San Francisco Ballet Presents “Van Manen: Dutch Grandmaster”

By Rebecca Kay

The opening night of San Francisco ballet’s “Van Manen: Dutch Grandmaster” certainly paid excellent homage to Hans Van Manen, a choreographic pioneer and visionary in the world of contemporary ballet. I attended the opening night of this production by San Francisco Ballet at the War Memorial Opera House, where it runs until April 19^th. With over 150 ballets to his name, Hans Van Manen has created works for prestigious companies such as Nederlands Dance Theater and the Dutch National Ballet (where Van Manen still remains resident choreographer at 92 years old). “Van Manen: Dutch Grandmaster” was an excellent arrangement of four of Van Manen’s distinctive and stylized ballets, each unique yet bound together by the common threads of Van Manen’s clear choreographic viewpoint.

The ballet began with Grosse Fuge, a 30-minute long piece danced by four couples and accompanied by Beethoven’s eccentric score by the same name. Grosse Fuge was a bold and opinionated production, full of strong statements in terms of set, costuming, and choreography. The stage was completely and glaringly white, creating a minimalistic but exposing backdrop. Costumes were similarly revealing, with the women in a simple white leotard and the men bare-chested with flowy, skirt-like bottoms belted at the top. This piece was full of lines and angularity in the dancer’s shapes, showcasing kicks of iron-straight legs and postures of arms extended or curled in a position of muscularity. Every movement in this piece felt intentional and sectioned, with individuals taking turns moving while the other dancers stood in tight formation. Grosse Fuge also seemed to explore gender roles and sexuality in a detached manner, and I was especially struck by this in the final section of the piece. The section began with the men slowly removing their pants to reveal only shorts and belt, which the women used to execute movements and slide across the floor gripping the belt-buckle. I found it fascinating how these movements imply sexuality, yet they were executed with such impassivity that it contradicted this assumption of provocation. Overall, the piece felt loaded with intention but was left up to interpretation as to what this intention actually was. 

After an intermission, the ballet resumed with Variation for Two Couples, performed by Frances Chung, Joseph Walsh, Sasha Mukhamedov, and Aaron Robison. This piece was stunning. Originally created for principal dancers at the Dutch National Ballet, the choreography was rich with opportunities for the dancers to realize their incredible lines and technicality, and I was mesmerized by their mastery of the craft. Set to music by three composers from around the world, the piece seemed to take inspiration from the worlds of tango and even modern dance – warming the palate stylistically for 5 Tango’s to come later. The couples almost seemed to be vying for superiority, each showcasing their own proficiency and control in a fiery rivalry. With the completion of a movement or sequence, the dancers would stop with incredible rapidity, poised in perfect stance after a complicated sequence of flawlessly executed turns or partnering. I was especially impressed by the duet of Frances Chung and Joseph Walsh, and Chung executed an air of Spanish confidence and poise that was incredibly compelling. Both backdrop and costumes were minimalistic once again – leaving nothing superfluous to distract from the dancers and the precision of their duets. 

Next came Solo, an intense and incredibly dynamic piece of choreography danced by Cavan Conley, Victor Prigent, and Alexis Francisco Valdes. This piece was an eight minute long marathon of stamina and physical endurance for the dancers involved. From the moment Conley entered the stage, I was captivated by the intricacy and non-stop motion of Solo. The dancers didn’t get a second to breathe, gallivanting across the stage in turns, each exhibiting astounding control over their physical body in a series of never-ending movements. The musicality was apparent in this piece, with every step accenting a note in Bach’s accompaniment. It seemed as if the dancers were the physical embodiment of the music as they bounded across the stage, and this synchronicity between movement and sound score was visually satisfying. Solo also gave the dancers a chance to express a cheeky, playful nature and I got the impression that the dancers were enjoying themselves just as much as we were watching. Conley, Prigent, and Valdes all showcased their individualistic strengths and had a lively comradery that enhanced their performance greatly. Solo was my personal favorite, and the audience was equally thrilled – gauged by the applause following this performance.

“Van Manen: Dutch Grandmaster” was brought to a close with 5 Tango’s, premiered in San Francisco for the first time. 5 Tango’s truly brought the ballet together – an amalgamation of all the styles and elements showcased in the pieces before. With music by Astor Piazzola, 5 Tango’s was a spicy, pompous piece of choreography danced by seven couples – Dores André and Esteban Hernandez at their head. André was excellent in her role of aloof elegance, often remaining in perfect stillness for minutes at a time, overseeing the action with dignity and aplomb. For me, Hernandez stole the show in 5 Tango’s. His solo of fast footwork and incredible agility, alongside an almost cocky confidence, was riveting and entertaining to watch. He ended with a knee slide in the Tango style, followed immediately by enthusiastic applause. This piece mixed the sharp edges and lines of Tango with the point work and extensions of a more balletic style, integrating the two worlds in an interesting and seamless manner. Overall, 5 Tango’s seemed a perfect culmination to the evening and ended the ballet with a flourish.

San Francisco Ballet’s production of “Van Manen: Dutch Grandmaster” is truly one to watch. Hans Van Manen brings a unique perspective to his choreography and this compilation of four ballets showcased this unique style beautifully. If you haven’t seen these works before, I recommend you buy tickets for this exclusive opportunity!

Tickets and information