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The Dutch National Ballet has just announced its programme from 16 Sept 2023 to 6 July 2024. It includes new works by Wayne McGregor, Juanjo Arqués, Milena Siderova, Wubkje Kuindersma and Ted Brandsen as well as Giselle, Raymonda and Annabelle Lopez Ochoa's Frida.
Here are the works in chronological order:
- 16-30 Sep 2023 Four Temperaments (a mixed bill consisting of The Four Temperaments by George Balanchine, Frank Bridge Variations by Hans van Manen, The Chairman Dances by Ted Brandsen and a new ballet by Juanjo Arqués)
- 25 Sep 2023 New Moves (short pieces by up-and-coming choreographers within the company)
- 12 Oct - 19 Nov 2023 Giselle
- 9 Dec 2023 - 1 Jan 2024 Raymomda
- 3 Feb-17 Mar 2024 Junior Company, Tenth Anniversary Tour
- 8-25 Feb 2024 Annabelle Lopez Ochoa Frida
- 9-24 Mar 2024 Wayne McGrego Oedipus Rex/Antigone
- 30 Mar-14 Apr 2024 Dancing Dutch (a mixed bill consisting of contributions by Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, David Dawson and Milena Sidorova)
- 15-25 Jun 2024 Ratmansky Stravinsky Fairy Tales
- 28 June 2024 Gala and
- 5-6 Jul 2024 Dances of Tomorrow End-of-year production by the Dutch National Ballet Academy.
Booking information is available on the Ticker Information page,
An event that took place last May which I have only just discovered is In the Future, a collaboration between the company and dance groups from across the Netherlands. In the Future is one of Hans van Manen's best-known works and the Junior Company has incorporated it into its repertoire (see "In the Future" - Junior Company's Fifth Anniversary Performance 17 April 2016). The Junior Company danced that piece in a programme that included Irish, Indian, Lindy Hop and many other styles of dance. It must have been a wonderfully exuberant occasion. The rehearsals and highlights of the show have been captured in a remarkable film entitled Documentary In The Future: Professionals and amateurs celebrate the future of dance - HNB. I recommend this film. It shows not only the rich diversity of dance in Amsterdam but is also an introduction to the many communities that live in that city.
I have been coming to Amsterdam for nearly years by train, plane and car. The quickest and cheapest but also the least comfortable way of getting there is by air. Some airfares from Leeds, Liverpool and Manchester are very reasonable. The Eurostar tends to be more expensive and travellers who live outside London have to add the return fare to St Pancras but there are advantages. There is no need to queue with plastic bags of tiny bottles, mobile phones and laptops. Passport control can be cleared before boarding the train. Even a full standard class carriage is more spacious than any aeroplane. Even with the slow and temperamental onboard wifi, it is possible to keep in touch with the world.
Board and lodging are generally cheaper than in London. For those on a budget, the Bastion chain of hotels is comparable in tariffs and standards of accommodation with Travelodge and Premier Inns. There are no Bastion properties in the city centre but the Amstel is close to Overamstel underground station. That is only 2 stops from Waterlooplein, the station for the National Opera and Ballet auditorium. There are several other Bastion hotels near the airport. Hotels within walking distance of the auditorium such as the Ibis and Holiday Inn are more expensive but not outrageously so. When I am in Amsterdam to work my first choice is the Radisson at Rusland. Close to the Radisson and not far from the auditorium is the Hemelse Modder (literally, "Heavenly Mud") which is my favourite restaurant in Amsterdam.
There is already plenty of information about the Rijksmuseum, the Van Gogh's Museum and Anne Frank's house. Less well known but well worth seeing are the Jewish Museum and the Portuguese Synagogue just across the road from the National Opera and Ballet auditorium. I spent the best part of a day and a half exploring the complex on my last visit to Amsterdam.
Eeaders can now understand why I visit Amsterdam so often,
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