Ali Mahbouba lives in Holland and knows the Dutch dance scene well - as you will see if you visit his reviews web site. Here he gives his thoughts on the pieces you can see in Edinburgh. As he puts it himself “ Most of the works are now indelibly imprinted in Dutch cultural heritage ...”

Dutch National Ballet - Programme 1 Click here for Performance Dates.
‘Metaphors’ 1965	For two couples and corps de ballet. This became famous for its male pas de deux, breaking all gender rules of classical ballet. But the piece is not about homosexuality, rather it's gender-neutral, and Van Manen avoids any hint of vulgarity by ensuring that the two men never look at each other during the duet. The whole piece is quite classical, and by the end you will have had your fill of arabesques for the evening !
‘Trois Gnossiennes’ 1982	A duet set to Satie, with the piano played live on stage, and also forming part of the action (literally). A moving duet, whose full effect requires a really petite woman being wielded by a much taller man - she almost being played like an accordian in his hands.
‘Three pieces for Het (for Rachel)’ 1997	His most recent work for DNB. (It's actually called 'Three pieces for Het' where "Het" is a Dutch reference to DNB. However, he dedicated the work to Rachel Beaujean, one of his DNB muses who retired last year - hence the above title). The piece is just sublime in its extended final duet set to Arvo Part. The costumes are a rubber fetishist's dream ;-) !!
‘Five Tangos’ 1977	One of Van Manen's most popular works, with the male solo variation being danced everywhere in dance competitions. It's set to Piazzolla, who whenever he came to Holland would always credit Van Manen for the widespread popularity of his music here. The piece is classical with a tango temprament, but again Van Manen avoids vulgarity (apparently shouting out in rehearsals:"No Spanish kitch!"). [Of the many times I've seen it, I must say the most convincing was not by DNB, but by the ballet company of Victor Ullate from Madrid, when they performed it here in the Holland Festival of 1991]{I wonder if Tamara Rojo was in it?! Ed}.

Dutch National Ballet - Programme 2 This looks like a wonderful 'chamber ballet' program, with mostly duets for the DNB principals, and the works are all set to piano music played live on stage. Click here for Performance Dates.
‘Adagio Hammerklavier’ 1973	Simply a masterpiece for 3 couples, set to Beethoven's piano sonata. A landmark in Dutch dance history. Nothing more to say.
‘Sarcasms’ 1981	Set to Prokofiev's piano music of the same title, and became famous for its 'battle of the sexes' duet that ends with the woman placing her hand on the man's crotch. In the original cast, the woman was the above-mentioned Rachel Beaujean.
‘Twilight’ 1972	His first duet for DNB, where the emancipated ballerina has burnt her point shoes, opting to wear pumps instead. Look out for the very atmospheric backdrop.
‘Live’ 1979	An extraordinary piece, one of the first multi-media works, where a soloist dances a duet with a videographer on stage who projects her 'live' image on a screen behind her. Very innovative. Absolutely not to be missed especially if danced by Coleen Davis, for whom it was originally made 20 years ago.

Nederlands Dans Theatre II & III Programme Click here for Performance Dates.
‘Solo’ 1997	Now has a follow-up called Couple, which premiered two month ago. Just as Solo belies its title, being set for 3 dancers, so in Couple we actually see 3 couples. It's become rather tedious to say ‘yet another masterpiece’, but ...
‘The Old Man and Me’, 1996	A duet for Sabine Kupferberg and Gerard Lemaitre of NDT3, will first charm you, then have rolling on the floor in laughter, only to move you to tears at the end.
‘Grosse Fuge’ 1971	Set to Beethoven's string quartet movement of the same name (together with the slow Cavatina of another quartet). An absolute classic. It's really a glorified pas de deux for 4 couples (lots of unison work). Almost a mating ritual, with the women in white and the men in long black (Graham) skirts, which they discard for the final part.