About the work
"Kolossus Kids" is a participatory dance project of the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, developed by the team of the Australian choreographer Stephanie Lake. It is based on the choreographic structures and images of her successful ensemble work "Colossus", which explores the interplay of large groups. The premiere took place in November 2025 as part of the dance evening "Wings and Feathers". It involved students from the Palucca University of Dance Dresden, the Heinrich-Schütz Conservatory and PUCK e. V.
Plot
At its centre – as in Lake's "Colossus" – is the dynamic of the mass: how does a large group move as a single body, when do individuals break away, how do patterns, waves and ruptures arise in collective dance? "Kolossus Kids" transfers these principles to a young, mixed ensemble and makes Lake's integrative working method tangible. Rather than a narrative, the communal movement event takes centre stage – the power and the vulnerability of the many within the one.
Cultural significance
"Kolossus Kids" exemplifies the educational and youth work of major dance companies: it introduces young dancers and amateurs to contemporary choreographic methods and links the professional structure of the Semperoper Ballett with local training and youth institutions. By opening an established ensemble work (Stephanie Lake's "Colossus") to a participatory context, the project shows how contemporary dance can combine participation with artistic quality.