Dutch National Ballet

Toer

Beethoven's 7th Symphony and world premiere Lucifer Studies

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Dates

14-26 Sep 2021

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Auditorium

Running time

1:24 hours, no intermission

Tickets

Not available

A masterpiece full of life force, dynamics and vitality

Dutch National Ballet opens the season in which it celebrates its 60th jubilee with a special Toer van Schayk programme. This multi-talented artist has played a vital part in the image of our company.

Programme

Alongside Toer van Schayk's masterpiece 7th Symphony, we present in this jubilee programme a world premiere created by him: Lucifer Studies.

Programma

Good and bad

Van Schayk, who will be 85 in September, has created a new, intimate male-based choreography, Lucifer Studies, for the opening of the jubilee programme. His basis for this work is Vondel’s Lucifer, about the angel Lucifer who, driven by jealousy, rebels against God and drags humanity down with him as he falls into disgrace. Duality, or the turning point between good and bad, play an important role in this new production. Van Schayk has set his new choreography to the diaphonous Echoes by the Dutch composer Joep Franssens.

Extra dimension

Alongside this world premiere a new generation of dancers performone of Van Schayk’s most important masterpieces: 7th Symphony, which was awarded the Amsterdam Choreography Prize. Inspired by Beethoven’s Seventh, Van Schayk created a pure musical ballet bursting with life force, dynamics and vitality. The jury stated, ‘it not only comes into its own alongside Beethoven’s music but also adds an extra dimension, as a true ‘apotheosis of dance’.

7th Symphony, Photo: Hans Gerritsen

Lucifer Studies, Photo: Hans Gerritsen

Credits

Choreography

Toer van Schayk

Music Lucifer Studies

Joep Franssens

Music 7th Symphony

Ludwig van Beethoven

Toer van Schayk

Van Schayk’s name is inseparably connected to the history of Dutch National Ballet. He created his first costume and set designs in 1961, the year the company was established. He was a loved soloist for ten years, famed for his moving and expressive interpretations. He also designed more than 50 characteristic choreographies which - together with work by Rudi van Dantzig and Hans van Manen - were an important contribution to the acclaim Dutch National Ballet has received since the 1970’s. At this time his designs, which shine in style, class and detail even set a new standard at home and abroad.

Rachel Beaujean and Timothy van Poucke about Toer van Schayk

Epic artworks

Soloist Timothy van Poucke: “Van Schayk’s name is inseparably connected to the history of Dutch National Ballet. He created his first costume and set designs in 1961, the year the company was established. He was a loved soloist for ten years, famed for his moving and expressive interpretations. He also designed more than 50 characteristic choreographies which - together with work by Rudi van Dantzig and Hans van Manen - were an important contribution to the acclaim Dutch National Ballet has received since the 1970’s. At this time his designs, which shine in style, class and detail even set a new standard at home and abroad.

An unprecedented world

Assistant Artistic Director Rachel Beaujean: “Toer transports you to another dimension with everything he does, a different, unexpected and unprecedented world. I experienced it for the first time when I was cast as a dancer for his choreographies (...) Everything felt strange and nonconformist at first, but curiously enough you discovered more and more logic and ‘flow’ to his material and his ballets eventually became very organic. And not only that: the limits of your possibilities of physical expression expanded. He was of great help to me as a dancer.”

Rehearsal 7th Symphony, photo: Altin Kaftira

Rehearsal Lucifer Studies, photo: Altin Kaftira

Toer van Schayk’s 7th Symphony is monumental, a spirited, sparkling piece. Twenty dancers are plastically sculpted into ensemble dances that are fanning out to the raising beat of Beethoven’s seventh symphony.

9 September

Van Schayk’s dance is visual in the sense that it creates a sculpture using dancers. It is as though he frees the dancers from unneccessary motion and then raises them to the border of the impossible with what ‘remains’.

21 September

TOER - podcast

In this (Dutch) podcast about TOER, Lin van Ellinckhuijsen takes you to a rehearsal of Lucifer Studies, a beautiful memory of ex-dancer Jane Lord, a commentary by Caroline Sayo Iura and a walk through the varied life of Toer van Schayk.

TOER

By: Lin van Ellinckhuijsen

Toer van Schayk

Choreographer

Musical accompaniment: Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Conducted by Matthew Rowe

Since its inception in 1965, the orchestra has been proud to accompany its partners, Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. The working method is unique in the Netherlands.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra, with Matthew Rowe as principal conductor, consists of a regular core of 45 musicians, supported where necessary by highly qualified guest performers. This gives the orchestra its unique character: flexible, dynamic and high-quality.

More about Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Rehearsal 7th Symphony, photo: Altin Kaftira

Rehearsal Lucifer Studies, photo: Altin Kaftira

Ted Brandsen: ‘We just can’t wait’

De laatste renaissancist

Het DNA van Het Nationale Ballet

1969 Van Manen - Van Dantzig - Van Schayk foto Jorge Fatauros_

Hollandse Meesters

Dancer Timothy van Poucke about TOER

Soloist Timohy van Poucke dances in TOER and gave an interview about it to Winq (Dutch).

Read the interview with Timothy van Poucke

In its original version, '7th Symphony' was a vehicle for the company's soloists, whereas Van Schayk chose for more young, eager dancers now. An invaluable experience which they will cherish for the rest of their lives.