About the work
"Reflections" is a four-part touring programme by Dutch National Ballet, shown across the Netherlands in June 2027. It unites works by Alexei Ratmansky, Kirsten Wicklund, Hans van Manen and George Balanchine, spanning a range from classical tradition to contemporary reflection on war, equality and human relationships.
Plot
Alexei Ratmansky's "Solitude", set to music by Gustav Mahler, is a deeply moving work about the suffering caused by war. The young Canadian choreographer Kirsten Wicklund contributes a new work on equality, inspired by 25 years of same-sex marriage (2026). Hans van Manen's "Simple Things" places – as in much of his work – human relationships at its centre. George Balanchine's "Symphony in C" is an ode to the pure Franco-Russian ballet tradition in which Balanchine was trained. The evening thus interweaves social critique, intimacy and classical brilliance.
Cultural significance
"Reflections" shows the breadth of Dutch National Ballet, which combines internationally celebrated guests such as Alexei Ratmansky – an Associate Artist of the company since 2024 – with its own tradition of van Manen and Balanchine and with emerging choreography. Ratmansky's "Solitude", a piece about the consequences of war, lends the programme historical urgency, while Wicklund's engagement with equality addresses the social present. As a touring production, the evening carries this repertoire beyond Amsterdam into the Dutch regions.