Dutch National Ballet Academy festively opened by Queen Máxima

photos Sjoerd Derine

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On Tuesday 1 October, Her Majesty Queen Máxima festively opened the building of the Dutch National Ballet Academy at Nicolaas Tetterodestraat 13 in Amsterdam.

At the stroke of twelve, the Queen arrived in a court car accompanied by an impressive escort of motorbike policemen in front of the entrance to the academy. There, she was welcomed by Marjolein Moorman, the deputy mayor of Amsterdam and by Annet Lekkerkerker, our president of the Executive Board.

In the hall of the academy, the Queen met the vice-president of the board David van Traa and the NBA's magagement, artistic director Ernst Meisner, deputy artistic director Dario Elia and business director René Vlemmix. Here, Queen Máxima was presented with a beautiful bouquet of flowers by Noya Ruis, student of the Dutch National Ballet Academy.

Programme in the Studio auditorium
Then the real festiviteis could begin! The Queen was invited to come to the Studio auditorium. She proceeded up the stairs to the first floor, walking through a line of honour of students who performed a short choreography on the stairs.

Arriving at the auditorium, Annet Lekkerkerker spoke a welcome speech to the Queen and artistic director Ernst Meisner explained the programme. For half an hour, the Queen attended performances by pupils and students from all sections of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. Hinata Saito (AD2) danced Cupid Solo from the ballet Don Quixote in a choreography by Ratmansky. Dancers from the Junior Company performed Ernst Meisner's choreography Embers. Students from NBA 2-5 then danced in the electryficing I Can Feel It, a choreography created by Iva Lešić and Raquel Tijsterman. Finally, the impressive solo from Five Tangos by Hans van Manen was danced by Leonidas Adarmes (AD1).

The opening act
At the end of the programme, the Queen was asked to come to the corridor to perform the official opening act. Queen Máxima and the guests progressed to the grand staircase in the void, where no fewer than 25 dancers had taken their places to welcome the Queen. The cutting of a ribbon was the starting signal for a festive movement pattern, which took place all over the staircase.

Attending a classical ballet class and rehearsal
Of course, an opening of our academy cannot take place without a classical ballet class. Queen Máxima attended a classical ballet lesson with the final-year NBA students. After the ballet class ended, she spoke briefly with the students and with teachers Nathalie Caris and Grigori Tchitcherine, who had taught the class.

In an adjacent studio, the Queen had a brief meeting with Liselotte van Doorn, she is from Aruba and has been dancing at the NBA since September 2023. Liselotte performed during the visit of the Royal Couple and the Princess of Orange to the Caribbean part of the Kingdom in January 2023. How extraordinary to see each other again in Amsterdam now!

Afterwards, the Queen attended a rehearsal of the Dutch National Ballet's performance Nutcracker & Mouse King. The pupils will appear in this ballet on the stage of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet in December. Again, the Queen spoke to the dancers and teachers Dario Elia, Simona Ferrazza and Jane Lord present.

Farewell
At half past one, the time had come to say goodbye to Queen Máxima, she was shown off by a line of honour of dancers.  We thoroughly enjoyed this special and festive afternoon. It was a huge honour for all of us that Queen Máxima performed the opening of the Dutch National Ballet Academy

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