Dutch National Ballet

Hans van Manen in Carré

Hans van Manen

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Photo: Hugo Thomassen

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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Photo: Hans van den Bogaard

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra is the leading orchestra for dance in the Netherlands. In every performance, the orchestra searches for inspiring synergy between music and dance, in order to give the audience a magical experience. From classical ballet to modern masterpieces, and from music education to talent development, Dutch Ballet Orchestra inspires the movement in dance.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

From 1 August 2024, the Flemish conductor Koen Kessels (1961) is the new music director of Dutch National Ballet, and artistic director and principal conductor of Dutch Ballet Orchestra. He took over the baton from Matthew Rowe, who has fulfilled this special dual position since 2013 and who will be returning as principal guest conductor.

Since its inception in 1965, the orchestra has been the proud musical partner of Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. One important mission of Dutch Ballet Orchestra is investing in the youngest generation of dancers and musicians.

In 2023, for instance, the orchestra issued an open call for young composers, in collaboration with Dutch National Ballet, resulting in a new work that was presented in the Junior Company’s touring programme, Ten. The orchestra has also been working for some years already with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. For example, the orchestra members provide the music for the end-of-year performances Dancers of Tomorrow.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra has also collaborated regularly on innovative – and award-winning – family and school productions. Creatures, in partnership with ISH Dance Collective, won the international Young Audiences Music Award and the production Hansel and Gretel, received various Musical Awards.

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