97 Men in spacesuits, galloping horses, giant balloons and thousands of green balls clattering down like hail- stones. In Alexander Ekman’s Play, the stage is one big playground, with the underlying question: what has become of the child within us? A sensation in Paris and Japan, Play sweeps audiences up in its infectious energy and boundless imagination. Ekman created this spectacular ballet in 2017 for the prestigious Ballet de l’Opéra national de Paris. Featuring 42 dancers, live music, singing, ingenious sets and video, it is a theatrical tour de force. Although the Swedish choreographer is best known here for his work with Nederlands Dans Theater, Play – which makes use of pointe technique – can only be performed by a classical ballet company. Dutch National Ballet is the first company to be granted this honor after the ballet’s premiere in Paris. From child’s play to a sense of duty In the first act, Ekman explores our instinctive, childlike urge to play. From mimicking animals to diving into an enormous ball pit, the ensemble throws itself into the action with abandon. A sharply dressed woman in a tailored suit appears as a harbinger of the adult world that follows in the second act. A muted, grey domain where time, duty and success dominate, and the only brief escape is a stolen moment in the smoking room. Liberating finale Set to music by Mikael Karlsson that is by turns hallucinatory and feverish, Ekman confronts us, through wit and absurdity, with an uncomfortable truth: from our very first day at school, life revolves around achievement. Yet the idea that performance alone gives life meaning is a myth. In the liberating finale of Play, Ekman seems to urge us to rediscover something essential: ‘We must play. Without it, something vital is lost.’ “ Witty, bold, offbeat: Play catapults ballet into the 21st century” ResMusica Dutch premiere Choreography and set design Alexander Ekman Music Mikael Karlsson Costume design Xavier Ronze Lighting design Tom Visser Video design TM Rives Dramaturgy Carina Nildalen Musical accompaniment Musicians including members of the Dutch Ballet Orchestra With the participation of singer Callie Day Performances for schools We offer special performances for primary and secondary school students. See operaballet.nl/en/ school-performances Premiere 12/6/2027 Subsequent performances: 14, 16, 17, 19, 20*, 22, 23 June 2027 | Curtain-up: 20:15 / *14:00 | Ticket sales start on: 27 August 2026 | Price Category: B | Location: Main Stage, Dutch National Opera & Ballet Photo: Ann Ray Holland Festival Play Alexander Ekman
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