Ballet Beats

Diversity and innovation

In Ballet Beats, classical and contemporary influences collide. Dutch choreographer Joshua Junker (1998) incorporates hip-hop into his work. A former breakdancer and now a dancer with The Royal Ballet, Junker previously created Remembrance (2023) for the Junior Company, which was awarded the Incentive Award by Dansersfonds ’79. 

Cuban-British choreographer Arielle Smith (1996) has already won a prestigious Olivier Award. Originally from the modern dance world, she often blends dance, theatre and film in her distinctive creations. Ballet Beats marks her Dutch debut with a brand-new work. 

South African choreographer Mthuthuzeli November (1993) is responsible for the third world premiere. With a background in both African dance and ballet, he is regarded as a striking new ‘voice’ in the international ballet scene. He, too, has won an Olivier Award for one of his works. Since last year, he has been an Artistic Associate at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. Previously, he created a duet for Dutch National Ballet principals Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili. 

Cheerful and light-hearted 

Alongside these three world premieres, Ballet Beats also features Allegro Brillante, a Dutch premiere. This work by George Balanchine is both exuberant and technically demanding. Balanchine himself described it as “everything I know about ballet, condensed into thirteen minutes.”