Dutch National Ballet

GRIMM

Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner

Check availability

Dates

9 May – 24 June 2026

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage & tour

Running time

1:50 incl. 1 interval

Tickets

TBA

Dancers: Léa Sauvignon (Junior Company), Raquel Tijsterman (ISH), Patrick Karijowidjojo (ISH) | Photo: Hugo Thomassen

Well-known fairy tales in an enchanting mix of hiphop and ballet

Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White and her seven dwarves—they all make an appearance in GRIMM. This imaginative collage performance for all ages proves that hip-hop and ballet are a golden duo. The Junior Company and ISH Dance Collective bring together the best-known fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a high-energy dance production that blends multiple styles. After the huge success of its first tour, this hit production by Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner is now returning to the stage.

Fantasy world

Through a video game, two brothers find themselves in a fantasy world, where they encounter a host of fairy-tale characters. Together, they try to stop an evil witch who is plotting to seize power over four kingdoms. His plan? To pair off four princes with Snow White, Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty and Rapunzel. But the brothers are determined not to let that happen.

Amazing pirouettes and head spins

With the use of video projections, GRIMM makes anything seem possible: a springtime forest filled with fruit transforms in an instant into a dark, menacing witch’s woodland. Against this backdrop, the dancers showcase their strengths: breathtaking pirouettes, powerful jumps, sharp popping and locking moves, and jaw-dropping head spins. Ballet fans will also recognise references to famous fairy-tale ballets—including a delightful take on Swan Lake’s dance of the little swans, performed by four hip-hop dwarves.

A creative dream team

GRIMM is one of three productions created jointly by Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner, the artistic directors of hip-hop dance collective ISH and Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company, respectively. The fact that they come from completely different backgrounds is precisely their strength. “By using a variety of dance styles, the possibilities just keep on multiplying”, says Meisner. For GRIMM, they took inspiration from the best-known fairy tales of the famous Brothers Grimm, mixing them together into a bold and entertaining spectacle— which also has great appeal for non-dance-lovers.

Performance information

Dutch National Opera & Ballet advises a minimum age of 8 for this performance.

Family performance

Junior Company and ISH Dance Collective on tour

Choreography and staging Marco Gerris and Ernst Meisner
Music Scanner
Set and video design Aitor Biedma
Costume design Studio RUIM - René van der Leest and Sigrid van Kleef
Lighting design Mike den Ottolander

Co-production with ISH Dance Collective

GRIMM with audio description

For visitors with a visual impairment, a live audio description will be available during the performance on Wednesday 24 June at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, made possible by Komt het Zien!. The audio description is provided by an audio describer and can be followed via headphones from all seats in the auditorium.

This free service also includes a meet & feel and a special introduction, in which, among other things, the sets and costumes are described.

Since 2014, Stichting Komt het Zien! has been making theatre performances and events accessible to audiences with a visual impairment through the use of audio describers.

Tickets for this service can be reserved by phone via the customer service team: 020 62 55 455.

Order tickets

Ticket sales for performances at venues other than Dutch National Opera & Ballet can be purchased from the theatre in question.

Loading tickets...

A performance beaming with delight – an enchanting blend that comes together seamlessly through masterful choreography. (2018)

2 May

Undoubtedly the most imaginative dance production of the season – seize the moment! A boundless celebration of fantasy, where no idea is too bold. (2018)

16 April

So original, creative, and witty (...) A performance you absolutely must see. (2018)

16 April

In this whimsical fairy tale, hip-hop dancers and ballet dancers are evenly matched in skill and spirit.(2018)

15 April

Two dance worlds, one production

Dancers Raquel Tijsterman and Manu Kumar about GRIMM

The co-productions by the Junior Company and ISH Dance Collective bring together not only different dance worlds, but also dancers from different worlds. Like ISH dancer Raquel Tijsterman and Manu Kumar from Dutch National Ballet. In 2018, they were both in the original cast of the ballet-meets-hiphop production GRIMM.

Read the full article