101 Dancer: Timothy van Poucke | Photo: Petrovsky & Ramone We’re rolling out the red carpet for you. At this sparkling ballet gala, you will experience dance at the very highest level. Alongside a series of surprise ballets, the programme includes at least two works by Hans van Manen, one of them new to our company. During this gala, we pay tribute to our figurehead Hans van Manen, who passed away on 17 December 2025. We begin with the premiere for our company of Trilogie, a work he originally created for Nederlands Dans Theater and which, just days before his death, he was still refining in his own living room. Set to music by Franz Liszt, Jacob ter Veldhuis and Arvo Pärt, the master choreographer crafts a compelling play of contrasts for ten dancers: between man and woman, individual and group, seeing and being seen. The second Van Manen work on the programme has been performed by our company only once before: his phenomenal ‘ballet for two’, The Old Man and Me. Set to a surprising musical collage of J.J. Cale, Igor Stravinsky and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, this comic yet deeply moving duet paints a complete portrait of a relationship in barely fifteen minutes, from bravado and seduction to tenderness and farewell. The gala programme is further enriched with a selection of surprise performances, starring the principal dancers of Dutch National Ballet. In keeping with tradition, the evening opens with a Grand Défilé, a heartwarming spectacle in which all the dancers of Dutch National Ballet, the Junior Company and the young talents of the Dutch National Ballet Academy take to the stage. After the performances, the celebration continues in our foyer. Gala “ Time and again, the Master astonishes us, revealing that it can be simpler, and even more poignant” Trouw about The Old Man and Me A ballet celebration Trilogie Dutch National Ballet premiere Choreography Hans van Manen Music Franz Liszt, Jacob ter Veldhuis, Arvo Pärt Set and costume design Keso Dekker Lighting design Joop Caboort The Old Man and Me Choreography Hans van Manen Music J.J. Cale, Igor Stravinsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Set and costume design Keso Dekker Lighting design Joop Caboort Various surprise ballets Musical accompaniment Dutch Ballet Orchestra conducted by Matthew Rowe With afterparty Dress code: black tie 26/6/2027 Curtain-up: 19:30 | Ticket sales start on: 27 August 2026 | Prices: see page 127 | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet
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