Backstage – the Musicalschule Ahrensburg blog

In this special episode, Headteacher Hauke Wendt offers a personal insight into a whole school year at the Ahrensburg Musical School (near Hamburg). Rather than listing events, he shares seven profound insights into what truly helps people to grow: the difference between talent and hard work, the underestimated power of community, and why the greatest things often start small. This episode is less a traditional podcast episode and more a reflection on what it means to build something together – and why it is sometimes so difficult to hold on to precisely what we desire most.

What exactly is a musical theatre course and how is it structured? Hauke Wendt and Marc Brendemühl explain the core of the Ahrensburg Musical Theatre School: the combination of acting, dance and singing in 90 minutes a week. They discuss age groups ranging from 3-year-olds to adults, the specific curriculum agreed with the Ministry of Education and Cultural Affairs, flexible lesson planning, and why English musical theatre training serves as the model.

Performances are at the heart of a performing arts school – but do all pupils really have to go on stage? In this episode from the Ahrensburg Musical Theatre School (near Hamburg), Hauke Wendt and Marc Brendemühl discuss the importance of performances, how the school deals with students who suffer from performance anxiety, and why even former professionals choose to teach without appearing on stage themselves. They recount spectacular guest performances – from the ‘Thriller’ dance featuring 150 dancers at Hamburg Central Station to the ‘Back to the 50’s’ revue. An in-depth conversation about the balance between performance and craft.