Dancers: Eva Bakker, Annabelle Eubanks, Javier Cubero, Darius-Oriol Tamosi | Photo: Hugo Thomassen Touring programme Three world premieres and one Dutch premiere World premiere Choreography Joshua Junker World premiere Choreography Arielle Smith Jones World premiere Choreography Mthuthuzeli November Allegro Brillante Dutch premiere Choreography George Balanchine Music Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Main sponsor Junior Company Partners Junior Company Premiere 22/1/2026 Location: ITA, Amsterdam | Subsequent performances Dutch tour: 23, 29 January, 1, 3, 7, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 February, 1, 2 March 2026 (see page 123) The Dutch artist Joshua Junker developed from a breakdancer with Boys Action to a dancer with The Royal Ballet, in England. He also created his first choreographic works with the latter company. In 2023, he made his choreographic debut with the Junior Company, with Remembrance, which immediately received the Incentive Award from Dansersfonds ’79. Just as in Remembrance, Junker will also incorporate hiphop influences in his new creation for Ballet Beats. Striking new ‘voice’ The Cuban-British choreographer Arielle Smith Jones is just 25, but she has already won a prestigious Olivier Award. Originating from the modern dance scene, she often mixes dance, theatre and film in her distinctive creations. For Ballet Beats, she is making her Dutch debut with a new work. The third world premiere is by the South African choreographer Mthuthuzeli November. His background in both African dance and ballet makes him a striking new ‘voice’ in the international ballet world. He, too, won an Olivier Award for one of his pieces. Since last year, he has been an Artistic Associate with the Dutch National Ballet Academy, and he has already made a duet for Dutch National Ballet principals Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili. Cheerful and light-hearted The fourth work in Ballet Beats, George Balanchine’s Allegro Brillante, is a Dutch premiere. It is one of the most lively and lighthearted works by the most important neo-classical choreographer of the twentieth century, although that does not make it any less challenging. Balanchine said himself that it “contains everything I know about ballet, condensed into thirteen minutes”. Junior Company: the power and diversity of the future The overwhelming success of Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company is due not only to its sparkling, talented young dancers. An exciting buzz is also created by the young choreographers the group attracts. The programme Ballet Beats shows the beating heart of ballet of the future, including three world premieres alongside a lively, brilliant classic. “ Mthuthuzeli November naturally blends ballet, on pointe, with an earthier African idiom (...) Posture and weight are modified, pointe shoes become percussive instruments” The Guardian 81
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