Compañía Nacional de Danza

A duet follows. Its tone, mainly lyrical, has a youthful, fresh accent. After a powerful, then often repeated, intermezzo by the group, another duet follows. This time it is powerful and militant, although there are also moments of tenderness and abandonment. Then a wonder takes place. The intensive sounds of Bach`s piano suddenly begin to resemble those of Beethoven, of his Adagio Hammerklavier, to which Van Manen set his ballet of the same name for dancers of the Dutch National Ballet in 1973. Here too, the women of the couples are lifted into the air one by one until they form a closely knit collective that together performs a very subdued dance. In this literal excerpt, twenty years later, Van Manen`s creation again comes to life but in another form.

Time and place have changed, the action is the same. This brief flashback is as much a grand invention as it is a tribute to the dancers. That time has not stood still is also evident in the exquisite closing duet, which again clearly demonstrates that Van Manen`s style has evolved under the influence of these dancers: it has been rejuvenated without loss of depth or power.

Isabelle Lanze, “Trouw”, April 1993