Ursula Cain
Encyclopedia
Ursula Cain was a German dancer and dance teacher.
Schule for modern dance. She studied from 1942 until the close-down because of the Second World War at the Dance-Academy of the Conservatoire of the state capital Dresden. After her graduation and status as stage-dancer and dance-teacher Ursula Cain became member of the Dore Hoyer-group in 1945. She danced until the closing of the group in Tänze für Käthe Kollwitz (Dances for Käthe Kollwitz), Lied der Zeit (Song of time) and Schießbude (Shooting Gallery). From 1948 Cain danced at the Volkstheater Rostock and from 1949 at the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
as modern principal dancer
. There she dances soloist-roles in choreographies by Veith Büchel and gets to know the former conductor of orchestra and first music director of the Oper Leipzig
, Helmut Seydelmann. From 1951 Cain started her studies of classical ballet with Gertrud Steinweg in Leipzig and Tatjana Gsovsky and also with Gustav Blank in Berlin. She was engaged in 1952 at the Städtisches Theater Leipzig as principal dancer and from 1953 on as first soloist artist. She danced in numerous choreographies from Gertrud Steinweg, Lilo Gruber, Werner Ulbrich, Tom Schilling and Emmy Köhler-Richter. In October 1960 Ursula Cain danced in the festive program for the opening of the new Operahouse in Leipzig, which was broadcasted on TV on the channel Deutscher Fernsehfunk of the former GDR. Ursula Cain danced the Wicked Fairy in Sleeping Beauty
in the choreography by Emmy Köhler-Richter. Terminating her active career on stage she danced the role Archisposa in Apraxas in 1962.
From 1979 Ursula Cain worked as dance teacher for modern dance at the specialized college for dance "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig" ("Ballettschule der Oper Leipzig") tätig. She overtook the responsibility for the children-classes at the "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig" in 1988.
In 1989 Ursula Cain became the leader of the amateur group „Tanzkaleidoskop“ in the "house of Heinrich Budde" ("Heinrich Budde Haus") in Leipzig.
In 1997 she developed the choreography for the children-classes for the annual Matinée of the "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig".
and Friedrich U. Minkus from Leipzig, began to work on the autobiographical dance-theater Time – dancing since 1927. The project celebrated in 2006 its extraordinary success at the Oper Leipzig. Time - dancing since 1927 was produced as documentary Dancing with Time
by Trevor Peters for ZDF
and ARTE
, was shown at German cinemas in 2007/8 and international Festivals. In 2008 the author Marion Appelt published the book Dancing with Time, adding interviews and photos of the four aged dancers.
From 2007 on, Ursula Cain continued her second stage-career in the contemporary dance-theater Leaps in Time (ZeitSprünge) by Heike Hennig with the extraordinary and unique ensemble Heike Hennig & Co with more than 30 performances and guest performances at international festivals. Her Pas de deux
with Horst Dittmann to the slow movement from the 5th symphony of Gustav Mahler
, which is seen in the documentary film, too, is one of the highlights in the dance-theater of generations staged by Heike Hennig. In 2008 Ursula Cain danced the Alcina
by George Frideric Handel
with Horst Dittmann as Ruggiero directed and choreographed by Heike Hennig at the Handel Festival, Halle
. Ursula Cain is known as oldest stage-active students of Mary Wigman.
The former artist director Udo Zimmermann
congratulated the "dream-ballerina" ("Traum-Ballerina") to her 60th birthday: Maybe it was due to this combination of Wigman and Gsovsky, connected to the place Leipzig, where those two important figures worked together, which realized the lucky chance, that you became the embodiment of the classical lyrical ballerina. In any case, it could have only been you, because you have been one of the few ones, who had everything about in, in that time.– Oper Leipzig
In March 2008 the international dance-magazine "Ballettanz" named Ursula Cain as Grande dame
of the dance in Leipzig.
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler
honoured Ursula Cain by inviting her in the Federal Presidency Office in the Bellevue Palace
(Schloss Bellevue) in Berlin on 27 March 2008.
