Hans van Manen paved the road to the top all by himself: he did not complete primary school and was self-taught. In 1955 Van Manen made his debut as a choreographer with the ballet ‘Olé, Olé, la Margarita’. He soon developed his own style. The simple, refined movements focused on human contact and often with a touch of eroticism made him world famous.
Director of Dutch National Ballet Ted Brandsen talks about the Van Manen feeling: “Hans had a unique signature that is so recognizable and at the same time so individual. That has made him a great.”