Tag Archives: dancing

The Scene meets Weyde

There is a new star rising on Berlin’s nightlife sky! It’s neither in Mitte, Friedrichshain nor in Kreuzberg – which is rather unusual. Instead the new dancing temple is located in the insider’s district Schöneweide, located east of Friedrichshain. Right now Schöneweide isn’t exactly considered a cool hood, but our Berlinagenten instinct tells us the area will become a trendy and sought after place to live in within the next years.

The Weyde takes up the role of a techno pioneer – bringing the music that has made Berlin’s heart beat since the 90s to the outer district. With the same architectural office as the world-famous Berghain, it’s bound to have a distinctive visual touch to it. Our visit to the construction site has assured us that the concept behind the club is just as promising as the architectural planning.

With a wide array of techno/electronic music on the weekend and even Indie or Rock bands taking up the premises on workdays, we can imagine the whole thing working out quite well. For their 2 main floors they have made sure the sound will be ear pleasing to whatever audience: the industry standard Funktion One sound system will be installed at the club, which is used by the biggest music festivals world wide.

Another promising attempt to breath some fresh air into the every day life of Berlin clubbers: there will be a water-cab bringing you right from the inner city to the club’s own pier. How cool is that?! Forget cabs and traffic jams, from now on we’ll drive to the club with style and glam…on a boat!

What’s really unique about the club is its dimension and multi-functional spaces which make it seem like three clubs in one. Apart from the three floors (four if you add the wardrobe floor) there is a promising outdoor area, that will most likely be home to the biggest party trend in Berlin for years: open airs. Also the roof of the multi-storey car park the club is in will be used for cultural events, such as vinyl flea markets and open-air cinemas.

There was a small pre-opening party on December 12th, but the real gems AKA the two main floors were still under construction. We’ve already received our VIP invitation to the grand opening in January. Looking forward!

Insiders – Sarah Bowden

Sarah Bowden is an Australia-born actress, dancer and singer. She’s a real globetrotter but lost her heart to our beloved Berlin 7 years ago and we’ve been happy to have her ever since. Here she talks Berlin, the future of the entertainment scene and why Schöneberg is the place for her.

Q: Hey Sarah. Tell us a bit about yourself and what you do.

A: I’ve been on the stage for the past 20 years performing in musicals and carbaret. You might ha-ve seen me on shows like Der Schuh das Manitu, Tanz der Vampire or We Will Rock You. Last summer I played in “Heller Wahnsinn” in the Varieté Wintergarten, now I’m hosting my own show there. I really like the Berlin carbaret scene!

Q: How did you end up performing anyway?

A: I had my first dancing lessons when I was 3 and it kind of just took off from there. My two brothers over in Australia also perform in musicals, but I don’t think it’s in our blood. My mother is a tax consultant and my dad is a construction worker…

Q: When and why did you come to Berlin?

A: I had this job here. We toured Germany and the first place I ended up in was Düsseldorf. It was horrible. I was about to pack my things and get back on the plane, but luckily we were scheduled to play in Munich, Hamburg and Frankfurt soon. Those were a little better but still not really that inte-resting… it was only when I got to Berlin that I changed my mind. Berlin was different. I had the weird feeling of belonging here. I mean I was in London, Tokyo, Spain, Canada, New York but no place ever felt like home. Berlin did.

Q: Is there a special reason you’re living in Schöneberg?

A: After watching “Carbaret” with Liza Minnelli I just couldn’t help dreaming of moving to Schöne-berg one day. I’ve always related to the movie’s main character Sally Bowles, who lived in the area.. I’ve even been blessed enough to play Sally Bowles in a musical, so moving here and playing Sally really was a dream come true.

Q: How do you feel about performing in Berlin of all the places?

A: Everyone has this one dream. Some hope to jump out of a plane one day, others want to buy a Porsche, for me it was playing Sally in this city.

Q: How did the enterainment scene change over the last years?

A: It’s not only the entertainment scene, it’s the whole city that’s changed. The range of shows and possibilities the city offers has gotten much wider, so the people are for more open to new ideas. I feel the city itself is growing more commercial by the day. Just look at Ku’Damm today and 7 years back. You wouldn’t recognize it. The entertainment scene is trying to maintain the Berlin hype. The art of Berlin. They’re opening up to new concepts, for example when we did “Heller Wahnsinn” at Wintergarten. It was a mix of Burlesque, Carbaret and Musical.. they’re starting to melt into one performance.

Q: So you’re saying the future will bring some wild mix ups of different performance styles?

