BY KAREN BOSSICK

One of the largest ballet companies in Europe will make its first stop on its United States tour in Sun Valley in what is the first time it has performed in the United States in 40 years.

The world-renowned Dutch National Ballet will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 1-2, at the Sun Valley Pavilion as part of the 2023 Ballet Sun Valley Festival.

“We are excited to have the opportunity to perform in Sun Valley for the first time,” said Dutch National Ballet Director Ted Brandsen. “DNB looks forward to sharing with Sun Valley audiences many of the Company’s finest works and performing in one of the most beautiful venues in the world.”

Brandsen’s appointment as director of Dutch National Ballet in 2003 ushered in a new heyday for the company, which now ranks among the top ballet companies in the world. He rejuvenated the full-length repertoire, introduced new world-class choreographers including Christopher Wheeldon and Hans van Manen and increased the company’s appearances at major international venues.

He also initiated the foundation of the Dutch National Ballet’s Junior Company in collaboration with the Dutch National Ballet Academy.

The New York Times has ranked the company in the top five dance institutions in the world and  Suddeutsche Zeitung has placed them among the top three in the world. “(Brandsen) adroitly combines tutus, Mozart and Beethoven, as well as high-profile collaborations with modern artists and designers,” said the New York Times.

The company, which boasts 80 dancers from around the world and serves as a cultural ambassador for the Netherlands, will perform on the East Coast and at The Music Center at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles, in addition to its appearance in Sun Valley.

Tickets for the performance can be purchased at https://balletsunvalley.org.

In addition to the performance, a two-day Dance Education Workshop taught by world-class ballet artists and faculty will be held for Advanced and intermediate dancers on July 1 and 2.

The newly designed immersive dance workshop offered by Ballet Sun Valley is open to dancers who are 12 years of age and older. Advanced dancers must have two-plus years of experience on pointe.

Dancers who are accepted into the program will have the opportunity to watch the Dutch National Ballet company class on stage at the Sun Valley Pavilion, in addition to taking classes taught by dancers. They also will have the opportunity to attend a closed rehearsal of the Dutch National Ballet and will receive a ticket to each of the Ballet Sun Valley Festival performances.

All classes are free, thanks to the generosity of Ballet Sun Valley sponsors and donors. Applications close on March 24 and are available at https://balletsunvalley.org.

Ballet Sun Valley’s Festival 2023 is made possible in part by support from Viking with additional support from Arts Idaho and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Ballet Sun Valley is a 502 c 3 non-profit organization founded in 2011 to bring international ballet to Sun Valley. Performances have featured works from some of the ballet world’s most celebrated choreographers, including George Balanchine and Justin Peck. They have featured dancers from San Francisco Ballet, New York Ballet, American Ballet Theatre and the Paris Opera Ballet, among others.