Haffner, Member of the Porsche Executive Board for Human Resources. “That yields something very important—diversity! Also with respect to future prospects. With more than eighty nationalities in our workforce, we know how valuable diversity is.” Analogies are evident between the Stuttgart Ballet and Porsche. “In the cultural sector, styles forged over centuries are constantly being reinterpreted. John Cranko in particular was always seeking to further develop his art. His choreography builds bridges between old and new, between modern and classical. His openness and desire for change are a good fit for Porsche,” says Haffner with passion. Tradition and innovation. Culture touches people the world over. For Porsche, which has been the main sponsor of the Stuttgart Ballet since 2012, the connection is a matter of the heart. The company contributed ten million euros to the construction of the new building.

“That yields something very important—diversity!” Andreas Haffner

Tadeusz Matacz is especially looking forward to working in the Richard Cragun Hall, a rehearsal space without direct natural light. “For me, that will be the most interesting hall, because it will intensify the atmosphere between the dancers and the music. It will facilitate the highest levels of concentration and inspiration. And its crowning jewel is a special grand piano with extraordinary sound. It will be like a stage, where the dancers are surrounded by music and light, are one with the gods, and convey this magic to the audience.” For that, one needs an extraordinary gift—and an exceptional place.