At the ceremonial opening of the 123rd ZuckerBäcker Ball on 15 January 2026, the guests may expect a dazzling commencement, replete with artistry and grace. Vereinigung Wiener Staatsopernballett – the Association of the Vienna State Opera Ballet – enchanting for the ninth time, will present a performance of the highest calibre. Accompanied by the irresistible waltz melodies of Johann Strauss the Younger, this presentation promises to be an unforgettable highlight of the evening.
Vivacious Opening by the Vienna State Opera Ballet Association
This year, two outstanding soloists of the world-renowned ensemble shall take centre stage: Olga Esina and Victor Caixeta.
The pair shall be joined by eight couples from the corps de ballet, together weaving a display of carefree delight, elegance, grace, and intoxicating waltz euphoria to the strains of Johann Strauss the Younger’s Wiener Blut (Op. 354).
As choreographer Lukas Gaudernak notes, the work embodies the pure joy of the Viennese dance tradition: “The joie de vivre that Strauss imparts through this celebrated waltz will be brought to life on stage by our soloist pair, Olga Esina and Victor Caixeta, alongside eight further couples of the Ballet Association.”
The soloist’s gown, along with those of the ballerinas, gleams in a rich crimson, appearing in the ballroom as a living fire of colour. With every turn, the full skirt unfurls in elegant waves, lending the dance an added dramaturgical grace. Truly, the ZuckerBäcker Ball could desire no more fitting commencement!
The waltz performance, one of the evening’s great highlights, shall be presented at 9:00 p.m. in the Festsaal of the Vienna Hofburg, and shall simultaneously be broadcast live to the Ceremonial Hall and upon our Facebook page.
Wiener Blut by Johann Strauss (the Younger)
Wiener Blut (Op. 354), composed in 1873 by Johann Strauss the Younger, remains among the most celebrated Viennese waltzes. Its title evokes the vivacity, elegance, and light-heartedness long associated with Vienna.
Strauss composed the waltz during an era when Viennese society was suffused with balls, concerts, and social festivities. Music was central to social life, and the waltz served both to entertain upon the dance floor and to display orchestral mastery. In due course, the waltz became the musical foundation for the operetta of the same name, premiered in 1899.
Portrait of Olga Esina
Born in Saint Petersburg, Olga Esina is a distinguished principal ballerina of the Vienna State Opera Ballet Association. She trained at the renowned Vaganova Academy of Ballet from 1996 to 2004.
From 2004 to 2006, she performed at the Mariinsky Theatre Ballet, excelling in classical leading roles such as Odette/Odile in Swan Lake and in ballets by George Balanchine.
In 2006, Esina joined the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper Ballet as a soloist. Her repertoire in Vienna encompasses many leading roles, including Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Princess Aurora (Sleeping Beauty), Myrtha and Giselle (Giselle), Kitri and Queen of the Dryads (Don Quixote), Juliet (Romeo & Juliet), as well as numerous modern works choreographed by Balanchine, Wheeldon, and van Manen.
She has performed internationally in France, Italy, Russia, Japan, the USA, and beyond. Her artistic accomplishments have earned her numerous distinctions, including the Prix International de Ballet 2000 and 2008, nominations for the prestigious Prix Benois de la Danse (2006, 2012), and the Taglioni Award (2014).
One of her most remarkable performances was in Swan Lake, where she continued to dance bravely in the third act despite an injury, thrilling the audience.
Olga Esina is celebrated not only for technical brilliance but also for emotional depth and stage presence, and is considered a defining figure of the Vienna State Opera Ballet Association.
Portrait of Victor Caixeta
Victor Caixeta, a Brazilian ballet dancer, shall join the Vienna State Ballet as First Soloist in the 2025/26 season.
Born in Uberlândia, Brazil, he began his ballet training at a social project named Pé de Moleque. At fifteen, he participated in the Prix de Lausanne, impressively receiving scholarship offers from eighteen prestigious ballet schools. He chose the State Ballet School Berlin, completing his studies in 2017.
He then joined the Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg, rising to soloist in 2019. Following the war between Russia and Ukraine, he departed the company in 2022, joining the Dutch National Ballet in Amsterdam, shortly thereafter attaining the rank of Principal Dancer.
His repertoire spans classical leading roles such as Swan Lake, Giselle, Don Quixote, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, and La Bayadère, as well as modern works by George Balanchine, including Jewels, Symphony in C, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and The Four Temperaments.
He has collaborated with eminent choreographers such as Wayne McGregor, Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, Jiří Kylián, and Twyla Tharp.
Victor Caixeta’s artistry has been honoured with numerous awards: 1st Prize and Jury Prize at the European Ballet Grand Prix (2017), 1st Prize at Tanzolymp Berlin, and 3rd Prize at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow.
His engagement at the Vienna State Ballet brings fresh energy; notably, his performance in Alexei Ratmansky’s Kallirhoe as Chaireas was met with high praise from both audience and critics.
Victor Caixeta is distinguished by technical brilliance, emotional profundity, and commanding stage presence. His journey from Brazil through Saint Petersburg and Amsterdam to Vienna marks him as one of the most exciting dancers of his generation.
Choreography by Lukas Gaudernak
Choreographer Lukas Gaudernak, a permanent member of the Vienna State Opera since 1987, has earned distinction through versatility and artistic mastery. Since the 2006/07 season, he has served as rehearsal director for the Vienna State Opera and Volksoper Ballet, becoming rehearsal and production director in 2009, and ultimately Ballet Master in 2022, underscoring his leading role in Vienna’s ballet scene.
His first choreography was presented in June 1994 in the Ballettwerkstatt Junge Choreographen. Since then, he has created numerous commissioned works for the Vienna State and Volksoper, major ballet openings, television productions, and opera/operetta productions in Salzburg, Bregenz, London, and Tel Aviv.
He has been responsible for the ballet choreography of the Ball of the Viennese Confectioners since 2006 and the New Year’s Ball since 2013, designing the ballet for the Vienna Opera Ball in 2017. His longstanding collaboration with the Vienna Philharmonic has further cemented his reputation as a choreographer of elegance, creativity, and refined sensibility, guaranteeing unforgettable moments upon the dance floor.
Previous Opening Ballets at the ZuckerBäcker Ball
2016: Roses from the South, Op. 388 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Ketevan Papava and Eno Peci
2017: Treasure Waltz, Op. 418 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Anastasia Markina (who stepped in for the unavailable Ketevan Papava) and Roman Lazik
2018: Lagoon Waltz, Op. 411 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Alice Firenze and Mihail Sosnovschi
2019: Aquarelle Waltz, Op. 258 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Ketevan Papava and Eno Peci
2020: Accelerations Waltz, Op. 234 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Maria Yakovleva and Denys Cherevychko
2023: Roses from the South, Op. 388 by Johann Strauss (the Younger), danced by soloists Irina Tsymbal and Mihail Sosnovschi
2024: Gold and Silver Waltz by Franz Lehár, danced by soloists Liudmila Konovalova and Mihail Sosnovschi
2025: My Life’s Record is Love and Delight, Op. 263 by Josef Strauss, danced by soloists Rebecca Horner and Mihail Sosnovschi