The lectures, that take place in February and March, focus on current themes, but also on Klein's own research. In her dance research, Klein focuses on topics such as diversity, race, gender and the relationship between the social, political and aesthetic forms and figurations of dance. To conclude the series, Klein will talk to Hans van Manen, one of the most important 20th-century Dutch choreographers. The lectures will form the basis for a book Klein is working on that should be published in 2026.

The professor has set herself the goal of building a bridge between practice and theory, and between production and scientific research. “With the public lectures I hope to appeal to a broader audience and to open up the discourse about dance and its cultural importance,” says Klein.

Hans van Manen chair

As of June 2022, Gabriele Klein is the special professor of Ballet and Dance to the Hans van Manen chair at the Faculty of Humanities. The chair was established in collaboration with National Opera & Ballet. Klein is the first professor in the Netherlands in the field of ballet and dance. “So far it has been a great experience doing research here,” says Klein. 'The Netherlands has an incredibly vibrant and globally recognized dance landscape and it is fantastic to combine this with science.'

You can register for the lectures via the event pages below:

Ballet is a woman?!? Gender construction in contemporary ballet and dance

How to choreograph? Choreographic working methods

For a coffee with Hans van Manen