You could say that Sasha Waltz has had a rough few years. When she was appointed co-artistic director of Staatsballett Berlin in 2016, along with Johannes Öhman, former artistic director at Royal Swedish Ballet, it didn't go so well. She was met with petitions and protests from the dancers, who argued that under the leadership of someone with minimal ballet experience the company would lose its classical heritage and technical excellence.

But she's also had an arguably fruitful few years. She's celebrated the 25th anniversary of her company, Sasha Waltz & Guests, for which she's continued to create critically-acclaimed, highly collaborative work. The drama surrounding Staatsballett has died down significantly. And next year, when she joins Öhman at Staatsballett (his tenure began this year), she'll be at the helm of two of Berlin's greatest dance companies, creating new work for each company every other year on an alternating basis.

This week, Waltz's Kreatur will have its U.S. premiere at the Brooklyn Academy of Music. For Waltz, it's a particularly special tour stop: It's part of BAM's final Next Wave season programmed by outgoing executive producer Joseph V. Melillo, whom Waltz considers an influential collaborator and supporter.

We caught up with her about Kreatur and what she envisions for Staatsballett: