video ballet there again. I was at its premiere in 1979, with Coleen Davis in the main role, and it blew me away. That ending, where you watch on screen how the ballerina leaves the theatre and disappears into the night, really broke my heart.” The full-length classic being presented in a new version is La Bayadère, one of the crown jewels of the nineteenth- century ballet repertoire. Why did you choose this ballet? “La Bayadère is a very valuable part of our cultural heritage, with exceptionally beautiful choreography. We used to perform this ballet by Marius Petipa in a traditional version by Natalia Makarova, but we think the time’s ripe for a new interpretation, in line with today’s insights. Petipa’s La Bayadère shows a Western, orientalist view of India as an exotic place, as it was seen at the time, around 1875. A few years ago, looking ahead to your departure from Dutch National Ballet, you said, “When it comes to it, they’ll really have to drive me out!” “Yes, that’s how it felt at the time. I couldn’t imagine a future without Dutch National Ballet. Now I’m a bit more used to the idea. It’s not that I want to go, but at subsidised cultural institutions in the Netherlands your contract automatically ends when you turn 67. To quote the title of a novel by Louis Couperus, it’s a question of ‘Old People and the Things that Pass’. It’s all part of the course and you have to deal with it. I’m going to find it terribly difficult to leave the group. But it isn’t my company, and I am immensely pleased that such an excellent succes- sor, Ernst Meisner, has now been appointed. This means that I will be able to hand over the company with all love and confidence.” In the new season, your personal stamp will be even clearer than in previous years. What were your absolute must-dos and must-shows? “I still had a great wish to stage a new version of a big, full-length classic (see further on – ed.). In addition, besides several world premieres, I also wanted to revive a number of works that have been very important to our company and to me personally. And finally, I wanted our group to perform at the Carré theatre again – like we did in the eighties. I have very special memories of our Romeo and Juliet series in the round there, in 1984 – despite being wounded at the premiere, when one of the dancers grazed my eyebrow with his sword. It bled a lot and had to be stitched.” He laughs, “Yes, it was really quite spectacular.” And seriously again, “Another milestone at Carré was Hans van Manen’s Live, and we’re presenting this iconic Interview Ted Brandsen talks about his final ballet season Text: Astrid van Leeuwen At the end of the 2025 – 2026 season, Ted Brandsen is saying farewell as artistic director of Dutch National Ballet. For the last time, he’ll be presenting a new full-length production of an enchanting ballet. In addition, he’ll be programming works by choreographers he admires and spotlighting talented youngsters. He’ll also share with us the milestones that formed him as a dancer. as a connecting force Dutch National Ballet 69
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