Biography
The dancer and the dance teacher Ursula Cain began her dance education at the age of 12 years in the preparatory class of the Mary WigmanMary Wigman
Mary Wigman was a German dancer, choreographer, and dance instructor.A pioneer of expressionist dance, her work was hailed for bringing the deepest of existential experiences to the stage...
Schule for modern dance. She studied from 1942 until the close-down because of the Second World War at the Dance-Academy of the Conservatoire of the state capital Dresden. After her graduation and status as stage-dancer and dance-teacher Ursula Cain became member of the Dore Hoyer-group in 1945. She danced until the closing of the group in Tänze für Käthe Kollwitz (Dances for Käthe Kollwitz), Lied der Zeit (Song of time) and Schießbude (Shooting Gallery). From 1948 Cain danced at the Volkstheater Rostock and from 1949 at the Anhaltisches Theater Dessau
Dessau
Dessau is a town in Germany on the junction of the rivers Mulde and Elbe, in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2007, it is part of the merged town Dessau-Roßlau. Population of Dessau proper: 77,973 .-Geography:...
as modern principal dancer
Principal dancer
A principal dancer is a dancer at the highest rank within a professional dance company, particularly a ballet company....
. There she dances soloist-roles in choreographies by Veith Büchel and gets to know the former conductor of orchestra and first music director of the Oper Leipzig
Oper Leipzig
Oper Leipzig is an opera house and opera company in Leipzig, Germany.The Leipzig Opera traces its establishment to the year 1693, making it the third oldest opera venue in Europe after La Fenice and the Hamburg State Opera...
, Helmut Seydelmann. From 1951 Cain started her studies of classical ballet with Gertrud Steinweg in Leipzig and Tatjana Gsovsky and also with Gustav Blank in Berlin. She was engaged in 1952 at the Städtisches Theater Leipzig as principal dancer and from 1953 on as first soloist artist. She danced in numerous choreographies from Gertrud Steinweg, Lilo Gruber, Werner Ulbrich, Tom Schilling and Emmy Köhler-Richter. In October 1960 Ursula Cain danced in the festive program for the opening of the new Operahouse in Leipzig, which was broadcasted on TV on the channel Deutscher Fernsehfunk of the former GDR. Ursula Cain danced the Wicked Fairy in Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty by Charles Perrault or Little Briar Rose by the Brothers Grimm is a classic fairytale involving a beautiful princess, enchantment, and a handsome prince...
in the choreography by Emmy Köhler-Richter. Terminating her active career on stage she danced the role Archisposa in Apraxas in 1962.
From 1979 Ursula Cain worked as dance teacher for modern dance at the specialized college for dance "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig" ("Ballettschule der Oper Leipzig") tätig. She overtook the responsibility for the children-classes at the "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig" in 1988.
In 1989 Ursula Cain became the leader of the amateur group „Tanzkaleidoskop“ in the "house of Heinrich Budde" ("Heinrich Budde Haus") in Leipzig.
In 1997 she developed the choreography for the children-classes for the annual Matinée of the "Ballet-School of the Oper Leipzig".
Second stage career
In 2005 Ursula Cain and her dance colleagues Christa Franze, Siegfried Prölß and Horst Dittmann of the Oper Leipzig, conducted by the German choreographer Heike HennigHeike Hennig
Heike Hennig is a German dancer, choreographer and director of the opera and dance ensemble “Heike Hennig & Co”.-Life:Heike Hennig had her first dance-lessons at the age of 5 years in Leipzig...
and Friedrich U. Minkus from Leipzig, began to work on the autobiographical dance-theater Time – dancing since 1927. The project celebrated in 2006 its extraordinary success at the Oper Leipzig. Time - dancing since 1927 was produced as documentary Dancing with Time
Dancing with Time
Dancing with Time is a film by Trevor Peters about the autobiography Dance Theater Zeit – tanzen seit 1927 by Heike Hennig.- Plot :...
by Trevor Peters for ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
and ARTE
Arte
Arte is a Franco-German TV network. It is a European culture channel and aims to promote quality programming especially in areas of culture and the arts...
