Dutch National Ballet

Hans van Manen in Carré

Hans van Manen

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Dates

30 April – 3 May 2026

Location

Royal Theatre Carré, Amsterdam

Running time

TBA

Tickets

TBA

Dancer: Maia Makhateli | Photo: Hugo Thomassen

Van Manen’s unforgettable Live is a must-see

Those who were there will never forget it. The close-up images of the dancer. Her intimate connection with the cameraman. And how, after one final, intense confrontation with a man, she walks out of the theatre, alone into the night. In 1979, the world premiere of Hans van Manen’s Live marked a milestone in Dutch theatre history. The groundbreaking video ballet, in which dance and live camera images merge, was hailed as revolutionary and became an internationally acclaimed masterpiece. Now, Live returns to Royal Theatre Carré, the place where it all began—paired with other iconic Van Manen works, including ballets never before performed by Dutch National Ballet.

Ingenious

Van Manen’s Live, set to piano music by Franz Liszt, has moved generations of audiences and been praised as both masterful and groundbreaking. The concept may seem simple, yet it is artistically revolutionary: a ballerina is seen both live on stage and through the lens of a cameraman. What his eye captures appears live on a large video screen. At the same time—both live and in flashback—we witness her encounters with a man, a relationship now marked by pain and aggression.

New works for our company

In the years following the premiere of Live, Dutch National Ballet has performed in the round at Carré on multiple occasions, with various Hans van Manen programmes, as well as Romeo and Juliet by Rudi van Dantzig and Bacchanten by Gerardjan Rijnders. Each time was a special occasion. This season, the company returns to Carré with a programme dedicated entirely to Hans van Manen.

Performance information

Live

Choreography Hans van Manen
Music Franz Liszt
Costume design Keso Dekker
Lighting design Jan Hofstra

Kammerballett

Choreography Hans van Manen
Music Kara Karayev, Domenico Scarlatti, John Cage
Set and costume design Keso Dekker
Lighting design Joop Caboort

Two Pieces for HET

Choreography Hans van Manen
Music Erkki-Sven Tüür, Arvo Pärt
Set and costume design Keso Dekker
Lighting design Jan Hofstra

Black Cake

Choreography Hans van Manen
Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, Leoš Janáček, Igor Stravinsky, Pietro Mascagni, Jules Massenet
Set and costume design Keso Dekker
Lighting design Joop Caboort

Musical accompaniment Dutch Ballet Orchestra conducted by Karel Deseure

Order tickets

Ticket sales for Hans van Manen in Carré start on 28 August 2025 at 12 noon via Carré.

This performance is a collaboration between Dutch National Ballet and Royal Theatre Carré, with Dutch National Ballet serving as the responsible producer and Carré handling ticket sales and the venue.

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