Igone de Jongh on Tour

Igone de Jongh has recently turned 42 but is showing no sign of slowing down.

After an impressive career as a principal dancer at the Dutch National Ballet and muse of the choreographer Hans van Manen, she retired from the scenes right before the pandemic hit.

In the meantime, she has released a book Igone – the biography, a documentary describing the difficult transition from full-time ballerina in the theatre to freelancing, and has participated in online, pandemic-friendly performances such as the one at the Royal Theater Carré as part of the Global Stages festival. And now that the Covid restrictions are starting to loosen up a bit, she is embarking on her first major theatre tour throughout the Netherlands.

The performance, called Igone de Jongh- I, aims at creating a unique experience by opening up an intimate conversation with the audience, both figuratively and literally. Indeed, the show includes well-known solos from Swan Lake and Giselle, as well as new modern works, but most distinctly the spectators get the opportunity to actively interact with Igone herself and ask questions.

In this very special project, Igone explores new modern choreographies that combine dancers, opera singers, and a live orchestra, all embedded in a theatrical framework that allows her to share her personal story with the audience.

Igone de Jongh – I premieres tomorrow the 21st of November at the Stadsschouwburg in Haarlem, Igone’s home town.