Rituals form a golden thread throughout Opera Ballet Vlaanderen's entire season. In our Western society, rituals are fading away, causing both individual connection (mental stability and resilience) and collective connection (shared identity) to wither.
A sense of community is missing in action. One of the most vital roles and pillars of art is bringing people together, maintaining and cultivating connection.
Triple bill
Opera Ballet Vlaanderen kicks off 2026 with all guns blazing. The triple bill 'Rites' comprises three fiendishly difficult works from the symphonic repertoire with complex rhythms and extreme musical outbursts that demand a high degree of virtuosity from the 70-piece orchestra. The orchestra, under the baton of conductor Karel Deseure, feeds and sustains the dancers.
The power of the collective is also evident in the dancers. 'Bolero X', set to Maurice Ravel's iconic music with choreography by Shahar Binyamini, is conceived for an immense cast of no fewer than 50 dancers. Having that many dancers on stage is exceptional. Thirty dancers from the company's own ranks, supplemented by the young dancers of Junior Ballet Antwerp and final-year students from the Ballet School. For these young dancers at the start of their professional careers, it's a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
On completely different rhythms, Ravel's 'La Valse' features a single dancer, choreographed by Nacera Belaza. In 'Le Sacre du Printemps', one of the 20th century's most revolutionary works by Igor Stravinsky, Pina Bausch created a haunting choreography for 30 dancers. Both the composers and choreographers are groundbreaking artists.
‘'Bolero X' – an ode to dance – choreography Shahar Binyamini
Shahar Binyamini pushes the boundaries of traditional dance forms and has developed his own vocabulary. His dizzying choreography is rich in detail, atmosphere, and vibrant energy. The score begins with a single rhythmic motif that is gradually built upon and taken up by different instruments: clarinet, bassoon, oboe, saxophones, unfolding in a staccato buildup.
Dancing is sailing on seas of imagination and the compulsion of rhythm. At the first beats of the snare drum, followed by the first melody introduced by the solo flute, the curtain slides open a few meters. A man in black tights and flesh-colored top sits crouched, back to the audience, caught in a warm spotlight. He makes strange movements. The curtain slides further open. He claims the space, moves high, dips low, traces diagonals. Crawls across the stage floor like a crab. Multiple movements evoke connotations and emotional associations. Gradually, in the diffuse light, you make out the other dancers stage right, stage left, and at the back of the stage. They frame the scene, sitting on their knees, arms spread wide before them like sprinters in the starting blocks. They are uniformly dressed.
As the musical buildup of the Bolero intensifies, one dancer breaks ranks and takes over, then another. Gradually, as the rhythm becomes more insistent, the crouching dancers begin to make small shoulder movements in unison. Center stage we see a pas de deux between two men, then a man and a woman. Meanwhile, all the dancers have also stood up and take two small steps right, then back again. At a given moment, they shoot into ordered chaos across the stage like a teeming and busy anthill. In no time, there's order. They move in straight diagonals across the stage where other dancers constantly dart through.
As the final notes approach, a triangular formation is created. A whirlwind of energy, like a flock of birds spreading their wings. A small tsunami, not of doom, but of pure dynamic joy in a mounting tension. The entire group moves in unison as a single living organism in an intertwining of music, movement, and emotion. Rhythm and acceleration like a swelling tide. Shahar Binyamini works wonders with the repetitive character and the rousing rhythm.
As the crescendo approaches, the front dancer leaps into the air, followed by the third, fifth row, and so on. They literally jump out of the band. Euphoric. Ravel's Bolero, an artistic challenge that Shara Binyamini transformed into an emotional spectacle with 50 young dancers, captivating the audience. The standing ovation and accolades continued for minutes.
