Dutch National Ballet will open its doors again on 17 September and will be presenting a completely new programme for the autumn of 2020, including world premieres by no fewer than six different choreographers and beloved classics.
The season will start on Thursday 17 September with the programme Dancing Apart Together, which includes new ballets that are all in their own unique way a creative response to the situation in which we now find ourselves. The programme will feature new ballets by choreographers Ted Brandsen, Ernst Meisner, Juanjo Arqués, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sedrig Verwoert and Milena Sidorova, combined with existing works by Hans van Manen and David Dawson.
The second programme is the legendary ballet Live by Hans van Manen. It will return, also from Thursday 17 September, for a series of five performances.
From Tuesday 13 October, Dutch National Ballet will be dancing the Back to Ballet programme in two different variants. In Back to Ballet – the classic edition, Dutch National Ballet brings the core of classical ballet with parts from timeless works such as Swan Lake, Paquita and Le Corsaire.
Parallel to the classic edition, the company dances Back to Ballet – the contemporary edition, which includes a world premiere by Juanjo Arqués and a ballet by the ground-breaking choreographer William Forsythe.
Dancing Apart Together
The opening program of the new season is a creative response to the situation we all find ourselves in at this moment. Existing works will be combined with new creations by choreographers, each of whom will show in their own way, give shape to ballet in the Netherlands today.
In this time of social distancing it is difficult to touch each other while there is so much need for human contact and intimacy, especially now. Because what does togetherness mean if you have to stay at a distance? These considerations constitute the thematic starting point for Dancing Apart Together.
With new works by Ted Brandsen, Ernst Meisner, Juanjo Arqués, Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Sedrig Verwoert and Milena Sidorova, combined with existing works by Hans van Manen (Solo) and associate artist David Dawson (On the nature of daylight).
Premiere: September 17th. Other performances: 19, 20, 22, 26, 27, 29 September 2020 in Dutch National Opera & Ballet. For more information and ticket sales: https://www.operaballet.nl/en/
Live
Of the more than 125 ballets that Van Manen has made so far, Live is without a doubt the most legendary. Van Manen created it in 1979 and since then, the choreography for one dancer and one cameraman has touched tens of thousands of people. Live was last performed at Dutch National Opera & Ballet in 2015 and is now returning for a series of five performances.
Premiere: 17 September. Other performances: Other performances: 19, 26, 27, 29 September 2020 in Dutch National Opera & Ballet. For more information and ticket sales: https://operaballet.nl/en/
Back to Ballet – the classic edition
With Back to Ballet – the classic edition, the Dutch National Ballet brings the core of classical ballet. It dances parts of timeless masterpieces in which our dancers can shine. On the programme are the pas de deux from the second act of Swan Lake, Paquita in the version by Rachel Beaujean and the spectacular pas de deux from Le Corsaire. From George Balanchine’s Valse Fantaisie will be danced.
Premiere: October 13th. Other performances: 15, 17, 24, 25 October and 1, 3, 9 and 11 November in Dutch National Opera & Ballet. For more information and ticket sales: https://operaballet.nl/en/
Back to ballet – the contemporary edition
Parallel to the classic edition, the Dutch National Ballet is dancing the programme Back to Ballet – the contemporary edition with the world premiere of MANOEUVRE by young creative associate Juanjo Arqués. This production was originally planned for April 2020 but had to be cancelled. The second work is the reprise of the Pas/Parts 2018, which was very successfully received in 2019, danced by the ground-breaking choreographer William Forsythe.
Premiere: 21 October. Other performances: 23, 27, 31 October and 6, 8 and 15 November in Dutch National Opera & Ballet. For more information and ticket sales: https://operaballet.nl/en/
Tickets are available from the box office of Dutch National Opera & Ballet +31(0) 20 625 54 55 and can be booked online via www.operaballet.nl.