Van Cleef & Arpels' close ties with the world of dance date back to the 1920s. This relationship grew stronger in 2020 with the launch of Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, a program supporting contemporary dance. Developed in collaboration with international partners, this initiative reflects the Maison's commitment to supporting choreographic heritage, nurturing contemporary creation and bringing this artistic universe to the widest possible audience.
CREATION TRANSMISSION EDUCATION
Anchored in the values of creation, transmission and education dear to the Maison, Dance Reflections' mission is to support artists and institutions in the preservation of choreographic heritage while encouraging new productions.
Since its launch, the program has supported numerous dance companies in their creations as well as multiple institutions in the presentation of their works on the international stage.
The initiative is reinforced each year by major events, such as the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival, the first editio of which was held in London in March 2022. To promote the transmission of choreographic art, these events are enriched by a cultural program aimed at the widest possible audience, professionals and amateurs alike.
“THROUGH THIS PROGRAM, THE MAISON AIMS TO SUPPORT MODERN AND CONTEMPORARY DANCE, AND ENCOURAGE NEW CHOREOGRAPHY.”
© Patrick Swirc - Van Cleef & Arpels
“Dance has been a significant field for the Maison throughout its history, exemplified by the encounter between Claude Arpels and George Balanchine in the 1960s, the partnership with Benjamin Millepied’s L.A. Dance Project (LADP), collaborations with various companies and operas across the world and the FEDORA – Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet. In 2020, we wished to take things a step further by uniting our activities in this domain. With the program Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, the Maison aims to support modern and contemporary dance, and encourage new choreography.”
Nicolas Bos
Former President of Van Cleef & Arpels
“DANCE BRINGS ALL THE ARTISTIC DISCIPLINES TOGETHER … IT IS A FASCINATING ART FORM AND AN INCREDIBLE FIELD OF EXPRESSION.”
© Marc de Groot - Van Cleef & Arpels
“Dance brings all the artistic disciplines together: it can incorporate music, the plastic arts, costuming, lighting, set design, graphic design and even jewelry. It is a fascinating art form and an incredible field of expression. That is why it can appeal to such a wide audience. I’d like to encourage spectators to admire the works freely, with no preconceptions.”
Serge Laurent
Van Cleef & Arpels' Director of Dance and Culture Programs
THE MAISON AND DANCE
The Maison’s shared history with the world of dance goes back to the Paris of the 1920s. Louis Arpels, one of the founders and a passionate ballet-lover, enjoyed taking his nephew Claude to the Opera Garnier, just a short walk away from the boutique in Place Vendôme. Van Cleef & Arpels’ first ballerina clips were unveiled in the early 1940s, and soon became one of its signatures.
This attachment to the realm of dance grew stronger in the 1950s, when Claude Arpels met the renowned choreographer George Balanchine, co-founder of the New York City Ballet. Their shared passion for precious stones blossomed into an artistic bond that produced Balanchine’s ballet Jewels, first performed in New York in April 1967. Each act in this non-narrative triptych is associated with a gem and a composer: Gabriel Fauré for Emeralds, Igor Stravinsky for Rubies and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for Diamonds.
© ピエール・アーペル、スザンヌ・ファレル、ジョージ・バランシン、1976年頃
Pierre Arpels, Suzanne Farrell and George Balanchine, circa 1976
© 「Reflections」 – バンジャマン・ミルピエ - L.A.D.P © Laurent Phillipe
Echoing to Claude Arpels’ encounter with George Balanchine, a new collaboration with Benjamin Millepied began in 2012. With his company the L.A. Dance Project, supported by Van Cleef & Arpels, Benjamin Millepied has created the trilogy Gems, made up of Reflections (2013), Hearts & Arrows (2014) and On the Other Side (2016), as well as the ballet Romeo & Juliette Suite 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, since 2015 the FEDORA – Van Cleef & Arpels Prize for Ballet has rewarded excellence and inventiveness in a new choreographic creation each year.