New creations
The well-known musical and theatre choreographer Daan Wijnands (whose recent work includes Hij gelooft in mij, Hello Dolly, All Stars and Alex Klaassens’ Showponies) is creating a new work for the End of Season Gala. This will be a vibrant, revue-like choreography that also turns some radiant sunlight on several long-serving Introdans dancers who are now departing.  

Moreover, Introdans choreographer Adriaan Luteijn is once again creating a unique encounter specially for this End of Season Gala. This time several Introdans dancers and a group of well-known drag queens, led by the flamboyant Ma’MaQueen (an alias of Dennis Bijleveld), will share the stage in a new, spectacular choreography. 

Bon Appétit and Three
This End of Season Gala also features two creations by Robert Battle, artistic director of the famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre. The first work, Bon Appétit, is full of tribal and Latin influences. Battle even makes a subtle, ironic reference to cannibalism, but above all the choreography is an abstract, rhythmically very powerful translation of Steve Reich’s masterful Music for pieces of wood. 

The second work, Three, was nominated for the Swan Award, the leading choreography prize in the Netherlands, as ‘Most Impressive Dance Production’. This is a hilarious and athletic power piece in which three men dive into a ‘muscular jam session’. “Never before have we seen such a successful and complete fusion of hip-hop, breakdance and modern dance,” said the jury of the Swans. And they continue: “Nowhere does it lack focus, the physical control is superb, you can see the performers having a great time and their concentration is incomparable.” 

What the press said about Three: ‘Three boisterous hotshots combine superbly timed, hip-hop-like ethnic moves with athletic ballet. It’s a celebration of undulating torsos and bizarrely breaking limbs, with a great portion of humour’ – Trouw

Pure and Wrapped
The End of Season Gala celebration is completed by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui’s magical Pure and the duet from Inbal Pinto’s absurdist Wrapped. Cherkaoui is a master in creating exceptional duets, and in the past he has taken his inspiration from sources such as flamenco and Indian dance. For Pure, which is both lyrical and virtuoso, he utilises Japanese calligraphic characters: the woman in the duet paints her body with these, and in doing so not only creates something but also destroys something – her purity. Tenderly, but in vain, the man attempts to reverse this process. 

Wrapped, by the Israeli choreographer Inbal Pinto, has won several prizes including a prestigious American Bessie Award. In this audience favourite, Pinto combines humour and poetry into a visually rich imaginary world to create, as he puts it, an urban legend. 

What the press said about Wrapped: ‘With the retro-costumes full of red splashes and the stage design full of green-gold and silvery textiles, you sometimes feel you’re surrounding by Renaissance paintings, with still lifes come to life. And the next moment you’re visiting the girl next door for tea. Wrapped is a fantastic “breath of fresh air”, just as the American press wrote’ – de Volkskrant 

At the End of Season Gala, four dancers who have been members of Introdans for many years will be saying goodbye to the dance stage: Vérine Bouman, Merel Janssen, Jurriën Schobben and Alberto Villanueva Rodríguez. All four will be playing a leading role in this programme.