Reflections

Art offers space for reflection. Reflections by the Dutch National Opera & Ballet offers personal stories, social themes and pure dance energy.

For Solitude , top choreographer Alexei Ratmansky was inspired by a newspaper photo of a Ukrainian father holding the hand of his son, who had past event killed in a Russian attack, for hours. Set to two Mahler compositions, Ratmansky manages to make universal human grief palpable with abstract, penetrating dance.

The young Canadian choreographer Kirsten Wicklund explores the theme of gender equality in her new ballet. The occasion is the celebration of 25 years of same-sex marriage in 2026. Wicklund bases her work on the musical ode - with vocals - that composer Willem Jeths paid to same-sex marriage in 2011. The vocals are performed by young singers from The National Opera Studio.

In the vibrant opening and closing movements of Simple Things (Hans van Manen), two men whip each other up in two duets that sparkle. In between, they allow themselves to be distracted by two women, who challenge them to a fleeting romance. Movement and music are unparalleled in this dynamic dance quartet.

In fact, the fourth choreographer, George Balanchine, reflected his entire life on the purely classical, French-Russian style of ballet with which he grew up. Symphony in C is an homage to its splendor, but he injected the dance with zest and schwung, culminating in a finale that bubbles and fizzes like a glass of champagne.