70 Ballet You are introducing new names to the Junior Company as well (more on that later), but you’re not only focused on the future. You’re striving for a balance between past, present and future. “That’s right. The legacy built over the past decades remains important, because it is what has brought us to where we are today. Rudi van Dantzig, Hans van Manen, Toer van Schayk and many others, are part of this legacy. The three pillars esta- blished by Sonia Gaskell at the founding of Dutch National Ballet are essentially still the same: the great classical ballets, high- lights from the international repertoire and new creations. But their interpretation requires a fresh perspective, suited to the time and world in which we live. That challenge is precisely what makes this job so exciting.” The legacy you refer to also includes works new to the company, such as the ballets by Hans van Manen next season. “Yes, we remain the largest custodian of Hans’ work worldwide. Now, following his passing, it is especially important to cherish and expand his legacy with works he originally created for other companies. Next season, at Hans’ own request, we will add Simple Things and Trilogie to our repertoire. We are also reviving his magnificent The Old Man and Me, which we have performed only once before. In everything we do the coming years, Hans’ legacy will continue to be a source of inspiration.” Another important ‘legacy’ returning to the stage – precisely 150 years after the original version premiered – is Rudi van Dantzig’s Swan Lake. And there will be more anniversaries to celebrate: Toer van Schayk turns 90, and Jiří Kylián — whose work brought Nederlands Dans Theater worldwide acclaim — turns 80. “Rudi’s Swan Lake was the very first ballet I ever saw. I was nine years old and fell in love instantly. That production is the reason I went to the Dutch National Ballet Academy. And 150 years after its first staging, it continues to captivate new generations.” “Toer, like Rudi, has been a defining figure since the company’s founding — as a dancer, designer, and from 1971 onwards, as a choreographer. In our season-opener, we present one of his major masterpieces: Requiem, set to Mozart’s Requiem Mass. And following the success of Wings of Wax in 2024, we now add another high- light from Jiří’s oeuvre to our repertoire: Forgotten Land, a deeply personal work about loss, grief and acceptance.” And how are you approaching the international repertoire pillar? “We will present works by both our Associate Artists. We are touring with Solitude, a deeply moving work by Alexei Ratmansky that will have its Dutch premiere in June 2026. We will also present the live performance of David Dawson’s beautiful METAMORPHOSIS, created during the pandemic. During the Christmas period, we revive Christopher Wheeldon’s Cinderella, made for our company in 2012. He is one of the finest storytellers in contemporary ballet. It is a colourful production, internationally acclaimed, now danced by a new generation of performers and for a new generation of audiences.” For the Junior Company, alongside premieres by Eric Gauthier and Zoë Greten, you are also introducing two new names. What can you tell us about them? “The first is Rutkay Özpinar. After a surprisingly strong work for Studio Photo: Hans Gerritsen “ Magic can take on all sorts of forms; from fairy tale to social relevance” Scene from METAMORPHOSIS by David Dawson (2021), dancers: James Stout and Anna Ol
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