The premiere of Dorian (14+) will take place at Dutch National Opera & Ballet on Thursday 11 May. Following the successes of Narnia and GRIMM, Dorian is the third joint production by choreographers Ernst Meisner (HNB) and Marco Gerris (ISH).

In this dance thriller, based on The Picture of Dorian Gray, the famous book by Oscar Wilde from 1891, ballet meets hiphop. It involves dancers from the Junior Company, ISH Dance Collective and Dutch National Ballet, starring Giorgi Potskhishvili and Anna Tsygankova in the premiere cast. The young composer Joey Roukens has written new music for the piece. Five performances will be given at Dutch National Opera & Ballet, from Thursday 11 to Wednesday 17 May. From Friday 19 May to Friday 16 June 2023, a further twenty performances will be given at nineteen theatres throughout the Netherlands.

Oscar Wilde‘s philosophical novel The Picture of Dorian Gray is about being totally wrapped up in the pursuit of eternal youth. The protagonist Dorian Gray wants to stay as young and handsome as the portrait painted by his friend Basil, wishing that his likeness in the painting would grow older and uglier in his place. In their production, Meisner and Gerris follow the storyline of Wilde’s novel, but place it in an eccentric contemporary setting. The protagonist Dorian goes over the top in his craving for beauty and adoration, and suffers the consequences. He ends up in a downward spiral, becoming trapped in a labyrinth where he can no longer tell reality from fantasy. As in Narnia and GRIMM, Meisner and Gerris once again blend different dance styles in Dorian, in an exciting and vibrant mix of hiphop and ballet

Joey Roukens, one of today’s best-known young composers in the Netherlands, is writing a new, full-length score especially for Dorian. In recent years, he has composed works for various Dutch and international orchestras, including the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, where he was composer in residence. Meisner and Roukens previously worked together on the ballet In Transit. At the larger theatres, Roukens’ new composition will be performed live by Dutch Ballet Orchestra.

Concept, choreography & direction: Ernst Meisner (HNB) and Marco Gerris (ISH)
Composer: Joey Roukens
Lighting designs: Mike den Ottolander
Set and costume designs: Dieuweke van Reij
Dancers: Junior Company, ISH Dance Collective and Dutch National Ballet