Monika Lubitz

3 June 1943, Berlin
Principal Ballerina, Ballet Master

Monika Lubitz was born in Berlin. She received her ballet training at the State Ballet School in Berlin, completing her studies with an additional year at the Choreographic Institute in what was then Leningrad. In 1964, she began her first professional engagement at the Leipzig Opera. Emmy Köhler-Richter, the company’s chief choreographer, immediately recognised her potential and took her on as a soloist, entrusting her with leading roles from both the classical and contemporary repertoire. In 1969, she was named Principal Ballerina.

In 1970, Monika Lubitz accepted an invitation from Tom Schilling to join the Komische Oper Berlin, where she had already been a guest performer since 1968. She became a permanent member of his dance theatre ensemble. Here, too, she quickly established herself in a wide range of roles, including Bianca in The Moor of Venice, Beatrice in Undine, the title role in Cinderella, as well as parts in Match, Fancy Free, Rhythm, and the Queen of Hearts in Cranko’s Jeu de cartes. Starting in 1970, she also began guest appearances at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where she was regularly cast in major classical ballets.

In 1972, she was appointed Principal Ballerina at the Deutsche Staatsoper Berlin, where she performed the full classical canon as well as a large body of contemporary works. Among the most significant roles in her repertoire—many of which she rehearsed in several different versions—were Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Marie (The Nutcracker), Giselle, Swanilda (Coppélia), Cinderella, Undine, Alberto Alonso’s Carmen Suite, Vladimir Vasiliev’s Lady Macbeth, The Firebird, Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), the Devil Woman in Kassatkina/Vasiliev’s The Creation of the World, Archisposa in Tom Schilling’s Abraxas, and various works by George Balanchine.

Monika Lubitz has received the National Prize and been honoured with numerous awards, including the Art Prize of the GDR and the Goethe Prize of the City of Berlin. She was also the recipient of the Berlin Critics’ Prize on multiple occasions. She and her dance partners were regularly invited to perform around the world, including in Western countries long before the fall of the Berlin Wall.

After 26 demanding and fulfilling years on stage—during which she became known for her impeccable technique and captivating stage presence—Monika Lubitz retired from performing in 1990. She remained dedicated to the world of dance as a ballet mistress at the Staatsoper Unter den Linden and later with the Berlin State Ballet, a role she held until her retirement in 2006. She is now an honorary member of both the Berlin State Ballet and the Staatsoper Unter den Linden.

In a 2004 interview with Vivace, the Staatsoper magazine, she spoke about her role as ballet master:
«It’s a wonderful experience to be able to pass on knowledge,» she said—meaning the knowledge of dance. While choreography can now be recorded on video, a practical and helpful tool, that doesn’t mean the traditional method—passing choreography down through generations of ballet masters—is any less relevant today. Quite the opposite: as ballet mistress, the former principal ballerina finds herself working daily with very young dancers who need to grow into the roles they’re given. Before they can do that, they must master technical demands and stylistic nuances—that’s part of the daily rehearsal process.

But the real challenge of being a ballet mistress lies elsewhere:
«You have to engage with the person,» she says, describing the most rewarding aspect of her work. «That’s the essential starting point. You have to understand what works for each individual. When I’m in the studio with a dancer, my main task is to help her develop her own unique strengths—the ones that will give her confidence and courage on stage. It’s a long process, but a vibrant one, based not just on teaching and learning, but on building trust. Without that, nothing works. But once that trust is there, the most beautiful and fulfilling part of the work can begin—the moment when you’re free to really explore the role, even push your limits, and perhaps overcome them. Only then is real development possible.»