Peter Appel: A Guiding Light of Elegance and Vision in Ballet
Peter Appel, it was an honor to work with you! The fact that you were awarded the Deutscher Tanzpreis in the final year of your life was not only a duty owed by the ballet community in Germany but one owed by all of Europe. The dancers you influenced over so many years of artistic and pedagogical activity continue to carry forward your refined vision of how ballet can and should be interpreted, spreading it throughout the world. I was fortunate enough to be one of them.
Artistically, without the classes and support you provided as a ballet master, I might not have been able to withstand the challenges of "adapting to the West." Everything I have read about you is undeniably true. Even though I arrived at the Deutsche Oper am Rhein Düsseldorf-Duisburg already familiar with the concept of high performance (having recently won a medal at the International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi, USA), it would have been impossible for me to understand Heinz Spoerli's vision without your guidance.
Like Voltaire, who refined and beautified his own models, you had an exceptional ability to uncover the hidden beauty in every ballet. Through rehearsals with you in the studio, my roles transformed into little gems on stage. Thus, my interpretation of the "Black Swan" became that of "the refined yet malevolent woman," Giselle acquired "a seraphic transcendence," the Firebird belonged more to the animal kingdom than to the human realm, and "Verklärte Nacht" embodied the blue revelation of a profound choice.
Your constant encouragement to read and to cultivate ourselves left a subtle but lasting impression—like the roots of a tree, growing stronger over the years. It is indeed true, as others have said, that you were a mentor not just in art but in life itself. Discreet yet benevolent, I never once heard you express a negative opinion about anyone. Even the most challenging partners could not provoke you; you always found the most elegant way to address the most unpleasant issues. This, without a doubt, is something I learned from you!
Life has since given me opportunities to apply your refined, decent, and intelligent approach to problem-solving, and, like you, to bring an inner light to any situation. Even in Switzerland, where you used to tell me the rain would fall incessantly and monotonously, you always managed to bring your sunshine. I hope you continue to do so wherever you are, and I hope that someday, somewhere, I might see you again. And don't worry—I will recognize you!
Peter Appel, Foto@Eva Raduenzel
