Dutch National Ballet

Other than Bright

“Four Temperaments” (“The Four Temperaments” / “The Chairman Dances” / “Frank Bridge Variations” / Full Frontal” / extra: “After the Rain”)

Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
September 17, 2023 (matinee)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2023 by Ilona Landgraf

1. F.Eimers and J.Spunda, “The Four Temperaments” by G.Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 2. J.Xuan and D.Ramos, “The Four Temperaments” by G.Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 3. M.Makhateli and V.Caixeta, “The Four Temperaments” by G.Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman It’s unclear whether the Dutch National Ballet’s new mixed bill “Four Temperaments” took its title from one of the pieces – George Balanchine’s “The Four Temperaments” – or alludes to the different personalities of all choreographers involved. Next to Balanchine are the company’s artistic director Ted Brandsen, doyen Hans van Manen, and the Spaniard Juanjo Arqués, a regular contributor to the repertory. Let’s disclose later, why Christopher Wheeldon’s “After the Rain” was added as an extra to the matinee.

Balanchine’s “The Four Temperaments” relates to the Hippocratic medical concept of humourism that four bodily fluids (blood, yellow bile, black bile, and mucus) affect human personality traits and behaviors. Depending on which fluid dominates, an individual is melancholic, sanguine, phlegmatic, or choleric. For what would become his first piece for Ballet Society (the predecessor of New York City Ballet) in 1946, Balanchine commissioned a half-hour score by Paul Hindemith.
5. Y.Zhang and D.R.Silva, “The Four Temperaments” by G.Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 4. J.Xuan and D.Ramos, “The Four Temperaments” by G.Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman Edwin Denby (1903 – 1983), a renowned US dance critic, described it as “exceptionally powerful thick-flowing.” Altogether, the ballet fascinated him: “It is full of Beckmesserish dance jokes, classic steps turned inside-out and upside-down, retimed, reproportioned, rerouted […]” and full of “every kind of oddity of device or accent,” he wrote in 1952. Denby praised Balanchine’s wealth of ideas – ideas which, though innovative, stayed faithful to classicism. “The Four Temperaments” became a major success.
I was less impressed. What was cutting-edge almost eighty years ago, looks affected today. What was once bold and funny, has become a series of weird (and at times cringy) posturing. Through the perspective of dance history the piece might be interesting to watch, but it’s hardly worthwhile entertainment to whet the audience’s appetite for the new season. Especially not, if some dancers haven’t yet taken to Balanchine’s style like ducks to water. The female corps often looked awkward, spoiling the fine performances of the soloists.
Young Gyo Choi pranced like a big cat through the melancholic variation; Riho Sakamoto, as sanguine as self-absorbed, did what pleased her (I’m not sure whether she recognized that it was Timothy van Poucke who followed her every whim). The arms of Davi Ramos – whose determined gaze defied the phlegm of his role – plowed through the air as if fishing for magic, and as the choleric, the tall and classy Floor Eimers was the most Balanchinesque of all.

6. R.Valdez, K.Hilli, E.Mardegan, L.Bertho, S.Quintyn, B.Kuperus, D.Bai, M.Kumar, R.Valdez, and G.Torrijos, “The Chairman Dances” by T.Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 7. R.Valdez and ensemble, “The Chairman Dances” by T.Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman Brandsen’s “The Chairman Dances” should have premiered one year ago, but was postponed due to the war in Ukraine. Though the fighting continues, Brandsen decided to bring his ballet on stage this season. The twelve-minute piece has an urging score taken from an operatic composition by John Adams. Its vibes recall ballroom dancing, but also include eerie and weirdly stumbling passages. Of the eighteen dancers in total, both men and women wear long white tulle skirts and white corsages made of multiple layers of fabric (design by François-Noël Cherpin) which blur the distinction between the sexes. The movement qualities of men and women are largely indistinguishable as well, except that the lifting work is still done by the men.
9. D.Bai, R.Catalan, M.Kumar, S.Baaij, D.R.Silva, K.Yamamoto, R.Valdez, J.Spunda, and G.Torrijos, “The Chairman Dances” by T.Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman8. D.R.Silva, K.Hilli, and ensemble, “The Chairman Dances” by T.Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman Brandsen presents a coherent unity that conglomerates and disperses in quick succession. A women-only sequence reminded me of the Wilis in “Giselle”, but for the main part I couldn’t help but think of Hans van Manen. Swaggering steps, hands placed on the thighs, defiant glances, arms held upwards in a V – that’s van Manen’s handwriting.

