Junior Company
Established masterpieces and promises for the future in a sparkling dance program.
The Junior Company of Het Nationale Ballet represents the future. Not only because of the young dancers in the group – the stars of tomorrow – but also by shining the spotlight on emerging choreographic talent. Alongside existing masterworks by Hans van Manen and British master choreographer Sir Kenneth MacMillan, 'Ballet Vibes' features new works by three promising young choreographers.
Zoë Greten, Luca Abdel-Nour and Rutkay Özpinar create fascinating worlds with diverse dance styles, including hip hop, contemporary and Turkish dance, perfectly engaging with the experience of the Junior Company dancers. At the same time, it is essential for the dancers' development that they master the pure classical ballet technique to perfection. They get this opportunity in a new creation by Ernst Meisner and in the second part of 'Concerto', a serene yet demanding pas de deux by Sir Kenneth MacMillan.
The combination of humor and dance is not obvious, but you could send Hans van Manen and Eric Gauthier a message. From the latter you see 'Ballet 102', a nod to the dance innovators of the previous century and the successor to 'Ballet 101', his hilarious and award-winning 'crash course in ballet'. The finale of the evening is Van Manen's 'In the Future', a sparkling blockbuster in which the master conjures with colors, bodies, humor and ingenuity.
Website: Nationale Opera & Ballet
Junior Company
With the establishment of the Junior Company in 2013, Dutch National Ballet and the National Ballet Academy created an important stepping stone for young dancers. The Junior Company is led by artistic director Ernst Meisner and currently comprises sixteen dancers who have already undertaken several successful tours both domestically and internationally.
