Fantastic worlds, bizarre characters, and a heroine full of curiosity: with a new ballet production based on Lewis Carroll's "Alice in Wonderland" and "Through the Looking-Glass," the Hamburg Ballet brings one of literature's most famous fantasy stories to the stage.
The adventures of young Alice, who finds herself in a world full of surprising rules and mysterious encounters, are among the best-known stories in world literature. For more than a century, Lewis Carroll's books Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass have delighted readers of all ages. Between dream, fantasy, and philosophical parable, Alice encounters a series of unforgettable characters—including the hasty white rabbit, the mysterious Cheshire Cat, the smoking caterpillar, the twin brothers Tweedledum and Tweedledee, and the mad duo of the March Hare and the Mad Hatter. Above it all reigns the imperious Queen of Hearts with her famous command: "Off with his head!"
Internationally renowned choreographer Alexei Ratmansky is now developing his first original premiere for the Hamburg Ballet based on these two classics. Ratmansky, resident choreographer of the New York City Ballet and one of the most important choreographers of our time, is known for his ability to combine classical ballet tradition with modern expressiveness. In addition to numerous new works, he has also reconstructed historical ballet classics and opened up new perspectives on them.
In his production, Ratmansky combines the poetic imagination of Carroll's stories with the expressiveness of classical dance. Between dream world, mirror universe, and inner journey, an imaginative ballet emerges that captures both the enigmatic logic of Wonderland and the timeless magic of the character Alice.
Premiere June 20
Further performances: June 23 and 26, July 2, 2026
