Let Amsterdam Dance

15 June 2025

Photo: Yanina Isla

Let Amsterdam Dance

2025 marks the 750th anniversary of the city of Amsterdam, and Dutch National Ballet is pulling out all the festive stops with Sasha Waltz’s In C. This impressive production, which treads the line between improvisation and choreography, will be performed not only by the dancers of Dutch National Ballet and the Junior Company, but also by residents of the seven districts of Amsterdam – from teenagers to seniors, and from untrained dancers to folk dancers and hiphoppers.

Photo: Yanina Isla

Let Amsterdam Dance and In C

Performance at our theatre and elsewhere

Residents of the seven districts of Amsterdam will each learn parts of Sasha Waltz’s In C, which they will first present on squares, and in schools, sports centres and smaller theatres, and finally all come together for the unique performance Let Amsterdam Dance, at Dutch National Opera & Ballet. In C will subsequently be performed another three times, but then by dancers from Dutch National Ballet and the Junior Company.

In C

In C is the result of a daring and innovative project initiated during the corona lockdowns by the renowned German choreographer Sasha Waltz. To Terry Riley’s revolutionary composition of the same name – also described as the ‘Big Bang’ of minimalist music – she created a collection of choreographic phrases with which the dancers of her company Sasha Waltz & Guests could experiment freely at home. Since its premiere in Berlin, the project has unleashed a worldwide movement – “like a positive virus” – with performances of In C in Ukraine, Georgia, India, Mexico, New York and various West-European countries, by continually changing groups of dancers.

Each performance is different

Composer Terry Riley called his In C ‘the most democratic piece of music ever composed’. Published in 1964, the work comprises 53 short motifs in C major and the complete work fits on a single sheet of A4. Riley did not specify any instruments or duration for the composition, so it can be played by almost anyone, which has led to a wide variety of performances. This inspired Waltz to create an equally playful and variable choreographic system, based on 53 movement figures with plenty of scope for improvisation – following certain rules. Each individual performer is given creative freedom, but has to relate to the group. This is a pointed reference to our current society, because, as Waltz wonders: how can we retain our personal freedom without damaging others and our society?