The only classical ballet company of Hungary, the Hungarian National Ballet (resident at the Hungarian State Opera) is proud to announce its 2017/18 season. With over 70 performances throughout the season, fans of classical balett and contemporary dance performances are offered a wide selection in popular repertoire pieces and new productions.
While the Opera House is being restored and modernised until early 2019, the repertoire productions will take place at our second venue, the recently refurbished and reopened Erkel Theatre. The season will feature two premieres both of which will take place at the Müpa.
LOL – ballet recital in two acts
Hans van Manen: 5 Tangos
Hans van Manen: Trois Gnossiennes
Hans van Manen: Black Cake
Hans van Manen is one of those few choreographers who successfully combined classical ballet with modern dance, as well as other movement techniques, to bring widespread popularity to modern ballet. He is a pioneer among those dance artists, who – particularly starting in the ‘60s – created this now fully accepted form of expression depicting a synthesis of academic and progressive movement forms.
5 Tangos surges with fiery energy. It is tango with something extra added in. In this elegant work composed for six pairs, the cool formality of classical ballet is merged with elements of the language of modern dance. Trois Gnossiennes is a sensitive choreography to Erik Satie’s magical and melancholy music, which is about resignation, trust and harmony. Black Cake is a the festive parody of five movements built around humour: a cocktail party on the stage with six couples, a waiter and a great deal of champagne. In the bravura finale the guests, already slightly tipsy, dance to the music of the famous Meditation from Massenet’s Thaïs.
20 – 22 October 2017 & 20 – 28 January 2018 | Müpa Festival Theatre
Classic 47°N19°E – modern ballet recital in two part
Harald Lander / Carl Czerny: Études
George Balanchine / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: Theme & Variations
The classics live on with us: this two-part production from the Hungarian National Ballet features one work from Harald Lander and another by George Balanchine, with the latter piece making its first appearance in Hungary.
Études depicts the everyday work of ballet dancers in its full reality and grandeur: the beauty and aesthetics of classical ballet and the joy and thrill of Dance. The choreography Theme & Variations, now considered a classic, evokes the golden age of Russian ballet and celebrates its memory. True to its title, they faithfully follow all 12 variations explored in a single movement of one of Tchaikovsky's suites.
15 – 26 November 2017 | Müpa Festival Theatre – For tickets CLICK HERE.
The repertoire includes classic ballets like Asafyev's The Fountain of Bakhchisarai or all-time Tchaikovsky favourite The Nutcracker, which got a facelift by Wayne Eagling and ballet director Tamás Solymosi in 2015. Another piece that is popular among younger audiences, Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs cannot miss from the list of dance pieces to be seen.
The complete list of repertoire pieces (for production details, galeries and ticket order click on the titles):
Wayne Eagling / Tamás Solymosi / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker
At Christmas 2015 we presented a newly buffed-up show that follows classical ballet traditions while still conforming to the requirements of 21st century dance. and set design. Partnering with Tamás Solymosi, a true Nutcracker specialist, the internationally renowned Wayne Eagling developed a choreography tailored specifically to the members of the Hungarian National Ballet, as well as taking inspiration from them.
2 – 31 December 2017 | Erkel Theatre
Rostislav Zaharov / Boris Vladimirovich Asafyev: The Fountain of Bakhchisarai
16 – 23 March 2018 | Erkel Theatre
It is leading ballet mistress Marianna Venekei's first full-length choreography. Using the means of modern ballet, its creators evoke the atmosphere, sights and music of the New Orleans of the 1940s, in a production driven by the sheer variety of the musical and dance motifs, and the unique personalities of the characters. The story of the fall of Blanche DuBois is a drama of family bonds, unrequited love, acceptance and physical force that never loses its relevance.
28 April – 6 May 2018 | Erkel Theatre
1 – 10 June 2018 | Erkel Theatre
Sir Elton John / Lee Hall: Billy Elliot – the Musical
It's 1984. In England's mining towns, life is in upheaval: it is the time of the strikes. Eleven-year-old Billy Elliot lives in one of these towns. Will a young boy's artistic talent be able to bring the family and the community together? Will Billy succeed in making his dreams come true? Following almost two years of casting and preparations, this non-replica production first premiered in Hungary in 2016. We believe that music and dance are for everyone, and that includes ballet.