Dortmund, July 2026 – Dance, digital technologies and artistic research come together in The Blood of a Poet to create a new form of stage experience. For this work, Guillem Rojo i Gallego, a dancer with Ballett Dortmund and a choreographer, was awarded the 2026 Prof. Balzert Ballet Prize. The award was presented on 4 July 2026 as part of the 42nd International Ballet Gala, at which the production was premiered on stage at the Dortmund Opera House. The Blood of a Poet is a work that combines contemporary dance with projection, motion capture, generative artificial intelligence and interaction. Digital technologies do not serve merely as effects, but become an integral part of the choreographic narrative. The result is a stage world in which analogue dance and digital innovation complement one another and enable new forms of artistic expression.
The Blood of a Poet is a collaboration between the Academy for Theatre and Digitality (Director: Marcus Lobbes) and Ballett Dortmund (Director: Jaš Otrin). Together with tech artist Nils Gallist, the Academy supported the artistic and technological development process. Ballett Dortmund was responsible for the production and staged the work at the International Ballet Gala with seven dancers from the company under the choreographic direction of Guillem Rojo i Gallego. For Guillem Rojo i Gallego, the production also represents an important step in his choreographic development. As a dancer with Ballett Dortmund, he is part of the choreography mentoring programme, through which the company specifically nurtures choreographic talent from within its own ranks and gives them the space to develop their own artistic signature. In terms of content, too, The Blood of a Poet fits into a central thematic focus of the current season. Like productions such as Frida or Ella, the work turns its attention to female artists who, during their lifetimes, did not receive the attention or recognition they deserved. In doing so, the production combines technological innovation with an artistic exploration of memory, visibility and the question of which stories are told today and how.
An award for innovation, culture and collaboration between two theatre disciplines
The Prof. Balzert Ballet Prize recognises productions that bring fresh impetus to dance and explore digital technologies as a means of artistic expression. The prize was established by Heide and Helmut Balzert, professors of computer science at Dortmund University. It deliberately bridges the gap between science, technology and the performing arts, and honours works that open up new avenues for dance.
The Blood of a Poet has been recognised not only for its exceptional choreography. It also recognises the close collaboration between the Academy for Theatre and Digitality and the Dortmund Ballet. This collaboration demonstrates how the combination of artistic research, technological development and choreographic practice gives rise to new aesthetic possibilities and how digital technologies expand dance as a means of artistic expression: the Academy is an internationally networked research and development laboratory that artistically shapes the digital transformation of the performing arts. At the intersection of art, technology and science, the team works alongside artists and creative technologists to develop new methods, tools, production techniques and narrative forms for the performing arts. Ballett Dortmund brings these developments into artistic practice and onto the stage – where innovation can be experienced first-hand by the audience.
Stina Wirth (sie/ihr)
Communications & Content
presse@theater.digital
Academy for Theatre und Digitality
Theater Dortmund
Speicherstrasse 17
44147 Dortmund