Product Description: The Hans van Manen Festival was staged by The Dutch National Ballet to celebrate the work of choreographer Hans van Manen for his 75th birthday. International guest artists from companies such as the Kirov Ballet, and Nederlands Dans Theater, joined Dutch National Ballet to perform some of van Manen's most celebrated ballets.
This gala event includes stunning performances from internationally renowned ballerinas Uliana Lopatkina, Lucia Lacarra and the brightest stars of Dutch dance including Larissa Lezhnina and Igone de Jongh of Dutch National Ballet and the young talent of Nederlands Dans Theater. Recorded at Het Muziektheater, Amsterdam, with behind the scenes footage and interviews.
Choreography by Hans van Manen
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER Performed by Dutch National Ballet: Natalia Hoffmann, Larissa Lezhnina, Tamás Nagy, Anna Tsygankova, Jozef Varga, Artem Yachmennikov Music by Beethoven
SIMPLE THINGS Performed by Nederlands Dans Theater II :Celia Amade, Nina Botkay, Javier Monzon, Roger van Der Poel Music by Guy Klusevsek and Alan Bern, Josef Haydn and Peteris Vasks
TROIS GNOSSIENNES Performed by the Kirov Ballet: Uliana Lopatkina, Ivan Kozlov,.Music by Erik Satie
5 TANGOS
Performed by Bayerisches Staatsballett: Lucia Lacarra, Alen Bottaini Music by Astor Piazzolla; Performed live by Carel Kraayenhof y su Sexteto Canyengue
*BONUS*
Interviews: Hans Van Manen and eminent performers
TWILIGHT Performed by Dutch National Ballet: Igone de Jongh, Alexander Zhembrovskyy. Music by John Cage
More moves from Van Manen! Can there ever be enough? We start with a stately ensemble of six dancing to Beethoven's 19 minute adagio from the Hammerklavier sonata. The second piece , Simple Things, is a lot more fun with two male dancers competing with each other to some very lively accordian music before the two females enter for some spectacular pas de deux to a Haydn adagio, then finish with the men repeating the opening. The audience goes wild and the dancers have many curtain calls. The first two pieces are danced by the Netherlands Dance Theater. Next two dancers from the Kirov do three pas de deux to Satie's most famous works, Gnossiens. Sweet and lyrical. The fourth piece is Tango, danced to tangos by the famous Argentine composer Astor Pazzola, who's music I have not heard before but now I see what all the fuss is about. The lead ballerina shows us why she is a star. Once again I have to question the choice of costuming dancers in black against a black background. Finally, in the bonus section, Twilight featuring Alexander Zambrosky in his third HVM performance, danced to the music of John Cage on a prepared piano but don't be frightened, it's quite listenable and rather sounds like Indonesian gamelan with a consistent rhythm no dissonances to speak of, composed in 1944, way ahead of it's time. Very highly recommended. A little something for everyone.
Anything Goes Trivia
Last Kiss
Megaton Man
Trevor
