Month of German Dance in Moscow

• Roland Berger is sponsoring the "Festival for contemporary German choreography" in Moscow from March 27 to April 24
• 250 guests are expected at the ballet performance of "The Seagull" (John Neumeier), on April 7 at the Stanislawsky Theater
• After Poland and Croatia, Russia is the third country to be included in the "Counterparts" initiative with the Goethe-Institut
• Press conference on "Doing Business in Russia" with Dr. Uwe Kumm, Managing Partner of Roland Berger Russia

Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and the Goethe-Institut are sponsoring the "Festival for contemporary German choreography" in Moscow. The month of German dance started on March 27 and will continue until April 24, with events at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theater and the Schkola Dramaticheskogo Iskusstwa Theater. On April 7, 250 guests are expected at a ballet performance of "The Seagull", staged by John Neumeier, with a reception to follow. In addition, Roland Berger has organized a press conference on "Doing Business in Russia" for international journalists and business reporters from Moscow.

A high point of the dance festival is the award-winning ballet of "The Seagull", produced by John Neumeier, with a performance on the evening of April 7. The ballet is set to works by Shostakovich, Tchaikovsky and Scriabin. John Neumeier, chief choreographer and artistic director of the Hamburg Ballet, not only choreographed the ballet, but also designed the set, costumes and lighting. Roland Berger Strategy Consultants and Goethe-Institut have invited 250 representatives of the political, business and cultural elite to the performance and following reception, both taking place at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre. In his welcome address, Burkhard Schwenker, CEO of Roland Berger Strategy Consultants, says: "Dance and music, culture and education broaden horizons, cross borders and build bridges between cultures." The Festival enjoys the patronage of Dr. Walter Jürgen Schmid, Germany's Ambassador to Moscow.

Also attending the performance and reception will be representatives from internationally renowned media from Germany, Portugal and Switzerland. On the morning of April 7, Roland Berger will also be holding a press conference on "Doing Business in Russia" with Dr. Uwe Kumm, Managing Partner of Roland Berger Russia. Energy crises and the presidential election in March have pushed Russia into the media spotlight. What effects will current developments have on the economy? What opportunities do German businesses have in Russia? Dr. Uwe Kumm, who has been head of Roland Berger's Moscow office for 14 years, will discuss the opportunities and risks for foreign companies. He will cover the "dos and don'ts" as well as the special demands on strategy consulting in the Russian Federation.

Since 2005, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants has cooperated with the Goethe-Institut for the "Counterparts" initiative, which promotes art and cultural projects in Central and Eastern Europe. "Counterparts" stands for the dialog between cultures and for the search for similarities in others. Klaus-Dieter Lehmann, President of the Goethe-Institut, explains the concept underpinning this successful collaboration: "Counterparts stands for the dialog between cultures and for the search for similarities in others. Through this initiative, we reach the cultural and educational elite as well as people in Central and Eastern Europe who are interested in culture and education. In this way, we strengthen the connection between countries." In 2005 and 2006, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants financed cultural events in Croatia and Poland, and is sponsoring public libraries in Dubrovnik and Krakow. In fall of 2008, the strategy consultancy will be opening its third Roland Berger Library in St. Petersburg.