The "Mondrian of Dance" leaves behind an indelible legacy
Yesterday, 17 December 2025, choreographer Hans van Manen passed away at the age of 93 in his home in Amsterdam.[1] With his passing, the Netherlands loses one of its greatest artists and the international dance world loses a true grand master of contemporary ballet.
King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix put it aptly: "Not in excess but in restraint does the master reveal himself. Playful, light and clear, he let us experience perfection in his virtuoso ballets."[1]
A little boy with big dreams
Hans Artur Gerhard van Manen was born on 11 July 1932 in Nieuwer-Amstel, now known as Amstelveen.[2] As a seven-year-old, he was already dancing at home in the living room, between the sliding doors, to the music of the Concertgebouw. He had no idea how or where one could become a dancer – the circus seemed the most obvious place to him.[3]
In the late forties, he received his first ballet lessons from Sonia Gaskell, who engaged him in her group Ballet Recital in 1951. He then danced with the Netherlands Opera Ballet and Roland Petit's Ballets de Paris in Paris, where he performed alongside stars such as Zizi Jeanmaire and Hollywood icon Cyd Charisse. It was also there that he met his great love: dancer Gérard Lemaître.[3]
Revolution in the ballet world
In 1955, Van Manen made his debut as a choreographer with Olé, Olé, la Margarita. Already for his third creation, Feestgericht, he received the prestigious State Prize for Choreography.[4] It was the beginning of a career that would span more than six decades.
In the late fifties, Van Manen was co-founder of the Nederlands Dans Theater in The Hague.[5] For ten years he served as co-artistic director, after which he became resident choreographer – first at the Dutch National Ballet (1973-1987), then again at NDT (1988-2003), and from 2005 once more at the Dutch National Ballet.[4]
His choreographies liberated the classical ballet dancer from constraining traditions. In Metaforen (1965), he had a pas de deux danced by two men – experienced at the time as a shocking statement.[6] The NDT therefore also calls him "a pioneer for the LGBTQIA+ community and for making queer identity visible within dance".[5]
The Mondrian of Dance
Van Manen earned the nickname "the Mondrian of Dance" because of his clear structures and deceptive simplicity.[2] He himself was not entirely enthusiastic about the comparison: "I absolutely do not want to put myself on the same level as Mondrian, although there are certainly some similarities: clarity, orderliness, rigour and the shared principle of 'less is more'."[5]
His most performed work worldwide is Grosse Fuge (1971), set to music by Beethoven.[6] Although Van Manen could not read a note of music, he was masterful at making visible the details, nuances and transitions hidden within a composition.[3]
In total, he created more than 150 choreographies, which are performed by over one hundred dance companies worldwide.[4] He worked with international stars such as Rudolf Nureyev, Natalia Makarova, Anthony Dowell and Diana Vishneva.[4]
Recognition and legacy
The prizes and honours were numerous: the Erasmus Prize, the Prix Benois de la Danse Life Achievement Award, the Grand Prix à la Carrière, the VSCD Oeuvre Prize and the German Musikpreis.[4] In 2007, he was appointed Commander in the Order of the Netherlands Lion. In 2018, he received the Honorary Medal for Arts and Science from the hands of King Willem-Alexander.[7]
Besides being a choreographer, Van Manen was also active for many years as an extremely successful photographer. His work has been published in book form and shown at international exhibitions.[7]
An unforgettable master
Ted Brandsen, director of the Dutch National Ballet, described him as "driven, passionate, endlessly curious, loving, generous, committed – the great choreographer, the king of swing."[8]
Biographer Sjeng Scheijen called him "the most important choreographer of the post-war era". Until the end, Van Manen remained energetic and full of stories.[1]
For everyone who has ever been touched by dance, for everyone who knows the beauty of movement, the passing of Hans van Manen is a great loss. But his work lives on – in every performance of his ballets, in every dancer who performs his choreographies, and in the fundamental way he shaped Dutch dance.
Rest in peace, maestro.
Sources
- NOS (2025). Choreograaf en oud-balletdanser Hans van Manen (93) overleden. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- TheaterEncyclopedie (2025). Hans van Manen. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- Nationale Opera & Ballet (2025). In Memoriam Hans van Manen (1932-2025). Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- Nationale Opera & Ballet. Hans van Manen – Biography. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- Den Haag Centraal (2025). Hans van Manen (1932-2025), de Mondriaan van de dans. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- Theaterkrant (2025). Hans van Manen overleden. Retrieved 18 December 2025.
- Nationale Opera & Ballet.