Ballet Beats
It’s not just the young, vibrant dance talents that have made the Junior Company of Het Nationale Ballet such a success. The young choreographers it attracts also create an exciting buzz. With three world premieres, Ballet Beats showcases the beating heart of the ballet of the future, complemented by a lively, brilliant classic.
Run time tba
Genre Dance
Language Language no problem
Ballet Beats
From breakdancer at Boys Action, Dutchman Joshua Junker developed into a dancer with the British Royal Ballet, where he also created his first choreographies. In 2023, he debuted with the Junior Company with Remembrance, which was immediately awarded the Encouragement Prize from the Dansersfonds ’79. Just like then, Junker will also incorporate influences from hip-hop in his new creation for Ballet Beats.
Striking new ‘voice’
The Cuban-British Arielle Smith Jones is only 25 but already has a prestigious Olivier Award to her name. Originally from the contemporary dance scene, she often mixes dance, theater, and film in her distinctive creations. In Ballet Beats, she makes her Dutch debut with a new work. South African Mthuthuzeli November presents the third world premiere. With a background in both African dance and ballet, he is considered a striking new ‘voice’ in the international ballet world. He also won an Olivier Award for one of his choreographies. Since last year, he has been the Artistic Associate at the National Ballet Academy and previously created a duet for National Ballet soloists Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili.
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Lively and light-hearted
The fourth work in Ballet Beats, George Balanchine's Allegro Brillante, is a Dutch premiere. It is one of the most vibrant, light-hearted, yet still challenging works by the most important (neo)classical choreographer of the 20th century. He himself said, “It contains everything I know about ballet, but summarized in thirteen minutes.”
Reviews
The Guardian
'Mthuthuzeli November naturally blends ballet, on pointe, with an earthier African idiom (...) Posture and weight are modified, pointe shoes become percussive instruments.'
Credits
world premiere / choreography Joshua Junker
world premiere / choreography Arielle Smith Jones
world premiere / choreography Mthuthuzeli November
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Dutch premiere Allegro Brillante / choreography George Balanchine
music Pjotr Iljitsj Tsjaikovski
photography Hugo Thomassen
