Moderne Klassiekers Het Nationale Ballet

Since its premiere in 1975 , Four Schumann Pieces has become one of Hans van Manen's most popular and most performed ballets. It was originally created for the British Royal Ballet, with then ballet star Anthony Dowell in the challenging leading role, because Van Manen wanted to create a choreography that did not focus on 'that eternal ballerina', but rather on the 'ballerino'. Surrounded by five dance couples, we see this male soloist, in Van Manen's typical clear dance language, go through various emotional stages, after which he is ultimately left alone. This gives the abstract choreography a romantic and melancholic charge.

Quirky and moving

Alexei Ratmansky's The Fairy's Kiss (2017) will have its European premiere with the National Ballet in June 2024. The starting point for the ballet is Igor Stravinsky's masterful Le baiser de la fée from 1928, which in turn is inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale The Ice Queen . This is about a boy who is saved by a fairy's kiss during a snowstorm. He grows up to be a handsome young man, but on the night before his wedding the fairy returns to claim him, sealing his fate with an icy kiss. Ratmansky – currently 'artist in residence' at the New York City Ballet – provides the story with a unique additional storyline: his moving The Fairy's Kiss – with beautiful sets and costumes by Jérôme Kaplan – is also about a choreographer who cannot cope with his fate. avoid.