10. O.Smirnova and V.Caixeta, “Frank Bridge Variations” by H.van Manen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 11. Q.Liu and Y.G.Choi, “Frank Bridge Variations” by H.van Manen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman His “Frank Bridge Variations” (2005), shown right after “The Chairman Dances”, made the similarities obvious. Perhaps that’s because van Manen is in the company’s DNA. Every step, every gesture had clarity and punch. Instantly, the air sizzled with tension. Victor Caixeta, flush with adrenaline, buzzed like an angry hornet after Olga Smirnova had sauntered off and Young Gyo Choi (partnering Qian Liu) again proved an inexhaustible dynamo, his legs slicing through the air like a hot knife through butter.
But “Frank Bridge Variations” also has a somber part. It’s Funeral March isn’t meant to be uplifting and definitely wasn’t. I’ve never experienced it like this, but it sucked away the energy.

13. G.Potskhishvili and R.Sakamoto, “Full Frontal” by J.Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 12. C.Walmsley, N.Agvanean, Y.G.Choi, and G.Potskhishvili, “Full Frontal” by J.Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman Things turned thoroughly bleak in the last piece, Arqués’s new creation “Full Frontal”. The ear-piercing thunder that prompted the curtain to rise bode ill, and the gray box-like space it revealed intensified my apprehension. Accompanied by rhythmic string music highlighted with electronics (Michael Gordon’s Weather One) four women and five men sprinted across the stage, chased one another, practiced acrobatic duets, or enjoyed themselves in unrelated solos. One man fought against an invisible threat, another against the power games of a ruthless business top dog. Riho Sakamoto depicted an overwrought rebel who, though disoriented and worn out, couldn’t stop revolting. I tend to believe that Giorgi Potskhisvili, who at times covered her desperate eyes, never leaving her side, protected rather than manipulated her.
14. S.Yamada, C.Walmsley, N.Agvanean, G.Potskhishvili, N.Tonoli, and R.Sakamoto, “Full Frontal” by J.Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman 15. A.Maldini, C.Walmsley, N.Tonoli, and S.Yamada, “Full Frontal” by J.Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © M.Haegeman The misery climaxed when long metal bars dropped onto the stage like a collapsing construction. As an aftermath, they left the dancers stretched out on the ground as if dead, their bulging chests hinting at decay. White fog covered them like a death blanket. This was the moment the black suited Young Gyo Choi (for the third time a core figure) intervened. Stepping onto the scene from his observer’s post in the rear, one wave of his hand opened the blanket of fog. Everyone recovered and resumed the previous routine. Improvement wasn’t within sight.

18. J.Stout and A.Ol, “After the Rain” by C.Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © N.Tonoli 17. J.Stout and A.Ol, “After the Rain” by C.Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © N.Tonoli16. J.Stout and A.Ol, “After the Rain” by C.Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © N.TonoliThe matinee would have been dispiriting, hadn’t there been a surprise: James Stout, a principal dancer of the company, retired from the stage after sixteen years with Dutch National Ballet. He chose to rehearse a new piece for his farewell, Christopher Wheeldon’s intimate pas de deux “After the Rain”. The ease and naturalness with which Stout partnered Anna Ol attested to Brandsen’s laudation: “All the ballerinas wanted to dance with James.” Showered with heartfelt applause, Stout had to fight his emotions. Witnessing a career culminate like this made the matinee precious after all.

Links: Website of the Dutch National Ballet
“Four Temperaments” – trailer
Four Temperaments” – behind the scenes (video)
A Tribute to James Stout (video)
Photos: (Some photos show a different cast from an earlier performance.)
: 1. Floor Eimers and Jan Spunda, “The Four Temperaments” by George Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
2. Jessica Xuan and Davi Ramos, “The Four Temperaments” by George Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
3. Maia Makhateli and Victor Caixeta, The Four Temperaments” by George Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
4. Jessica Xuan and Davi Ramos, The Four Temperaments” by George Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
5. YuanYuan Zhang and Daniel Robert Silva, The Four Temperaments” by George Balanchine, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
6. Rafael Valdez, Kira Hilli, Emma Mardegan, Luiza Bertho, Sandra Quintyn, Beatriz Kuperus, Dingkai Bai, Manu Kumar, Rafael Valdez, and Guillermo Torrijos, “The Chairman Dances” by Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
7. Rafael Valdez and ensemble, “The Chairman Dances” by Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
8. Daniel Robert Silva, Kira Hilli, and ensemble, “The Chairman Dances” by Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
9. Dingkai Bai, Rémy Catalan, Manu Kumar, Sander Baaij, Daniel Robert Silva, Koyo Yamamoto, Rafael Valdez, Jan Spunda, and Guillermo Torrijos, “The Chairman Dances” by Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
10. Olga Smirnova and Victor Caixeta, “Frank Bridge Variations” by Hans van Manen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
11. Qian Liu and Young Gyu Choi, “Frank Bridge Variations” by Hans van Manen, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
12. Conor Walmsley, Naira Agvanean, Young Gyu Choi, and Giorgi Potskhishvili, “Full Frontal” by Juanjo Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
13. Giorgi Potskhishvili and Riho Sakamoto, Full Frontal” by Juanjo Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
14. Sho Yamada, Conor Walmsley, Naira Agvanean, Giorgi Potskhishvili, Nina Tonoli, and Riho Sakamoto, Full Frontal” by Juanjo Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
15. Arianna Maldini, Conor Walmsley, Nina Tonoli, and Sho Yamada, Full Frontal” by Juanjo Arqués, Dutch National Ballet 2023 © Marc Haegeman
16. James Stout and Anna Ol, “After the Rain” by Christopher Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © Nina Tonoli
17. James Stout and Anna Ol, “After the Rain” by Christopher Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © Nina Tonoli
18. James Stout and Anna Ol, “After the Rain” by Christopher Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2023, © Nina Tonoli
Editing: Samuel Snodgrass

