Not only the young, sparkling dance talents have made the Junior Company of the Dutch National Ballet such a success. The young choreographers that the group manages to attract also create an exciting buzz.

With three world premieres, ‘Ballet Beats’ showcases the beating heart of the ballet of the future, supplemented by a vibrant, brilliant classic.

Joshua Junker
From breakdancer at Boys Action, Dutchman Joshua Junker developed into a dancer at the British Royal Ballet. Here he also created his first choreographies. In 2023, he made his debut with the Junior Company with ‘Remembrance’, which was immediately awarded the Encouragement Prize from Dansersfonds ’79. Just like then, Junker will incorporate influences from hip-hop into his new creation for ‘Ballet Beats’.

Arielle Smith Jones
The Cuban-British Arielle Smith Jones is only 25, but already has a prestigious Olivier Award to her name. Originally from the modern dance circuit, she often mixes dance, theater, and film in her quirky creations. In ‘Ballet Beats’, she makes her Dutch debut with a new work.

Mthuthuzeli November
South African Mthuthuzeli November is responsible for the third world premiere. With a background in both African dance and ballet, he is considered a striking new ‘voice’ in the international ballet world. He also received an Olivier Award for one of his choreographies. Since last year, he has been an Artistic Associate at the National Ballet Academy, and earlier he created a duet for National Ballet soloists Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili.

George Balanchine
The fourth work in ‘Ballet Beats’, George Balanchine’s ‘Allegro Brillante’, is a Dutch premiere. It is one of the most vibrant, light-footed, yet no less challenging works by the foremost (neo)classical choreographer of the twentieth century. He himself said that “it contains everything I know about ballet, but summed up in thirteen minutes.”