‘La Valse ' – pure poetry – choreography by Nacera Belaza
As early as 1906, Maurice Ravel developed the idea for a grand tribute to Johann Strauss II, under the working title 'Vienne'. However, war threw a wrench in the works. It wasn't until the end of 1919, spring 1920 that the composition was complete. With some pride, it can be said that exactly one hundred years ago 'La Valse' had its scenic world premiere at the Antwerp Opera. Sonia Korty, the intriguing but somewhat forgotten choreographer who headed the Antwerp Opera's ballet company since its founding in 1923, was given the honor. She was the first to receive the rights from Maurice Ravel to choreograph his 'La Valse'. Ravel wrote to her in a letter: "One must view 'La Valse' as a kind of Greek tragedy".
Choreographer Nacera Belaza, now at the helm, dissects the narrative of the music in an exquisitely delicate solo. She breaks through our familiar way of watching ballet, dance in general. Is there even a single, unambiguous reality when every perception is filled in personally? The immense stage is shrouded in darkness. Center stage stands a man in a small spotlight, dressed in a dark suit. In the diffuse light, only his hands and face are visible. The spotlight widens. The circle grows larger, then smaller again.
By allowing all his senses to flow, the dancer materializes his imagination: humanity and the cosmos. He traces a kind of calligraphy of sound in space. He stands unsteadily on his feet. It evokes images of a newly thrown animal still wobbling on its legs. He moves slowly within the circle of light, but also seeks out its boundaries, curious about what happens beyond. The dancer gains more confidence. He rotates on his axis. Nacera Belaza approaches poetic abstraction, though geometry hasn't quite said goodbye. An intimate, fascinating spectacle—a poème chorégraphique as Ravel himself called it. 'La Valse' now celebrates its centennial on the Antwerp ballet stage and invites reflection and stillness. Dancer Austin Meiteen describes the creative process of 'La Valse' as a journey of letting go and allowing freedom.
‘'Le Sacre du Printemps' – choreography by Pina Bausch – associativeDance is the organization of movement on a vertical and horizontal axis in time and space. Pina Bausch explores Igor Stravinsky's composition full of play and interpretive space. His fascinating musical world reveals an endless interplay of opposites: love versus cruelty, power and powerlessness. Her choreography seeks to be a metaphor for a reality that demands female victims. The whole piece breathes an orgasmic dynamism in a fusion of physical and spiritual energy. The dancers of Opera Ballet Vlaanderen possess not only physical but also emotional presence. They hold the audience in their grip.
Pina Bausch's 1975 choreography 'Le Sacre du Printemps' largely follows the original scene sequence of the libretto, but without reference to pagan Russia. The interpretation concentrates entirely on the sacrifice of a young woman. The theme—woman as object of desire and victim—is more relevant than ever. The choreography is fragmentary and aphoristic in character and has complex dramaturgy.
The ballet floor is covered with a thick layer of peat moss, making dancing require greater physical effort. The opening image is idyllic. A woman lies stretched out on a red cloth in a vertical beam of light. Another horizontal line cuts through it. A girl walks forward and lifts her delicate dress. The girls fearfully discover their sensuality. The music unfolds a carousel of emotions: embarrassment, lust, courage. Women seek comfort in each other. Huddle together. The men storm the stage, all testosterone and desire. With macho posturing, they position themselves before the women. The leader seeks his prey. Who will sacrifice herself? The resonance of the music shivers through the frail girls' bodies. There are brief, stylistically graceful moments and round dances. Particularly striking is when the women repeatedly rush toward the men and are lifted onto their shoulders. A beautiful but also somewhat sinister final image: the man lies on the ground with his arms invitingly outstretched. The victim stands at the front, arms outstretched, begging for help. An intense and impressive spectacle, both aurally and visually.
This triptych is an exhausting ordeal each evening for both the 70 musicians and 50 dancers. The choreographic complexity was performed and brought to life three times with breathtaking precision and focus. When the instruments fall silent and the bodies come to rest, you realize as an audience member what you've witnessed: an intoxicating journey, a wave of pure sound and dance.
'Rites' – an outstanding performance!
‘Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, Junior Ballet Antwerp, final-year Ballet School – Conductor: Karel Deseure – Choreographers: Shahar Binyamini, Nacera Belaza, Pina Bausch