Magnificent!

“Raymonda”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
May 06, 2022 (stream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2022 by Ilona Landgraf

1. T.van Poucke, S.Velichko (Jean de Brienne), M.ten Kortenaar, and ensemble, “Raymonda” by R.Beaujean after M.Petipa, Dutch National Ballet 2022 © M.Haegeman A mid-January newsletter from the Dutch National Ballet did little to hide the company’s disappointment at having to postpone their premiere of “Raymonda” from mid-February to early April. At the time, ongoing COVID-19 restrictions made uncertain the possibility of re-opening the house at full-capacity, but artistic director Ted Brandsen wanted the production – the biggest of the season – to be seen by as many people as possible. So he chose to wait.

Brandsen’s patience paid off. I watched the online stream on May 6th (filmed on April 19th) and from the moment the new front curtain rose (itself a gorgeous art nouveau design), it was instantly clear that this “Raymonda” would be a marvel. (more…)

Now More Than Ever!

“The Nutcracker And The Mouse King”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
December 24, 2021 (livestream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. J.Lord (Jansje), K.Hirst (Young Clara), F.Eimers (Louise), and L.Smith (Young Fritz), “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King” by T.van Schayk and W.Eagling, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenThe Dutch National Ballet’s “Nutcracker” series was abruptly brought to an end due to – what else – “COVID-19 related restrictions.” A lockdown was once again imposed on the entire country – this time until mid-January. Nevertheless, the company decided to dance their Christmas Eve performance, which they’d intended to livestream. As artistic director Ted Brandsen welcomed the online audience from the empty auditorium, it was clear that the situation was a difficult one – emotionally and beyond. (more…)

Heart-Warming

“The Nutcracker and The Mouse King”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
December 18, 2021 (livestream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. F.Potvin (Young Clara) and J.Stout (Mouse King), “The Nutcracker and The Mouse King” by T.van Schayk and W.Eagling, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.Gerritsen As yet another round of COVID-19-related restrictions began to choke social life in the Netherlands, the Dutch National Ballet reacted swiftly by adding two livestreams of their Nutcracker production to their pre-Christmas schedule. I viewed the first one on December 18th; the second will take place on Christmas Eve at 2:00 PM. Both performances will subsequently be available as videos-on-demand until January 9th, 2022.

Every rendition of the Nutcracker has its own personal flair, and Amsterdam’s – co-choreographed by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling in 1996 – is decisively Dutch. (more…)

Unparalleled

“TOER” (“Lucifer Studies” / “7th Symphony”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
September 25, 2021 (live stream)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. M. ten Kortenaar and T. van Poucke, “Lucifer Studies” by T. van Schayk, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H. Gerritsen “Unparalleled.”
That’s how Ted Brandsen, artistic director of the Dutch National Ballet, described Toer van Schayk – Holland’s renowned multi-disciplinary artist. van Schayk, who celebrated his eighty-fifth birthday earlier this month, has excelled across a broad spectrum: as a dancer, choreographer, set and costume designer, painter, and sculptor. His knowledge of the history of the arts combined with his wholehearted dedication to his craft and persistent motivation to create make him one-of-a-kind in the field. Though he has been a pillar of the Dutch National Ballet since its founding, his pieces have rarely been scheduled in recent years – and so it was most welcome that this year’s 60th anniversary season opened with the double bill “TOER”. It consisted of van Schayk’s much-acclaimed “7th Symphony” (1986) and a new ballet titled “Lucifer Studies”. I watched the live-stream on September 25th; it will be repeated on October 6th, 2021. (more…)

