Van Cleef & Arpels, A Devoted Patron of Dance

Van Cleef & Arpels has consistently embraced and championed the world of dance since its establishment in 1906, drawing inspiration from it to create its high-jewellery pieces. In the early 1940s, the Maison introduced the first ballerina clips which quickly became its signature, embodying the elegance, technical mastery and creative ingenuity associated with dance.

The love for ballet was transmitted from founder Louis Arpels to his nephew Claude Arpels, whose artistic collaboration with renowned choreographer George Balanchine led to the creation of the ballet Jewels in the 1960s. The ballet, premiered in New York in 1967, features three acts, each accompanied by music from a different composer, showcasing the splendour of the jewels through movement: Gabriel Fauré for Emeralds, Igor Stravinsky for Rubies and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for Diamonds.

Pierre Arpels, Suzanne Farrell and choreographer George Balanchine, circa 1976

As explained by Serge Laurent, Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Programme, “Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels is the continuation of a very long and strong relationship between the Maison of fine jewellery and the world of dance. Initially a source of inspiration for the creations, meetings with choreographers such as George Balanchine in the 1960s and, more recently, with Benjamin Millepied, have created a very strong bond”.

Dance by Lucinda Childs © Jaime Roque de la Cruz

By launching Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, Nicolas Bos, President of Van Cleef & Arpels, wanted to reinforce the dedication of the Maison to an art form that is both part of its history and a visionary artistic discipline which is perpetually evolving.

“We wanted to create a programme based on three essential values that we share with the choreographic art: creation, transmission and education. Our support is therefore directed towards creation, but also towards the presentation of important works from the contemporary heritage, and we are also committed to educational programs to facilitate access to choreographic works. We provide financial support to dance companies to create new works. We work also with institutions for the presentation of dance and education programmes. Our desire is to support both the artists and the institutions,” Serge Laurent explains.

Reflections by Benjamin Millepied, L.A.D.P © Laurent Phillipe

Echoing to Claude Arpels’ encounter with George Balanchine, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels started a long-term collaboration with Benjamin Millepied, supporting the creation of the trilogy Gems, made up of Reflections (2013), Hearts & Arrows (2014) and On the Other Side (2016), as well as the ballet Roméo et Juliette in 2019.

Since the 2000s, the Maison has tied bonds with world-renowned institutions such as the Royal Opera House in London, the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow or the Australian Ballet. It also supports the Croisements festival in China which celebrates artistic Franco-Chinese encounters, notably in the field of dance.

In addition to its year-round support to dance companies and institutions, Van Cleef  & Arpels also wanted to organise annual choreographic events in collaboration with its partners from across the world, and created the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival to make contemporary dance accessible to the broadest possible audience.

Crowd by Gisèle Vienne © Estelle Hanania

2022 saw the first edition of the Festival in London, at Sadler’s Well, the Royal Opera House and the Tate, offering a panorama of dance from the 1970s to this day. In 2023, the Festival collaborated with the French May Arts Festival in Hong Kong and offered cutting-edge performances in prestigious institutional stages and public spaces across the city.

This year, the Festival is pursuing its collaboration with the French May, supporting the dance performance LOVETRAIN2020 by Emanuel Gat in May, and contributing to the organisation of two artistic residencies led by choreographers Ola Maciejewska and Christian Rizzo, resulting in a studio performance open to the public in June.

More details about the 2024 programmes can be found here:

LOVETRAIN2020

18 & 19 May – Kwai Tsing Theatre – Details here

PART TO PART (hidden life of forms) 

2 June – Open studio performance – The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts – Details here

(in/off) FRAME

2 June – Open studio performance – The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts – Details here