Dans! van Manen
Het Nationale Ballet | Introdans | Ballett am Rhein | NDT | National Ballet of Portugal
On Sunday afternoon, we will be paying tribute to the work of one of the greatest choreographers the Netherlands has ever produced. Hans van Manen, who passed away in December 2025, left behind a body of work that has shaped generations of dancers and creators and is still performed all over the world.
During this special afternoon, presenter Rinus Sprong brings together dance, stories and conversations. Dancers, creators and others involved share their personal connection to van Manen’s work and offer new perspectives on his oeuvre.
Excerpts from his iconic repertoire will also be performed by the Dutch National Ballet, Introdans and Ballet am Rhein. NDT presents a unique cinematic perspective on his work.
An afternoon to reflect on a great choreographer and to experience how his work continues to live on, both on stage and beyond.
Scroll down to see the programme
- Sunday 4 October
- 16:00 - 18:00
- Location
- Theater aan het Vrijthof
- Accessibility
- All ages
- Language no problem
- Wheelchair user
- Disabled
- Tickets
- 1e Rang €45
- 2e Rang €40
- incl. pauzedrankje
Programme
The programme starts with De Maan in de Trapeze, a video presented by NDT. It explores high ambitions and the fulfilment of our desires. This work was performed during NDT’s first performance in 1959. This programme also features the Dutch premiere of Entanglement by Wubkje Kuindersma. She created this work for the National Ballet of Portugal and Hans van Manen was a major inspiration to her.
Before the interval, we see Polish Pieces performed by Introdans. Set to the powerful music of Henryk Mikołaj Górecki, twelve dancers in brightly coloured tunics storm the stage in ever-changing combinations and with a fantastically clear interplay of lines. The Dutch National Ballet presents Simple Things, a work in which duets and pas de deux reveal the relationships between two people. We round off the afternoon with Ballett am Rhein, who are performing Dances with Piano, an adaptation of Dances with Harp, which Van Manen created especially for Ballett am Rhein in 2019. Dances with Harp was one of Van Manen’s last complete works.
The afternoon will be presented by Rinus Sprong. During the programme, he will interview various creators, including Amos-Ben Tal, Wubkje Kuindersma and Raphael Coumes-Marquet (director Ballet am Rhein). They talk about what Van Manen and his work have meant to them.
