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Dance Reflections continues its global commissioning program, this time with pieces in Paris, Shanghai, and Beirut by spring.
April marked the eighth year of Dance Reflections, Van Cleef & Arpels' ongoing choreography commissioning program. The house funds contemporary dance pieces worldwide and presents them in theaters that rarely host commercial sponsors. This year's batch includes three new works premiering between now and June.
The program originated in 2016 as a house cultural initiative separate from product campaigns. It operates as direct commission: the house approaches a choreographer, funds the piece, and books the venue. No brand logos in the program notes. The house sits in the audience, not on the stage.
This spring's lineup includes a solo piece by Petter Jacobsson in Paris (Théâtre de la Ville, May 14), a duet by Wen Hui in Shanghai (Shanghai Grand Theatre, May 28), and a larger ensemble work by Ali Chahrour in Beirut (Masrah Al Madina, June 3). All three are full-evening works, not excerpts, and all three are touring outside their home cities after the premieres.
The house doesn't dictate theme or style. Jacobsson's piece is described as "movement research" in the press notes; Wen Hui's is tagged "relational choreography," and Chahrour's involves live percussion. The only shared requirement is that each choreographer has not had a major Paris presentation in the last three years. The house wants the work to feel like discovery, not coronation.
Dance Reflections runs without intermission in most cases. The Paris and Shanghai pieces clock in at 65 and 70 minutes. Beirut's is longer at 90. Ticket prices vary by venue, but the house subsidizes production costs, so most seats land below €30.
This year's festival also includes a retrospective series at the Palais Garnier in late June, featuring archive footage of past commissions. The house has funded over 40 works since 2016. Not all toured beyond their premiere cities, but the majority did. This is the first time the archive material has been screened publicly.
The house filed a press release in March but held the premiere dates until now. Standard timing for the program: announce in spring, present in spring and early summer, repeat annually.
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