, was shown at German cinemas in 2007/8 and international Festivals. In 2008 the author Marion Appelt published the book Dancing with Time, adding interviews and photos of the four aged dancers.
From 2007 on, Ursula Cain continued her second stage-career in the contemporary dance-theater Leaps in Time (ZeitSprünge) by Heike Hennig with the extraordinary and unique ensemble Heike Hennig & Co with more than 30 performances and guest performances at international festivals. Her Pas de deux
Pas de deux
In ballet, a pas de deux is a duet in which ballet dancers perform the dance together. It usually consists of an entrée, adagio, two variations , and a coda.-Notable Pas de deux:...
with Horst Dittmann to the slow movement from the 5th symphony of Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler
Gustav Mahler was a late-Romantic Austrian composer and one of the leading conductors of his generation. He was born in the village of Kalischt, Bohemia, in what was then Austria-Hungary, now Kaliště in the Czech Republic...
, which is seen in the documentary film, too, is one of the highlights in the dance-theater of generations staged by Heike Hennig. In 2008 Ursula Cain danced the Alcina
Alcina
Alcina is an opera seria by George Frideric Handel. Handel used the libretto of L'isola di Alcina, an opera that was set in 1728 in Rome by Riccardo Broschi, which he acquired the year after, during his travels in Italy...
by George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
with Horst Dittmann as Ruggiero directed and choreographed by Heike Hennig at the Handel Festival, Halle
Handel Festival, Halle
The Handel Festival in Halle is an international music festival, concentrating on the music of George Frideric Handel, in the composer's birthplace in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. The festival was founded in 1922 and grew into a center of Handel studies and performance in Europe...
. Ursula Cain is known as oldest stage-active students of Mary Wigman.
Honours
In 1993, for the 300-year anniversary of the Oper Leipzig, Ursula Cain got honorary member of the Oper Leipzig.The former artist director Udo Zimmermann
Udo Zimmermann
Udo Zimmermann was born in Dresden on October 6, 1943. He is a German composer, music director, and conductor.- Biography :Zimmermann was a member of the Dresdner Kreuzchor from 1954 to 1962. He then continued his music education at the Dresden Music School. He studied composition with Johannes...
congratulated the "dream-ballerina" ("Traum-Ballerina") to her 60th birthday: Maybe it was due to this combination of Wigman and Gsovsky, connected to the place Leipzig, where those two important figures worked together, which realized the lucky chance, that you became the embodiment of the classical lyrical ballerina. In any case, it could have only been you, because you have been one of the few ones, who had everything about in, in that time.– Oper Leipzig
In March 2008 the international dance-magazine "Ballettanz" named Ursula Cain as Grande dame
Grande dame
A grande dame is a stock character designed to represent a stereotype of an elderly high society socialite.In popular culture, the grande dame is usually portrayed as a slightly flamboyant woman, prone to extravagant and eccentric fashion, such as feather boas, large hats, and excessive costume...
of the dance in Leipzig.
The President of the Federal Republic of Germany Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler
Horst Köhler is a German politician of the Christian Democratic Union. He was President of Germany from 2004 to 2010. As the candidate of the two Christian Democratic sister parties, the CDU and the CSU, and the liberal FDP, Köhler was elected to his first five-year term by the Federal Assembly on...
honoured Ursula Cain by inviting her in the Federal Presidency Office in the Bellevue Palace
Bellevue Palace
Bellevue Palace may refer to:*Schloss Bellevue, the official residence of the President of Germany in Berlin*Château de Bellevue, a château built in 1748 in Meudon for Madame de Pompadour, demolished in 1823...
(Schloss Bellevue) in Berlin on 27 March 2008.
Literature / DVD
- Marion Appelt: Tanz mit der Zeit (Dancing with Time), Leipzig, Plöttner Verlag 2008, ISBN 978-3-938442-45-6
- Trevor Peters: Tanz mit der Zeit (Dancing with Time), Berlin, Good Movies/Ventura 2009, Indigo, DVD 926328
External links
- Heike Hennig & Co Homepage de-en-fr