Mobissimo

Tuesday, 2/5/08: Antwerp: Kohinklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen Antwerp's pulsing dance heartbeat, the Royal Ballet of Flanders, is being transplanted to Seville, Lisbon, and Barcelona for the month of February and Luxembourg in March (with their highly-lauded and Forsythe-choreographed "Impressing the Czar," no less). However, if you can't jete alongside the company, you CAN ditch the chocolate, waffles, and Tin Tin for a night when they come back to Antwerp in April. While we've been pretty dedicated to the classical ballet companies of Europe on this site (a dearth of Nutcrackers and Sleeping Beauties, it would seem). However, the RBF is ballet in a less traditional (though no less understandable or less beautiful) sense of the word. Modern choreographers, such as William Forsythe or George Balanchine, are the bread and butter--or waffles and syrup--here and the dancers take to their masterworks like NATO employees to Brussels.

The young vibe of the company makes it perfect for young audiences, and if you're 26 or under you can get tickets for 50% of their face value. Those over 65 can also get in for 15% off. And leave it to those Belgians to give one-better: students studying in Belgium or Antwerp specifically can purchase ten Cultuurcheques for 15 Euro. These "checks" act as individual discount coupons (which can also go up to 50% off) that are accepted widely at Antwerp, including the ballet. If you'll be in town for a while, or want to do a whirlwind tour of this city's bustling art and culture scene, they're good to have on hand.

But, if you absolutely can't live without your Tchaikovsky fix, there IS a Sleeping Beauty.



Thanks, ligiah! Kohinklijk Ballet van Vlaanderen The Royal Ballet of Flanders Kattendijkdok-Westkaai 16, 2000 +32(0)3 234 34 38 http://www.kbvv.be