In October and November, pupils and students of the Dutch National Ballet Academy took part in Mata Hari, the successful full-length production by Ted Brandsen, based on the life of the legendary woman from Friesland who made her name as an exotic dancer in Paris at the beginning of the 20th century and worked as a spy during World War I. This month, the pupils and students are appearing with Dutch National Ballet in the performance series of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, choreographed by Toer van Schayk and Wayne Eagling, and in February and March they will be participating in the brand-new full-length production of Raymonda, created by Rachel Beaujean and Ted Brandsen.
Mata Hari
In Mata Hari, NBA 2 pupils performed the roles of the young Mata Hari (alternately: Noa Lind, Dayla Valle Sanchez and Mathilda Jakab) and Mata Hari’s two children (Imke Teule and Philo van Lint, alternating with Izah Namgaladze and Casper Tielemans, and Akatsuki Nishida and Tijn de Jager). Girls from AD 2 also performed the exotic dance with which Mata Hari made her debut in Paris, and several boys from AD 2 played the role of servants in the ballet.
The Nutcracker and the Mouse King
Pupils and students of the Dutch National Ballet Academy make up an essential part of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King. The NBA 1 and 2 pupils and part of NBA 3 are taking on the roles of children at the party, mice and soldiers. BA 3 pupils Febe Potvin, Katja Hirst and Avis Dubrovitch are alternating in the role of the young Clara, and Jitse Meijer, Luc Smith and Olliver Bugar (all from NBA 3 as well) are taking turns to dance the young Fritz. Many of the AD students are also taking part as rats and soldiers, and in the dance of the snowflakes and the Russian dance.
Dutch National Ballet is presenting The Nutcracker and the Mouse King until 2 January. Due to the corona measures, all the performances are matinees.
Interview with the young Claras and Fritzes
For the programme to accompany the performances of The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, Astrid van Leeuwen talked to the young Claras Febe Potvin and Katja Hirst, and the young Fritzes Jitse Meijer and Luc Smith in four double interviews with ex-students/Dutch National Ballet dancers who have danced these roles previously: Nancy Burer, Hannah de Klein, Timothy van Poucke and Manu Kumar.
Click here to read this article (in Dutch).
Raymonda
At the moment, Dutch National Ballet and the Dutch National Ballet Academy are both hard at work on the next production: a completely new version of Marius Petipa’s last masterpiece: Raymonda. Children from NBA 2 will be taking part as moon moths and all the AD 2 girls are currently learning the dream scene, while both girls and boys from AD 2 will be dancing the mazurka in the ballet.
Performances of Raymonda will take place in Dutch National Opera & Ballet from 11 February to 4 March.
You can find more info about all the productions and ticket sales on: www.operaballet.nl
