This year once again renews the collaboration between Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels and Romaeuropa. For the thirty-ninth edition of the Festival, the initiative returns to support the performances of Biped by Merce Cunningham and Mycelium by Christos Papadopoulos interpreted by the Ballet de l’Opéra de Lyon, Outsider by Rachid Ouramdane with the Ballet du Grand Théâtre de Genève; Close Up by Noé Soulier to compositions by J.S. Bach performed by Ensemble il Convito directed by Maude Gratton and How in salts desert is it possible to blossom… by South African choreographer Robyn Orlin with the dancers of Garage Dance Ensemble. Combining the pursuit of excellence with a taste for beauty and harmony, the world of dance represents for Van Cleef & Arpels a continuous source of inspiration renewed over the decades: throughout its history, the Maison has strengthened its ties with the art of ballet through numerous artistic collaborations that reflect its dedication to the values of creation and sharing.
The bond between Van Cleef & Arpels and the world of dance was solidified following a decisive event in the 1950s: the meeting of Claude Arpels – nephew of Louis Arpels – with the famous choreographer George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet. From their shared passion for precious stones came the project of an original ballet, as recounted by George Balanchine himself in his memoirs: “The idea of a new ballet whose costumes would evoke jewelry was born a few years ago, when my friend Nathan Milstein introduced me to the jeweler Claude Arpels. Only later, in New York, did I see the splendid gems from his collection. Naturally, I have always loved jewelry […]. I love the color and beauty of precious stones, and it is incredible to see how our costume workshop, under the direction of Madame Karinska, was able to come so close to the quality of real stones, which of course were too heavy to be worn by the dancers”. Thus, in April 1967, Balanchine’s ballet *Jewels* was born. The non-narrative triptych dedicates each of its acts to a gem and a composer: Gabriel Fauré for Emeralds, Igor Stravinsky for Rubies, and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for Diamonds. Following the example of the meeting between Claude Arpels and George Balanchine, a new collaboration began in 2012 with Benjamin Millepied. Already a principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and founder of the L.A. Dance Project, he performed the ballet *Rubies*, one of the chapters of *Jewels*, during his career. Thanks to the support of Van Cleef & Arpels, Benjamin Millepied created the trilogy Gems, composed of Reflections (2013), Hearts & Arrows (2014), and On the Other Side (2016).
Presented in 2020, the initiative Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels marks a new chapter in the Maison’s history with dance: it was born from a collaboration with international partners and reflects the Maison’s desire to support choreographic heritage, promote contemporary creation, and bring the general public closer to this artistic universe.
“These collaborations, these encounters between disciplines, are always a great source of inspiration for us. They fuel our creativity and build bridges between different art forms”.
For further information vancleefarpels.com.