Amsterdam’s Dance Students

“Dancers of Tomorrow”
Dutch National Ballet Academy
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
July 10/11, 2021 (video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. Students of the Dutch National Ballet Academy, “10 Years Tailor-Made” by I.Lešić, Dutch National Ballet Academy 2021 © S.Derine End-of-year performances are a highlight for the students of any ballet school. Last weekend, the Dutch National Ballet Academy performed “Dancers of Tomorrow” on the main stage of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet for an empty auditorium due, sadly, to ongoing COVID-19-restrictions. The silver lining: a video of the performance, augmented by footage from backstage, was streamed online for two days, allowing a much larger audience to see the work. I wonder: could we include online streams and video broadcasts as a standard addendum to live performances in the future?

“Dancers of Tomorrow” was assembled from ten pieces geared to the students’ age groups and adapted or created especially for the occasion. All students participated. (more…)

Two Dutch Premieres

“Four Seasons” (“The Two Of Us” / “The Four Seasons”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
June 15, 2021 (live broadcast)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. A.Tsygankova and C.Allen, “The Two Of Us” by C.Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenJust one week after the premiere of “Prometheus”, the Dutch National Ballet premiered a second program as part of the annual Holland Festival: “Four Seasons” – a double bill comprised of Christopher Wheeldon’s “The Two Of Us” and David Dawson’s “The Four Seasons”. Two dance films created by members of the company during last year’s lockdown – “Oblivion” and “The Garden” – were shown during the break. The performance was attended by a live audience and, in addition, broadcast online.

“The Two Of Us” premiered at New York City Center’s 2020 Fall for Dance festival and paired New York City Ballet’s principal Sara Means and David Hallberg, close friends who’d never before had the chance to dance together. In Amsterdam, the duet was performed by Anna Tsygankova and Constantine Allen, depicting two tender souls unsure whether to stay together or to part.

As the curtain opens, Tsygankova is seated on the floor, her elbow resting pensively upon her knee. Allen kneels behind her, his hand touching her shoulder. He begins to walk away from her, and at that exact moment we hear the first sounds of a melancholic guitar strummed by Joni Mitchell. “I don’t know where I stand,” Mitchell sings, verbalizing Tsykankova’s state of being. (more…)

A Strong Comeback

“Beethoven” (“Prometheus” / “Grosse Fuge”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
June 08, 2021 (live broadcast)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. S.Yamada, D.Silva, and ensemble, “Prometheus” by W.Kuindersma, E.Meisner, and R.Wörtmeyer, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenThe Dutch National Ballet’s celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday was, in fact, supposed to premiere a year ago. “We’re a little bit late,” admitted Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet’s artistic director, for reasons dictated by COVID-19. The originally scheduled program would have included Toer van Schayk’s “7th Symphony”. The anniversary program that was ultimately shown on June 8th was an adaption of this program comprised of two pieces: “Prometheus” (a new creation by the choreographer-trio Wubkje Kuindersma, Ernst Meisner, and Remi Wörtmeyer) and Hans van Manen’s “Grosse Fuge”. The break was used for an excursion away from Beethoven to Milena Sidorova’s recently released dance film “Rose”. (more…)

Made For Film

“Young Creatives” (“Memento” / “Rose” / “I Feel It Too”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
May, 2021 (online)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. B.Stoop, D.Bai, S.Quintyn, L.Rosillo, W.Wijkstra, and M.Kumar, “Memento” by W.Kuindersma, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenFollowing the online premiere of “Metamorphosis”, the new ballet by Dutch National Ballet’s associate artist David Dawson, the company released three additional videos at the end of May. Each features a ballet film by a young creative associate: “Memento” (concept and choreography by Wubkje Kuindersma), “Rose” (direction, concept, and choreography by Milena Sidorova), and “I Feel It Too” (creative direction and choreography by Sedrig Verwoert). All three films can be viewed for free on the company’s YouTube channel until October 2021. (more…)

Dancers’ Choice

Spring Special”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
April 05, 2021 (online)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. N.Tonoli, S.Yamada, J.Spunda, and S.Leverashvili (Peasants), “Giselle“ by M.Petipa after J.Coralli and J.Perrot, production and additional choreography by R.Beaujean and R.Bustamante, Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenFor most artists, the flow of opportunities for performance on home stages or abroad has either thinned to a trickle or dried up altogether since the onset of the pandemic. The Dutch National Ballet filled some of those gaps with a “Spring Special” -gala that featured a selection of ten short pieces in total – eight excerpts from the company’s existing repertory, one new acquisition, and one world premiere. Each dancer was able to choose which piece to perform in (with appropriate attention to pandemic-related restrictions of group size). All of the principals, several soloists, and one member of the corps de ballet participated. The gala was streamed live on April 5th. A second broadcast is scheduled for April 10, 2021 (more…)

