Altea Núñez and Alain Honorez share a passion for dance. As former principal dancers with the Royal Ballet of Flanders and boasting an impressive portfolio, they founded Junior Ballet Antwerp (JBA) in 2019 together with Irma Sijnen. It's a youth company where talented, highly trained graduating dancers from around the world gain their first professional experience in an atmosphere of intense collaboration, mutual respect, and openness.
By now, JBA's name and reputation have spread far beyond borders—and rightfully so. Their platform receives support and encouragement from dance professionals worldwide. The plurality of movement languages forms the foundation of their training. They weave together not only culturally diverse references but also a rich diversity of dance vocabulary.
These haven't been the easiest years for JBA's development. COVID threw a wrench in the works. But passionate artists don't let themselves be easily knocked off balance or stopped in their tracks. This punchy one-liner from Mark Twain perfectly captures their perseverance: "They didn't know it was impossible, so they did it." With fighting spirit and imagination, they navigated that difficult period and even drew extra strength from it. Five years of hard work supporting an emerging generation of ballet dancers in creating dynamic, diverse, and artistically charged productions. The bar has been set increasingly higher over the years.
In 2024, they celebrated their first five-year milestone. With 'FURORE'—a sweeping title that stands for fury, fierceness, but also rapture and inspiration—a new chapter begins. This impressive triple bill comprises two world premieres: 'Saltarello,' a choreography by Jorma Elo, and 'Furore' by rising talent Francesco Annarumma, plus in-house choreographer Altea Núñez who reimagined her choreography 'Yu' for the company. This year's ensemble consists of 15 women and 4 men. The choreographies showcase the women in their full power. Three distinct styles, yet from start to finish you sit mesmerized watching this young talent who in their performances come remarkably close to perfection with stunning technique and flexibility. Every movement is polished to perfection.
'Saltarello' choreography Jorma Elo (world premiere)
Music: Antonio Vivaldi / Heinrich Ignaz Franz Biber / Felix Mendelssohn
Finnish choreographer Jorma Elo is no stranger to the Antwerp dance scene. More than a decade ago, he was commissioned by Ballet Vlaanderen, then under the artistic direction of Kathryn Bennets, to create two works. As a resident choreographer of Boston Ballet, he has numerous world premieres to his credit. For the young dancers of the company, working with such highly qualified choreographers is a godsend.
With six women and two men, Elo, inspired and propelled by the music of the three composers, created a whirlwind choreography. Compositions full of creative space, challenges, and surprises. When the curtain rises, the dancers stand with arms spread wide, like a flock of geese in V-formation, with an azure blue backdrop behind them. The six women wear flowing light blue dresses, the men dark blue outfits. The first part is purely classical—fiery and spirited with exuberant youthfulness and dynamic quality featuring plenty of jumps, pirouettes, and wonderfully synchronized movement patterns approaching perfection. Every accent in the music aligns exactly with the movement, demonstrating great musical and rhythmic sensitivity. The second part is somewhat quieter and shows more contemporary dance elements. The third, fourth, and final part blends both styles. A joyful act and fantastic performance.
Assistant choreographer: Nancy Euverink
Costume design: Ria Van Looveren in collaboration with Jorma Elo
Costume execution: Ria Van Looveren & Jolien Deweerdt
Lighting design: Gloria Montesinos in collaboration with Jorma Elo
Rehearsal director: Altea Nuñez
Dancers: Ella Matthews, Lizé Mentz, Maja Grubic, Letizia Austoni, Sora Nishida, Halle McGregor, Silvio Nikolov, Ludovico Gallo
'Yu' choreography by Altea Nuñez
Music: Johann Johansson & Yair Elazar Glotman/John Williams/Juno Reactor
Altea Nuñez was a talented ballerina, but choreography is truly her calling. Her works are now appreciated and performed internationally. Music is her fuel and ignition. With 'Yu' she already performed small miracles. She created this piece in 2019 for the male students of the Royal Ballet School, with dance inspired by martial arts. It was also performed at the JBA launch. The combination of flowing long black skirts and powerful leaps created an image that stuck with audiences. During the pandemic, Alain and Altea sought alternative creative solutions to keep the company viable. Film proved to be the most suitable medium. 'In limitation, the master reveals himself.' Mindful of corona restrictions, she transformed it into a stylized duet for two dancers. Brilliantly done.
