After more than four decades away from the Big Apple stages, Dutch National Ballet returns to New York City Center from November 20-22 for a highly anticipated four-performance engagement that is sure to remind American audiences why this Amsterdam-based company ranks among Europe’s finest.
Under the direction of Ted Brandsen, the company has become a magnet for international talent, most notably principal dancers Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi, both former Bolshoi stars who made headlines when they moved to the Netherlands.
Just two months after their Fall for Dance Festival debuts earlier this season when they danced the balcony pas de deux from Rudi van Dantzig’s Romeo and Juliet, the popular pair will be showcased in both of the diverse programs which reflect the contemporary and neoclassical side of Dutch National Ballet’s artistic identity.
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The programming itself tells part of the story of what drew Smirnova and Tissi to Amsterdam: three works by the legendary Dutch choreographer Hans van Manen – Frank Bridge Variations, Adagio Hammerklavier, and 5 Tangos – are curated alongside pieces by Brandsen, Wubkje Kuindersma, Jerome Robbins, Alexei Ratmansky, Mthuthuzeli November, and Jiří Kylián.
I had the opportunity to discuss with Smirnova and Tissi what they have to say about the van Manen factor, their individual artistic journeys, and what it means to be an integral part of bringing Dutch National Ballet back to New York City after so much time away.
Interview with Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi
‣ This marks Dutch National Ballet’s first major New York engagement in over 40 years. What does it mean to each of you personally to be part of bringing the company back to New York City?
Jacopo: I feel very honored and grateful to be part of this very special moment for the company and excited for this big return of Dutch National Ballet to New York City, which is a major meeting point for the arts and cultures from all over the world.
Olga: It’s very special for me to come back to New York with Dutch National Ballet. The city has such a strong connection to dance and always welcomes creativity and individuality – qualities that really define our company. It’s an honor to be part of bringing Dutch National Ballet back here after so many years.
In a way, it also reflects my own journey – from a classical background to a more international and modern artistic life – so this tour feels both personal and symbolic.
‣ You just touched on something, Olga, that I was thinking about. You are so well known for your interpretations of the great classical roles, yet Dutch National Ballet offers a very diverse repertory mix. Are there contemporary or neoclassical works you’ve discovered that have made a special impression on you and perhaps played a particular role in the journey you mention?
Yes, this repertoire has been transformative for me. I’ve always loved the classical canon – it’s the foundation of my identity. But exploring works by Kylián, van Manen, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, and Jean-Christophe Maillot has expanded my sense of what dance can express.
In these styles, you can’t completely rely on the codified beauty of classical form; you have to reveal something raw and personal.
In Wings of Wax [by Jiří Kylián], for instance, I feel as though the movement comes from an instinctive, almost subconscious place. It teaches me to trust the emotional vibration, to let the technique be only a vessel, while what truly matters are the emotions you put behind the steps.
That has also helped me bring more authenticity to my classical interpretations.
‣ Which other ballets will you be performing, and is there a particular piece you’re especially looking forward to dancing? Are any of them personal firsts?
Olga: Along with Wings of Wax, I will also be dancing Other Dances by Jerome Robbins and Adagio Hammerklavier by Hans van Manen. Each of these works reveals a very different side of dance and of myself as an artist.
Wings of Wax feels almost metaphysical; it’s about light and darkness, the fragility of flight. Every rehearsal reminds me that vulnerability can be its own form of strength.
Other Dances is a kind of poetic tribute to Chopin – elegant, spontaneous, and deeply human. Jacopo and I made this debut just recently, back in June, and I’m very much looking forward to performing it again. I believe that the premiere is just the beginning of the journey, and the piece will reveal all the colors of this conversation between three of us: two dancers and the pianist.
And Adagio Hammerklavier is pure sculptural beauty: distilled emotion, expressed through minimalism and control. It teaches you restraint, the art of doing less, but meaning more.
Jacopo: I, too, will perform Other Dances and Adagio Hammerklavier.
I’m really looking forward to dance both pieces. I will be debuting in Adagio Hammerklavier, one of the most iconic pieces from the Dutch master, which I think truly embodies our company identity and to dance Other Dances in New York where this piece has such a deep connection with the ballet scene and the public is an honor for me.
‣ I understand that Hans van Manen’s work was one of the draws for you both in joining Dutch National Ballet. What is it about his choreography that speaks to you as artists, and how has dancing his repertory affected your development as dancers?
Olga: van Manen’s choreography is like a masterclass in musical and emotional precision. Every gesture has meaning; nothing is decorative.
Dancing his works has sharpened my awareness of line, timing, and the power of stillness. He gives dancers great responsibility; there is no place to hide, but also no need to exaggerate. That has helped me find more truth in my movement.
His ballets teach you to listen to your partner, to the music, to the silence between notes.
Jacopo: I always admired Van Manen’s choreography. There is a sophisticated taste for aesthetic and great musicality. The accurate choice of every step reflects an exact intention and there is always a connecting thread that develops in the ballet and give a specific atmosphere to it.
The first ballet of his that I danced was Four Schumann Pieces, which was created for Anthony Dowell and later danced by Rudolf Nureyev, where the main male character has a big spotlight.
I really enjoyed discovering his choreographic language and to open myself to his work.
Meeting Hans, getting to work with him and learn from him in the studio was a real enlightening moment for me as an artist and, overall, a dream come true.
‣ Jacopo, apart from dancing in van Manen’s pieces, what other factors drew you specifically to Dutch National Ballet?
After my great experience with Bolshoi (where I grew up with the traditional classical repertoire), I was really eager to expand my experience with new choreographers and new styles but continuing to dance the classics.
I’ve always looked at Dutch National Ballet with great interest. I appreciated the fact that the company has a strong identity of its own and its repertoire, the classical ballets are always present in the season and there is a big variety of different choreographies to explore.
When I visited the theater I was pleasantly impressed by the nice atmosphere of the company and the great facilities of the theater.
‣ You both recently made your Fall for Dance Festival debuts. Has that experience in any way influenced your approach to the upcoming City Center performances?
Jacopo: It was such a pleasure to come back performing at New York City center just few weeks ago. I really enjoyed the atmosphere of City Center and everyone from the staff was very welcoming. I also feel since the stage is so close to the audience that you can perceive the energy exchange even more.
And I have to be honest, I couldn’t ask for a warmer welcome. It was very nice to meet the audience after the performance and I was very happy to hear many people were already looking forward to coming back for our tour with the company.
Olga: Yes, absolutely. Fall for Dance has such an open and curious audience; they come to experience dance in all its forms, not to categorize or compare. That atmosphere reminded me how important it is to perform with freshness and honesty, to meet each audience with openness.
For City Center, I want to carry that same sense of discovery, not to “present” myself or the company, but to truly communicate.
‣ Looking ahead to these upcoming performances, what do you hope New York audiences will discover about Dutch National Ballet? Are there particular moments in the program you’re especially eager to share?
Jacopo: I hope the audience will be able to appreciate the versatility and all the different facets that the company and the dancers have to offer, exploring different styles and a great choreographic variety, as well as showing its strong identity.
Olga: More than anything, I hope the audience feels our sincerity, that we dance not to impress, but to connect.
We are preparing to amaze audiences with something new about Dutch National Ballet. I don’t want to reveal too much ahead of time, but I hope people will come to see it for themselves.
Featured Image of Olga Smirnova and Jacopo Tissi in Jerome Robbins’ Other Dances. Photo by Altin Kaftira, courtesy of NY City Center.
