Dutch National Ballet Junior Company, In and Out

Like a growing number of dance companies in Europe and North America, Dutch National Ballet has a Junior Company. Made up of a dozen hand-picked young dancers who stay with the troupe for a maximum of two years at the start of their professional careers, the Junior Company exudes vitality, enthusiasm and a contagious enjoyment of dance, side by side with impeccable technique. Watching them enjoy what they do is a truly uplifting experience.

You can judge for yourself when the company streams one of Hans van Manen's most provocative works, In and Out. If you grabbed the chance to watch the live-stream of Dutch National Ballet's superb Hans van Manen Variations programme late last month, you'll know that the work of The Netherlands' greatest choreographer is well worth an hour or so of your time.

In and Out is a work for 12 dancers and its start is deceptively simple. Clad in colourful practice costumes, the dancers come in and out of three large wardrobes, appearing and disappearing, forming groupings of twos or fours or sometimes an undifferentiated mass of bodies.
They're stopped in their tracks by the voice of the American artist Laurie Anderson.

The initial playful atmosphere gradually evolves into something darker, more aggressive, as Anderson's voice gives way to the striking vocals of the German punk/new wave performer Nina Hagen.

If you're set to watch the premiere and want to come closer to this remarkable young company, then you can join what they're calling a Support Act. The Junior Company coordinator, Ernst Meisner (formerly a dancer with The Royal Ballet in London), will give company class, which you can watch, and then make himself available for a Q & A with viewers. Support Act is a one-off on Dutch National Ballet's Instagram at 4pm (UK time) on Thursday 25 March and will not be available to stream afterwards.