Dutch National Ballet

Gala

Various choreographers

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Photo: Marta Syrko

Dates

28 June 2024

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

2:55, incl. 1 interval

Tickets

Evening among the stars

Following the exuberant celebration of its sixtieth anniversary in June 2022, Dutch National Ballet is once again presenting a grand, dazzling Gala performance at the end of the 2023/2024 season. Almost 250 dancers will be appearing at this special event, which will celebrate the tenth anniversary of Dutch National Ballet's Junior Company as well as the farewell of Music Director Matthew Rowe and First Pianist Olga Khoziainova.

Photo: Marta Syrko

Exclusive surprise programme

All principals in choreographies of their choice

The gala is unique in that you can see all the principal dancers of Dutch National Ballet in the same evening. Supported by the other dancers of Dutch National Ballet, they present an exclusive surprise programme, in which the principal dancers themselves had a significant voice in the choice of choreographies to be performed. As a result, the programme includes not only highlights from the National Ballet repertoire, but also various contributions new to our company, from top choreographers such as Christopher Wheeldon, Uwe Scholz and the duo Sol León and Paul Lightfoot. You will also see recent creations by Remi Wörtmeyer and Lars de Vos, and a world premiere by Mthuthuzeli November. The dancers of the Junior Company, which is celebrating its tenth anniversary, will perform Joshua Junkers Remembrance, for which the young Dutch choreographer was awarded the Incentives Award by Dansersfonds ‘79.

Grand Défilé

By tradition, the gala opens with a Grand Défilé, which presents all the company dancers, alongside the students and youngest pupils of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. After the performance, the gala party continues in the foyers of Dutch National Opera & Ballet, attended by dancers and choreographers.

Credits

Surprise programme
comprising various choreographic works

With an afterparty
Dress code: black tie

Musical accompaniment Dutch Ballet Orchestra conducted by Matthew Rowe

Online programme

Along with the printed programme book, we also offer online programme information for this performance. The online programme will take you behind the scenes with in-depth stories, articles, and interviews with the creators and cast.

Check out the online programme

Theaterparadijs (June 2022): ‘Dutch National Ballet’s annual Gala is one of the highlights of the theatre season (..) We have a world-class company to be proud of’

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra’s mission is ‘to inspire movement in dance’. Since its inception in 1965, the orchestra has been the proud musical partner of Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. In every performance, the orchestra searches for inspiring synergy between music and dance, in order to give the audience a magical experience.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Led by principal conductor Matthew Rowe, Dutch Ballet Orchestra is the leading orchestra for dance in the Netherlands. The orchestra accompanies performances ranging from traditional ballet to modern dance, alongside its activities in music education and talent development.

Besides performances with Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long tradition of innovative – and award-winning – family performances. For instance, Creatures (in collaboration with ISH Dance Collective) received the international Young Audiences Music Award, and the production Hansel and Gretel (in collaboration with Orkater) won various Musical Awards. In these productions, the musicians play from memory, without a conductor and in costumes, so that they form an integral part of the performance.

And finally, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long-term partnership with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. They are therefore involved in the music curriculum for pupils and students, facilitate student visits to orchestra rehearsals and provide music for the academy’s end-of-year performance, where possible.

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