Guided by his idol George Balanchine, Hans van Manen has striven all his life to create meaning in his choreography. Alongside conversations with colleagues and collaborators, in the documentary Moving to Music, van Manen talks about his life and work, and from where his inspiration came in ballets that are charged with drama and eroticism. Also included are three complete works from Dutch National Ballet – the early Metaforen; Adagio Hammerklavier, which presents the slow movement of Beethoven’s Op.106 Sonata performed live on stage with three couples in various configurations; and Frank Bridge Variations, a late masterpiece that plays with balance and counterpoint to music by Benjamin Britten.

Moving to Music is both a celebration of the great Dutch choreographer whose work is performed by 90 companies around the world, as well as a detailed look at his work and the stories that brought his choreographies into existence. The interviews include Hans van Manen’s close relationship with the Nederlands Dans Theater and the years he was choreographer in residence for the Dutch National Ballet, as well as clips of his most successful ballets from the 1960s until now, starting with Metaforen and the first ever pas de deux for two men. Famous titles like Adagio Hammerklavier, Five Tangos, Grosse Fuge and Sarcasmen feature alongside less well-known works, all of which are close to the choreographer’s heart.

Moving to Music is produced by RM Creative, a company known for its interest in dance from recordings with George Balanchine to Lin Hwai-min’s Cloud Gate Dance Theatre of Taiwan. The ballet performances have been recorded by La Belle Télé, Paris, directed by Vincent Massip, and every aspect of these productions is of the highest quality. Moving to Music is directed by the great arts director Reiner E. Moritz, who founded RM Creative Fernseh- und Film-GmbH in Munich, and who received an Honorary Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik in 2007.

Filming date: 5 July 2017
Filming venue: Opéra Berlioz, Le Corum, Montpellier, France
Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM stereo
Language: English
Subtitles: English, German, Japanese, Korean
Region code: 0 (worldwide)