Hans van Manen Festival

This year, a total of eight dance companies and ensembles are taking part in the festival: the Wiener Staatsballett, Ballett am Rhein Düsseldorf-Duisburg, the Stuttgarter Ballett, Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Nederlands Dans Theater 2, Introdans and, of course, Dutch National Ballet and the Junior Company. Together, they will present a cross-section of the extensive Van Manen repertoire. The programme also includes a Dutch premiere: Ballett am Rhein is dancing Dances with Piano, an adaptation of Dances with Harp, which Van Manen created for our company in 2014.

Groundbreaking

The Stuttgarter Ballett will dance Van Manen's Solo: his shortest masterpiece, which is nothing short of wonderful and the Wiener Staatsballett is performing an early Van Manen work: Four Schumann Pieces, originally created for The Royal Ballet in London. Nederlands Dans Theater is presenting one early work and one later one by Van Manen: NDT 1 is dancing his groundbreaking Situation from 1970 and NDT 2 will shine in Simple Things.

Colourful ‘evergreens’

Introdans and the Junior Company will be adding a colourful touch, with, respectively, Polish Pieces and In the Future – two evergreens, in which an important role is played by the colourful costumes by Van Manen’s regular designer Keso Dekker. Dutch National Ballet will be dancing no fewer than eleven ballets by the master choreographer, ranging from an early work like Metaforen to internationally successful ‘classics’ like Grosse Fuge, Adagio Hammerklavier and 5 Tangos. But the programme will also include later works like Concertante, Two Pieces for HET and Frank Bridge Variations.