Dido & Aeneas Tanz und Oper verschmelzen zu einer einzigartigen Kunstform.

Henry Purcell’s most famous opera tells the story of Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan prince Aeneas, whose love is tragically thwarted by the looming hostility between their two kingdoms. As the first contemporary artist to reinterpret this opera in such a way, Sasha Waltz transformed its richly layered emotional world into a choreographic work that actively engages the singers in dance processes, thus merging dance and opera into a single art form.

To illustrate the inner turmoil of the two lovers, Sasha Waltz casts Dido with two dancers who simultaneously express different emotional states. She created this first of her choreographic operas in 2005 together with 12 dancers from her company, as well as 51 musicians, choristers, and vocal soloists.

DIDO & AENEAS, a work exploring the myth of flight, exile, and love in times of war, has been celebrated at countless guest performances around the world since its premiere in 2005. We are delighted to bring this acclaimed production to Cologne.