On Wednesday, December 17, legendary Dutch artist Hans van Manen died at the age of 93. He was one of the founding members of the Nederlands Dans Theater and a long-time choreographer for the HET Nationale ballet company.
It might come as a surprise how few “classics” were represented among the premieres, or rather works with their origins in the nine-teenth century. The National Theatre presented a new version of Coppélia, and as has become custom during Barankiewicz’s lead-ership, it was another example of a conservative interpretation of a classic, which might have appealed to ballet purists, but would struggle to interest audiences looking for more vibrant theatre.
The long-serving artistic director of Ballet Zürich, Christian Spuck, is moving to the Berlin State Ballet next season. This winter, Zürich theatregoers join Spuck’s dancers and the Philharmonia Zürich for a grand farewell.
