Dates

15 Oct 2023

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Studio Boekman

Running time

1:15, no interval

Tickets

€15; Stadspas (City Pass), CJP and students €12,50

Davi Ramos en Sebia Plantefève-Castryck in Embers

Black Achievement Month: Dutch National Ballet

This year, Dutch National Ballet contributes to the Black Achievement Month with the programme Dancing Diversity, presenting three choreographies by Sedrig Verwoert , choreographer, dancer and Young Creative Associate of Dutch National Ballet. Besides the solos Slightly Damp In A Misty Street and The Hard Rocks Will Seem Soft To Us, which he created for Dutch National Ballet dancers Sebia Plantefève-Castryck and Davi Ramos, the programme features his work The Ritual. Verwoert performs this duet together with Alanna Archibald, to live music by Ranie Ribeiro and Phantom Wizard (Isha Forster).   

Photo: Davi Ramos and Sebia Plantefève-Castryck in Embers | © Hans Gerritsen

Dancing Diversity

Slightly Damp In A Misty Street

Since starting his journey as a choreographer at Dutch National Ballet, Sedrig Verwoert has been collaborating with Brazilian dancer Davi Ramos, who was recently promoted to the rank of Grand Sujet. Last season, Verwoert crafted the solo performance Slightly Damp In A Misty Street for him, which debuted at the International Young Patrons Gala in June. This artistic endeavour visualises Ramos’s multifaceted transformation – as an artist, a creator and an individual. It tells a poignant tale about chasing one’s dreams without forgetting one’s roots. In an innovative interplay, Verwoert taps into Ramos’ capacity to turn his elegant movements into an expression that borders on the animalistic, thus emphasising a characteristic that defines both the choreography and its performer.

The Hard Rocks Will Seem Soft To Us

In 2019, Sebia Plantefève-Castryck had just commenced her first year with the Junior Company of Dutch National Ballet when Verwoert created the solo The Hard Rocks Will Seem Soft To Us for her. For years, both Verwoert and Plantefève-Castryck found themselves marginalised within the ballet sphere, yet they now observe a growing change. This solo crystallises something that, more than a decade ago, when they first met, seemed inconceivable for them both: the composition of a piece by a black choreographer starring a black ballet dancer in the principal role. This magnum opus is a testament to their relentless efforts as well as a tribute to all black ballet dancers who preceded them. Set to Schubert’s evocative and vulnerable Ave Maria, Plantefève-Castryck portrays a contemporary Maria – weighed down by global dilemmas such as racism, climate change, war and inequality, yet imbued with the belief that even these can be overcome.

The Ritual

One ritual, two bodies. The transformation, step by step, towards a new identity. How do you find space in yourself to change? And where do you find connection with the space around you and with each other? In The Ritual, Sedrig Verwoert examines identity as something cultural, physical, and sexual. During Dancing Diversity, he presents this exciting duet, which he performs together with Alanna Archibald to live music by Ranie Riberio and Phantom Wizard (Isha Forster), for the first time in Dutch National Opera & Ballet.

Programme

Slightly Damp In A Misty Street

Choreography Sedrig Verwoert

Music R.T.C.

The Hard Rocks Will Seem Soft To Us

Choreography Sedrig Verwoert

Music Franz Schubert

The Ritual

Choreography Sedrig Verwoert

Music Phantom Wizard (Isha Forster) & Ranie Ribeiro

The Ritual

Sedrig Verwoert on his works in Dancing Diversity and the dancers in the principal roles

Slightly Damp In A Misty Street
Slightly Damp In A Misty Street - Sedrig Verwoert - HNB 22-23 | Photo: Altin Kaftira
The Ritual
The Ritual - Sedrig Verwoert | Photo: Mark Bolk
The Ritual
The Ritual - Sedrig Verwoert | Photo: Mark Bolk
The Ritual
The Ritual - Sedrig Verwoert | Photo: Mark Bolk

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The Hard Rock Will Seem Soft To Us
The Hard Rock Will Seem Soft To Us - Sedrig Verwoert - HNB 21-22 | Photo: Hans Gerritsen
Slightly Damp In A Misty Street
Slightly Damp In A Misty Street - Sedrig Verwoert - HNB 22-23 | Photo: Altin Kaftira

Black Achievement Month

Every October, the Black Achievement Month Foundation celebrates individuals with African roots. As a result, the Black Achievement Month Foundation, in collaboration with other partners across the country, highlights the talents of diverse people. The goal is to celebrate diversity while combating racism, discrimination, and intolerance. Dutch National Opera & Ballet will present an opera and ballet programme this year to reflect on the legacy of the past, honour contemporary artists, and look forward to the future, as part of our long-standing partnership with the Black Achievement Month Foundation.