This third adaptation for the full company, predominantly featuring women, reaches the highest level. It's magically beautiful. The music was expanded with a stirring percussive passage, and the costumes underwent a makeover with red bodysuits and black flowing long skirts with red linings. Equality is the name of the game. Altea translates her ideas into intelligent, emotionally resonant body language with feminine nuance. The choreography reflects strength, resilience but also vulnerability. The whole thing looks like a beautifully polished, glowing ruby. As the curtain rises, the stage is shrouded in diffuse gray. The dancers find their way in the world. One moves slowly and tormented, another explosively, yet another cuts through space. At certain moments they become one movement, connected. The whole thing references the zeitgeist: loneliness and connection. Everything—music, dance, costumes, lighting—demonstrates stylized precision, refined elegance, and penetrating intensity. At one point a male face is spotlit. He looks like a Greek god. A male/female duet completes the picture. As an audience member you're drawn in by the physical power of the music and how movement comes alive in the human body, the sensual feminine and the virile masculine.
Costume design and execution: Ria Van Looveren in collaboration with Altea Nuñez
Lighting design: Gloria Montesinos in collaboration with Altea Nuñez
Dancers: Lizé Mentz, Letizia Austoni, Maja Grubic, Seohyun Mo or Arisa Hirono, Sora Nishida, Halle McGregor, Phoebe Watson or Valentine Chaumet, Amber Du Bois, Benedetta Sicillia, James Cooper, Silvio Nikolov, Ludovico Gallo
'FURORE' choreography Francesco Annarumma (world premiere)
Music: Ezio Bosso
Assistant choreographer: Tars Vandebeek
Costume design: Francesco Annarumma in collaboration with Ria Van Looveren
Costume execution: Ria Van Looveren
Lighting design: Gloria Montesinos in collaboration with Francesco Annarumma
Rehearsal director: Altea Nuñez
Dancers: Ella Matthews, Lizé Mentz, Letizia Austoni, Maja Grubic, Seohyun Mo, Maria Cordero, Arisa Hirono, Sora Nishida, Halle McGregor, Phoebe Watson, Valentine Chaumet, Amber Du Bois, Benedetta Sicilia, James Cooper, Silvio Nikolov, Ludovico Gallo, Inès Valet, James Cooper, Samuel Kendal
Francesco Annarumma is undoubtedly a key player in the world of young choreographers. How does JBA manage to attract so many renowned and promising choreographers? In 2024, Alain Honorez served as a jury member at a competition for young dancers and was surprised not only by the high level but also by the choreography of one choreographer in particular: Francesco Annarumma. Arrangements were made immediately. Alain Honorez asked him to create the finale for the evening program, titled with the Italian word FURORE, meaning 'rage' or 'uproar.' An intensive search began for an appropriate musical piece. They ultimately settled on 'THE ROOTS – A Tale Sonata' by Italian composer Ezio Bosso, who passed away several years ago. This recent work contained all the elements Francesco Annarumma was looking for. Each choreographer brings about a shift in energy in the space. The JBA dancers must interpret a completely different emotional palette and dance styles. The whole thing is intriguing and deeply felt. An almost naked body lies in the center of the stage. It rises unsteadily and uncertainly, exploring the space. A dancer with beautifully proportioned physique. All the women stand in a line facing away from the audience toward the back. They appear like wax figures. They turn toward the audience and stride forward on pointe in completely synchronized movement language. The long elongated silhouettes have something mysterious about them. Visually stunning. The dancer recoils from the wave heading toward him. The beginning of the choreography opts for simplicity and formal perfection, with considerable groundwork involved. Fall and recovery. Simple in readability, yet incredibly complex. An honest, moving portrayal of the world we currently live in. Gradually the act gains more color. Little by little the dancers appear in red outfits on stage, and the spectacle explodes in a burst of dance joy and zest for life.
'FURORE' is a beautiful and interesting ballet production featuring three choreographies. Each has its own character, dynamics, and temporal flow. Layered pieces full of nuance, soft lyricism, and tempo changes. What information does an artist want to exchange with the audience? Do you reveal little or much? It's always an investigation into rhythm and expression through fluid movements. The musical architecture is always a challenge for choreographers and dancers. The young dancers of JBA deserve nothing but praise. The audience was clearly impressed by this production and honored the impressive cast with a standing ovation that lasted minutes.
