Detlef Winterberg — the very start

I were born in Berlin, Germany, on May the 26, 1961 and started my artistic career with robot pantomime on the streets of Berlin in 1981.

A few highlights in my career

1983
I completed training as a mime at a school for artistry, Eldulè Carre, in Paris.
1984
I joined the French national circus “GRUSS” for a season.
Late in 1984
on the television show “Na Sowas”, starring Thomas Gottschalk, I took first prize as Germany’s best break dancer and successfully toured Europe until the middle of 1986 in duo with Frank Hassas as “Robotron Force”.
August-December 1986
engaged at the German Opera in Berlin as a “robot” and dancer in the production “Faust-Margarete”.
Early 1987
founded, together with the juggler Oliver Groszer, the comedy-juggling duo “Ramsch Royal”. During the next three years they made a big splash in German speaking countries.
1990
founded, together with eleven other artistes, the legendary rock circus “Gosh” under the direction of the co-founder of the Cirque du Solei, Michelle Dallerè. “Gosh” performed their first show, “Artistry in Concert”, throughout Europe and even in Africa. Together with Sabine Rieck, Detlef Winterberg developed several clown acts, for which they were awarded a furtherance prize at the Young Talent Circus Festival in Paris.
From 1990 to 1994
Detlef Winterberg, under the supervision of Michelle Dallere, first began working as a director. The juggling act “Supermico” was awarded silver at the Paris Young Talent Festival.
From 1995 to 1997:
worked as instructor and artistic advisor at the artistry school “Die Etage”.
Since 1998:
Detlef Winterberg had been working as the “Spin Doctor” with artistes of all genres on their acts. He has regularly worked as a director at the Varieté Chamelion in Berlin and at Et Cetera Varieté in Bochum, Germany. His show “Ferro City” earned him a cult following in Berlin. Detlef Winterberg still goes regularly on stage himself as a stand-up comic, as master of ceremonies and internationally as a clown. His value as an instructor comes from the experience he has gained on stage.

Spindoctor Detlef Winterberg

There are by now schools for almost every genre: pantomime, comedy, clownery, artistry or acting. No longer do you hear that you are too old to begin to train as an artiste. If at the age of thirty-five you wish to become a juggler, all you need to invest is the time and money and your dream can come true. Nearly every larger city has circus schools for children; young people can hang around on the trapeze instead of on the street corner.
For beginners there is no shortage of possibilities. But what about established artistes who, having long since learned the trade, wish to further their talents and skills?
There are workshops. But these courses are often crowded and rarely fulfill individual expectations for everyone has different needs. In a short period of time one runs with forty others through a great deal of information that often confounds more than it helps. And beyond that, a workshop, if it has a good reputation, can be very expensive.
Most artistes are not looking to learn wholly new techniques, but rather to find suitable forms of presentation for existing acts or skills.
For a few years now there has been a place at the foot of the Bavarian Alps for all those who wish to develop further, who are looking for new concepts or who are just hoping to spice up their current acts.
This place is called “Spindoctor’s House”, located in Fuessen, Germany, near the famed castle Neuschwanstein, and alluding in its name to those background figures working on the appearance of the one up front.
Detlef Winterberg moved from Berlin to the Alps and years ago opened his coaching center for artistes and performers of all kinds. Ever since professional performers from all over Germany have been coming to Fuessen for one, two or three days and working with Detlef on their act.
The native Berliner has been on stage for more than twenty years and thus gained experience in almost every aspect of the trade.
Detlef Winterberg started off with street theater, in solo acts or in duo with Federico de Franken and later with Oliver Groszer, co founder of the Scheinbar variety hall in Berlin. He danced alongside Kai Eikermann in the German Opera in Berlin, completed training as a mime at a school in Paris, performing in the French national circus Gruss and co-founded the rock circus Gosh. For the past five years he has performed as a stand-up comic as well as directing various projects.
Thanks to regular cooperation with the Varieté Chamelion Winterberg has created a solid base extending far beyond his work as a director.
Winterberg does not view his center in the heart of Fuessen as a school in the ordinary sense, but more as practical help. He tries to get to the bottom of certain problems and then to solve them, be it a character who over the years has been “played to death” and needs to be revamped or a diabolo act in need of a new dress, a magician looking for a new outfit, a comedian in search of more self-confidence, etc.
This is not to say that Ferraris are made from Fiats in three days. But bigger engines can be built into the smaller cars, wider tires, a new paint job, cut off the roof and you have a convertible not to be overseen.
Over the years the technique changes only slightly, but with new music and a more up-to-date image an act can change beyond recognition.