DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET
Hans van Manen Retrospective
Hans van Manen
ADAGIO HAMERKLAVIER
Created for Dutch National Ballet on October 4, 1973
Music: Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 29 in B-flat major, Op. 106
Set and Costumes: Jean Paul Vroom
Lighting: Jan Hofstra
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SOLO
Created for NDT 2 on January 16, 1997
Music: J.S. Bach, Partita No. 1 in B minor for Solo Violin, BWV 1002
Set and Costumes: Keso Dekker
Lighting: Joop Caboort
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FRANK BRIDGE VARIATIONS
For Sol León and Paul Lightfoot
Created for Dutch National Ballet on March 18, 2005
Music: B. Britten, Variations on a Theme of Frank Bridge, Op. 10
Set and Costumes: Keso Dekker
Lighting: Bert Dalhuysen
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5 TANGO’S
Created for Dutch National Ballet on November 3, 1977
Music: Astor Piazzolla, Five Tangos Sensations
Set and Costumes: Jean-Paul Vroom
Lighting: Jan Hofstra
With principal dancers: Anna Ol, Anna Tsygankova, Qian Liu, Olga Smirnova, Maia Makhateli, Jessia Xuan, Constantine Allen, Young Gyu Choi, Semyon Velichko, Giorgi Potskhishvili, Jacopo Tissi, Timothy van Poucke
and the corps de ballet of Dutch National Ballet
Recorded music
Co-productions: Productions Internationales Albert Sarfati / Théâtre des Champs-Élysées
ABOUT THE SHOW
As part of TranscenDanses, the Théâtre des Champs-Élysées hosts an exceptional evening dedicated to Hans van Manen, featuring four iconic works performed by the Dutch National Ballet that combine neoclassical rigor, sensuality, and virtuosity.
The Dutch National Ballet honors one of the most significant figures in European dance with an evening dedicated to Hans van Manen. An emblematic choreographer of the Netherlands, Hans van Manen has shaped the international choreographic landscape with a style that is refined, elegant, and marked by formidable musical precision. Through this retrospective, the Amsterdam-based company unveils the richness and diversity of his work, blending formal rigor, sensual movement, and subtle irony.
The program opens with Adagio Hammerklavier, an iconic ballet created in 1973 set to Beethoven’s monumental piano sonata, which marks the period when Hans van Manen began to incorporate more classical pointework. The six dancers, perfectly synchronized, create a fluid ensemble where each step, each breath, resonates with the music. Three duets follow, with suspended slowness and gradual deceleration, revealing the beauty in the details and exploring the tension between stillness and movement. This almost minimalist movement embraces the music in a fragile and breathtaking harmony. Next comes Solo, where Van Manen delivers a dazzling demonstration of male virtuosity set to a Bach score. Created for three dancers, this short choreographic gem oscillates between brilliance and humor, precision and lightness, creating a whirlwind of movement that is both energetic and poetic. The tone shifts with Frank Bridge Variations, a more lyrical piece set to Britten’s composition. With soaring lifts and contained tension, Hans van Manen explores the variations of a couple’s relationship (a central theme in the choreographer’s work) in this finely crafted and elegant piece. Each duet unfolds with unique intensity, shifting from desire to softness with unmatched mastery. Finally, 5 Tango’s, one of his most famous works, closes the evening. To the compelling rhythms of Astor Piazzolla, the dance becomes incandescent, blending dramatic tension with sophisticated choreography. An irresistible fusion of Latin energy and Dutch refinement.
Four works, four facets of a master of neoclassical dance. A vibrant evening presented by the soloists of the Dutch National Ballet, marked by pure musicality, choreographic sensuality, and intelligent movement.
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