Three signature works by modern ballet master Hans van Manen will be presented in a single program.
The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts said on the 20th that the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet will perform "All for Hans van Manen" at the center's M Theater from Nov. 19 to 22. The program spans about 25 years of the choreographer's output, from "Grosse Fuge," which premiered in 1971, to "Five Tangos" in 1977 and "Kammerballett" in 1995. The performances also mark the first anniversary of his death last December.
Van Manen built a distinctive choreographic language by blending contemporary sensibilities with classical ballet, leaving behind some 150 works. He is known for pieces that convey the tension and conflict of human relationships through restrained movement, intricate musical structure, and nothing more than the gazes and distances between dancers.
"Grosse Fuge," receiving its Korean premiere, draws on Beethoven's "Grosse Fuge" to render the opposition and tension between men and women in forceful movement. "Five Tangos" pairs the tango melodies of Astor Piazzolla with the precise technique of classical ballet. "Kammerballett" traces subtle emotional shifts among dancers against a chamber music score. Kang Hyo-jung, a principal with the Semperoper Ballett in Dresden, Germany, and Choi Young-gyu, a principal with Dutch National Ballet, will appear as guest principals.
The program also draws attention for the close ties between the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet and van Manen. The company began working with him shortly after its founding in 2024, when it gave the Asian premiere of his "Kammerballett." When Ahn Ho-sang, president of the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts, visited the choreographer at his home in the Netherlands on Dec. 14 last year, van Manen himself set the order of the three works in this program. It was four days before his death.
Founded in 2024, the Seoul Metropolitan Ballet has built a repertory of 16 works and drew a cumulative audience of about 26,000 through August this year, with an average seat occupancy rate of 86%.