A: Exactly! Decades ago each discipline worked for itself. What we get to see now is a mix of Car-baret, live music, Aerial Arts, Hip Hop Dance, Musical,… there’s lots of differente influences. I can’t tell you where we’ll be in 10 years, but my guess is this trend will continue. That’s what makes it cool, the mixture.

Q: What are you up to in the next time?

A: I’ll probably be pretty busy with my new show Sally&Fred, which premieres on the 30th of March in Wintergarten. I’ll be performing alongside with Helmut Baumann. He’s a real god in the theatre scene and has brought countless international success stories to Berlin and adapted them for the German audience. He’s 76 and still rocking the stage!

Q: Where are you headed for a night out?

A: The Soho House has become the place to be I think. And in Schöneberg I’m still hanging out in the same bar that was my first very bar in Berlin: Victoria Bar on Potsdamer Straße. Some things never change, I guess…

Insiders: Bastian and David from Berlin Dreamboys

This month we have two of Berlin’s finest high quality men strippers with us – Bastian and David from Berlin Dreamboys. They’ve successfully been rocking the business for a while now and offer shows that aren’t only sexy but add some artistic flavor. 

Looking at you guys makes it apparent why so many women (and men!) are delighted you two became strippers. Are your girlfriends just as glad?

B: You only have to find a woman who’s confident enough to cope with the job. One of us already found that woman, the other one’s still looking for the right one.

When did you decide to perform professionally and what made you choose pole dancing?

D: I’ve been into sports for as long as I can think, really. I started doing breakdancing when I was 14, which was bound to lead into the nightlife sooner or later. Young Bastian and even younger David eventually figured they would need money, too, so making the step towards stripping was an easy choice. But don’t get me wrong, it was never only about the money! It’s always been important to us to incorporate our shows with charm, acrobatics and of course, dancing.

What was your biggest success in your career so far?

B: After two years of hard work we were given the chance to perform in Las Vegas, alongside with the famous Chippendales. And David here actually won the german pole dancing championship not too long ago!

What does „sexy“ mean to you?

D: I feel like I’m mostly finding things sexy that seem just out of reach. I mean, a lot of things can be sexy. For example our lifestyle! How you interpret that is up to you.

To get a well-trained, thoroughly muscular body like yours, you surely have to spend a LOT of time in gyms. How often do you work out and what do you do to stay fit?

B: Daily exercise is anchored as firmly into our daily lives as brushing your teeth is for others. But it really isn’t about how many hours a day you work out, continuity and efficiency are much more important factors. The possibilities are virtually endless. Summing it up, I’m doing fitness, dancing, breakdance, acrobatics, wakeboarding, snowboarding… the list is long. 

Straight up – at your shows you probably meet a whole lot of slightly intoxicated ladies, who’re keen for more than just a men strip. Have you ever considered committing a folly?

D: We have a reputation to lose. It’s important to stick to your morals. If you’re willing to do this job professionally, that’s a no-go.

I’m sure with the uninhibited and enthusiastic atmosphere that comes with your shows, you surely have some amusing anecdotes in stock. Care to share?

B: Well, now you mention it, taking a closer look it surely is funny that we’re the last ones the future bride on a bachelor party has the chance to get laid by… with permission! And by laid I of course mean the part where the lady is positioned on a cloth so we can do a handstand on top of her.

Due to your profession you often get in touch with other well-trained, good-looking men… ever though about switching sides?

D: I think you’re either homosexual or you’re not. It’s definitely not the case with me so I haven’t given attention to that thought. But in our scene it’s actually a totally normal and well accepted topic and dancing for men isn’t something out of the usual for us.

No one here wants you to ever quit dancing – but do you have other wishes and dreams than stripping for the future?

B: Well, that’s quite a list. We’re actively following one big goal at the moment: We’re creating Europe’s best men strip group. It’s called „SIXX PAXX“ and will be featured on German television soon („Supertalent“ on RTL). See what surprises are in store.

You’re from Berlin – what’s Berlin’s essence for you?

D: We both agree on that one: Berlin is a lifestyle. And at the same time the most awesome city in the world… period!!!

Are there any clubs, bars or cool restaurants you can recommend in Berlin?

B: We don’t really have any favourite clubs, the coolest club is Berlin itself. If you’re keen for some good arabic food check out Marooush near Kurfürstendamm. We’ve also had some wild parties in the Kitty Cheng Bar… but if you’re just looking for some quality time with friends and want to have a beer at a really nice location, check out the rooftop terrace of the House of Weekend!

Thanks for taking the time. We hope to see you perform (again) soon!