Saucy

In and Out”
Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
March / April 2021 (online video)

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2021 by Ilona Landgraf

1. E.Mardegan (center) and members of the Junior Company, “In and Out” by H.van Manen, Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet 2021 © H.GerritsenAlthough the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company hoped to tour Hans van Manen’s “In and Out” in spring 2020, their plan was shattered by the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Recently, though, the current members of the Junior Company revived the short ballet on the Dutch National Ballet & Opera’s main-stage. The performance was recorded and can be viewed for free until April 25, 2021 on the company’s website.

(more…)

Second International Ballet Conference at Dutch National Ballet

“Positioning Ballet 2019”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands

February 16/17, 2019
by Ilona Landgraf

Copyright © 2019 by Ilona Landgraf

This February, the Dutch National Ballet welcomed international dance professionals for a two-day working meeting at the second “Positioning Ballet” conference. In 2017, at the first iteration of the event, the key topics were heritage, diversity, and identity. The 2019 meeting dealt with the relevance of ballet in the 21st century, the work culture ballet aims to embody, and the types of leadership required from artistic directors. Unlike in 2017, this year’s conference was closed for the press on the first day. As such, I missed the two keynote speeches – one by Jennifer Homans, the author of “Apollo’s Angels”, and the other by Theresa Ruth Howard, the founder and curator of MoBBallet (Memoirs of Blacks in Ballet) – and the discussions that followed. Homans spoke about internal and external threats to the arts and ballet in particular, while Howard’s speech was titled “The Deconstruction of the Anatomy of Culture and Leadership in Ballet”. (more…)

The Doyen

“Ode to the Master” (“On the Move” / “Symphonieën Der Nederlanden” / “Sarcasmen” / “5 Tango’s”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
February 17, 2019

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2019 by Ilona Landgraf

1. H.van Manen and D.Camargo, rehearsal of “5 Tango's” by H.van Manen, Dutch National Ballet 2019 © A.Kaftira“If it was up to me, all I’d be doing was cooking for friends and watching snooker on TV”

These are the words, taken from a 2018 interview, of a choreographer heralded by the Dutch National Ballet as a master. The company dedicated an ode in the form of a ballet program in September 2017, to celebrate the 85th birthday of this nonpareil: Hans van Manen.

This February, the company revived “Ode to the Master”, and it happened that a matinee performance was shown at the closing of the international “Positioning Ballet”-conference held at the Dutch National Opera (a report on the conference will follow). It was a good chance to see the all-van Manen bill again. (more…)

Superficies

“Requiem” (“Citizen Nowhere” / “Requiem”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
February 16, 2019

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2019 by Ilona Landgraf

1. E.Wijnen, “Citizen Nowhere” by D.Dawson, Dutch National Ballet 2019 © H.GerritsenDavid Dawson’s “Requiem” premiered in early February as the second half of an all-Dawson bill from the Dutch National Ballet. The first half was “Citizen Nowhere”, a twenty-or-so minute solo, also created for the Dutch company and first performed in the “Made in Amsterdam 2”-program in 2017.

That “Citizen Nowhere” was inspired by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s novella “The Little Prince” only becomes clear when a selection of signaling words and quotations are projected onto the gray backdrop: “Fox: anything essential is invisible to the eyes; one can only see clearly with the heart”; and “SNAKE: The Tears” (Tears is subsequently replaced with EYE and HEART). Instead, Dawson’s reading of the novella is a political one that tackles nationalism, displacement, and – highly topical – the building of walls. (more…)

Sweet Hope

“Cinderella”
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
December 29, 2018

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2019 by Ilona Landgraf

1. V.Tsyganova, W.Tietze, S.Kaic, E.Merdjanova and A.Tsygankova, “Cinderella” by C.Wheeldon, Dutch National Ballet 2018 © M.HaegemanGripping storytelling is a gift – and Christopher Wheeldon has it. His “Cinderella”, revived by the Dutch National Ballet this Christmas season, warms the heart. It’s the right ballet at the right time. As I strolled through the foyer during the breaks, I saw the enthusiastic faces of the many children who attended the matinee with their parents, including a few youngsters imitating dance steps and one girl turning cartwheels – which are not in Wheeldon’s choreography – in the entrance hall. (more…)