The Berlin Ballroom is a dance floor of its own, an imaginary, magical room, where spirit and rhythm merge. According to the German poet Jean Paul: “All music is an invisible dance.” When the Berlin Ballroom curtain rises and the band begins to play, when the singer starts to sing, then the dancers slip away into their dreams. Above all else, the Berlin Ballroom songs are made for the invisible spheres of life, finding their way into the depths of the soul to reawaken those long forgotten, deeply hidden wishes, desires and dreams.

There have always been dreams. In the beginning of mankind and in the beginning of every life. As children nightmares made us cry at night. But in the morning after wiping off the tears we began dreaming again, imagining the golden times to come. In your dreams, it is said, you see the life you’re longing for, the life that fulfills your longings and desires. If you follow your dreams, you grow and become the person you really are: Never stop dreaming, never forget what you’re made of – is dreams.

There is a truth we all know: Dreaming is not enough to cope with the challenges of everyday life. But dreams are just another word for hope. It’s hope that gives you the strength for the struggle of life. And there is another power that deals with dreams and hope – music. It’s music that expresses more than words can say. It brings out unknown feelings hidden deep within your soul. Or, as Leonard Bernstein said: “Music can name the unnamable.” But we trust in words as well as in music. There is no other way – you must try to name the unnamable. And of course there can be music in words. Music and words should become one, a sensitive, spiritual, magic melody.

What our heart dreams of most is love. That’s the reason why love songs are so popular. Our heart is longing for true love, true feelings. And that’s the reason why songs should be written with a heart, as Irving Berlin said, one of the great songwriters of the last century. When sax player Volker Schlott, teacher at the Berlin Jazz Institute, joined the Berlin Ballroom project for the work at “Never Stop Dreaming” we were happy to find an arranger and musician of outstanding skill and – with a really great heart.

And not to forget: We found singers with a heart. Our thanks go out to Melvin, Dolores and Frank, to Beate, Esther and Keith. They made our dreams come true.

Detlef Kühn & Maria Sieren