Festival in Shanghai
Oct 14 - Nov 8, 2026
Following the success of the second Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival in New York this past March, we are delighted to close 2026 with the first Shanghai edition.
We are honoured to collaborate with our trusted partner since 2024, the China Shanghai International Arts Festival. Thanks to their dedication and the support of numerous local institutions, we are presenting a panorama of contemporary dance from 14 October to 8 November. The values that have guided Dance Reflections since its launch in 2020— creation, transmission and education—are reflected through 17 performances, dance workshops and master classes, as well as an exhibition.
Our host country takes centre stage with works by Tao Ye of Beijing and Xiexin Dance Theatre of Shanghai. Alongside
them, artists from South Africa, Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Switzerland, Poland and the United States offer a programme that illustrates the diversity of contemporary choreographic art and its history. The Ballet de Lyon performs DANCE, a major production from the repertoire conceived by Lucinda Childs in 1979. The 1970s are further represented by the Trisha Brown Dance Company, revisiting pieces from the acclaimed choreographer. Meanwhile, a modern dance pioneer comes to the fore in Loie Fuller: Research by Ola Maciejewska.
We also pay tribute to an internationally renowned artist dear to Van Cleef & Arpels, Robert Wilson
(1941–2025), as we present his staging of a foundational work of literature: Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick (1851).
These four weeks are also an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to transmission and education. We look forward to welcoming the public to dance workshops and master classes open to all. In addition, we present a new initiative: under the direction of French choreographer Nacera Belaza, a group of non-professional dancers will perform a piece specially created for the Festival. Finally, visitors are invited to immerse themselves in past editions through an exhibition of photographs by Estelle Hanania.
Together with our partner, we are delighted to host Shanghai’s audience on this journey through the world of choreography and highlight all its richness.
SERGE LAURENT
Van Cleef & Arpels’ Director of Dance and Culture Programs
