Variations for Two Couples, Het Nationale Ballet

Variations for Two Couples by Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding, Igone de Jongh and Jozef Varga (Dutch National Ballet, HET Nationale Ballet). Choreography by Hans van Manen, music by Benjamin Britten, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Stefan Kovacs and Astor Piazzolla. Shot on 27.04.2014 at Dance Open 2014, St Petersburg, Russia.

Hans van Manen (born 11 July 1932 in Nieuwer-Amstel, Netherlands) is a Dutch ballet dancer, choreographer and photographer. He is a son of a German housemaid. He studied under Sonia Gaskell, Françoise Adret and Nora Kiss. Van Manen wrote many ballets. He worked for the Dutch National Ballet from 1973 to 1985. He was awarded the Erasmus Prize in 2000 and the Prix Benois de la Danse for lifetime achievement in 2005.

«Hans van Manen has been called the Mondrian of ballet, the Versace of ballet, the Pinter of ballet and the Antonioni of ballet. (His) distinctive personal style mixes formal austerity and glassy elegance with erotic charge»
The Guardian

The Dutch National Ballet was formed in 1961 when the Amsterdam Ballet and the Nederlands Ballet merged. The company has been directed by Sonia Gaskell (1961–1969), Rudi van Dantzig (1969–1991), Wayne Eagling (1991–2003) and is currently directed by Ted Brandsen. It attracts many international artists. The company has been based at the Dutch National Opera & Ballet (formerly known as Het Muziektheater) in Amsterdam since 1986. It is a regular guest at major festivals across Europe, such as the Edinburgh Festival. The company is committed to new choreography and performs work from current and past resident choreographers: Rudi van Dantzig, Toer van Schayk, Hans van Manen, Maguy Marin and Édouard Lock. On 13 September 2011, the company celebrated its 50th anniversary with a gala performance in the presence of Queen Beatrix.

Photos by Jack Devant Ballet Photography© with kind permission of the Dance Open, special thanks to Ekaterina Galanova and Adelia Mukhamedzhanova.