DONNA x SVEN MARQUARDT : A SPECIAL EDITION, MERGING SHOW x EXHIBITION

I think we both know quite well what we want and what we don’t want, and we absolutely respect what the other does and what each of us stands for. Sharing visions, developing them together, sometimes discarding them again and still staying true to ourselves: for as long as I work as a photographer, that is always a wonderful challenge, and it’s what makes every project and every shoot so unique.

Of course, I was also a guest at the premiere in 2025 at the Delphi. The venue is somehow out of time and, behind a rather inconspicuous façade, recalls long-gone days of Berlin. I must have walked past it outside hundreds of times and had no idea what it looked like inside. But DONNA The Show is absolutely 2026, meaning here and now, and I love exactly these contrasts.

Every era is subject to its very own ZEITGEIST. How important and precious freedom is, we feel all the more at the moment. Even though I grew up in a dictatorship, we felt free within LIMITS back then. It was always worth carrying on, and exactly that now lies in the hands of a new generation.

When Théa got in touch a few months ago to ask whether I would like to photograph her show, I didn’t have to think about it. I thought: WOW, great new challenge. We actually had enough time for the preparations: location, styling, hair, make-up… But there is always a deadline because of the upcoming premiere. Unlike my first shoot with Théa in 2019/2020, we met a few times beforehand to get closer and to understand each other and our ways of working even better.

Every encounter, in front of and behind the camera, is special and unique. Whether that moment is enough to create something together, to open up to each other?! I always assume so, and I am very grateful when it actually works out. Because it always takes both sides.

The stage presence and body language (elegance, sexiness, power) of dancers make a shoot even more fascinating for me as a photographer, of course. There are a lot of WOW moments, also behind the camera.

Yes, that was exactly the challenge: I am not the classic stage photographer, I work analogue and exclusively with daylight, and preferably in black and white. That’s why there were 2 different looks on set. Besides the stage look, I wanted a less glittery look, which I created together with Théa, in which it is a bit more about the natural beauty of the dancers while still being feminine + strong. I love the images that came out of it. But the stage look also works in black and white for me.

I remember feeling a connection to Sven on set when we first shot in 2019. Very few words were exchanged, but we communicated through another medium: my body language and his perceptive eye and extreme sensitivity. After Stageless came to an end, I immediately told myself (and him) that I would love to shoot together again one day…

Sven’s openness, honesty and generosity of spirit have allowed this collaboration to become an elevating, authentic and creative exchange. I am grateful for what we have explored and nurtured together along the way. I think the photos are a result of this relationship, and in retrospect, I think this collaboration was meant to be.

Dance has literally shaped me into who I am. I started dancing at the age of three and became a professional ballet dancer. Ballet taught me discipline, dedication and perseverance, and it has carried over into everything I do… it is those qualities that have made it possible to produce my own show.

My career as a Showgirl at the Friedrichstadt-Palast shaped me as a woman and nurtured my passion for sensuality, feminine power and self-expression. It inspired my creative vision for a female-empowered show.

It is definitely the combination of my ballet and Showgirl journeys that has enabled the creation of Donna The Show. I’ve had to find my own way to bring my vision to the stage… It’s an independent production, without public funding or any institution behind it, and that means being fearless and willing to take risks, and pushing yourself to take on so many different roles, from producing and directing to light design, styling, music curation, marketing and PR…

I have to say, Berlin as a city with its underground scene and unhinged, raw character, very much inspired the atmosphere and aesthetics in my Show… Exactly a year after Donna The Show premiered in November 2025, this collaboration with Sven feels aligned and somewhat meant to be.

I believe it is important at every age to stay curious, meaning inspired, meaning open. Club culture has inspired me for over 3 decades now, even though club culture has long since been in the hands of the new generation.

Safe havens for those who think differently?! Feel differently?! Whatever. They are totally important: safe spaces. In the eighties, hidden backyards and empty apartments were the retreats for creative people; after the fall of the Wall, empty factories, lost places, became the places where club culture wrote history, up to this day. I love these places, whether old warehouses, former heating plants or a seemingly abandoned former cinema or theatre. The city needs exactly such (free) spaces!