Dance Reflections by
Van Cleef & Arpels
The Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels initiative, guided by the values of creation, transmission and education, this initiative aims to uphold the artists and institutions that showcase the modern and contemporary choreographic repertoire, while encouraging new productions. This support also extends to initiatives to raise awareness of choreographic culture, aimed at both professional and amateur audiences.
Since autumn 2020, the program has focused on support for dance companies and the implementation of diversified partnerships with institutions in France and abroad. These close ties are further strengthened by choreographic events bringing together works from the repertoire and contemporary creations. As part of these missions, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels is particularly committed to transmitting the history and culture of choreography.
"With the program Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels, the Maison aims to support modern and contemporary dance, and encourage new choreography."
A friend of the Maison since 2018, photographer Olivia Bee was invited by Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels Festival 2022 in London to lend an artistic eye to the choreographic creations programmed during the festival. These encounters with the contemporary choreographic scene have given rise to a series of silver photographs that suspend movement and the beauty of the moment.
"When watching the performances, I tried to look for moments where the dancers were moving together in a painterly way like this was the moment that would be framed in the museum if it were in oil. When backstage, in the studio and on the street, I wanted to show more of an intimate snapshot of what it means to prepare for those moments on stage." Olivia Bee.
Since its launch, the Maison's initiative has supported numerous companies in the creation of their works, as well as many institutions in the representation of their craft on the international stage. Building on this network, and because dance is a universal language, Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels organizes annual choreographic events in various countries.
After London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and New York, the next Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels festival will be held in Kyoto and Saitama - Tokyo, Japan, from October 4th to November 16th, 2024.
Enriching the quest for excellence with a taste for beauty and harmony, Van Cleef & Arpels has drawn boundless inspiration from the world of dance. The art of ballet lends a graceful flair and an enchanting aura of poetry to the Maison’s jewelry creations and delicate feminine figures.
The longstanding bond between Van Cleef & Arpels and dance dates back to the 1920s. At the time, Louis Arpels, a fervent fan of ballet, would often take his nephew Claude to the Paris Opera. Under their leadership, the Maison’s first ballerina clips were created in New York in the early 1940s, soon becoming signature pieces of Van Cleef & Arpels. Featuring a rose-cut diamond face complemented by a precious headdress, these ballerina figures are depicted with point shoes and a tutu made of diamonds or colored stones that seems to flow, echoing the dancers’ movements. Their aerial attitudes and the beauty of their attire enchant all who behold them, collectors in particular.
Drawing featuring a Dancer clip, circa 1945
Ballerina clip, 1952 Platinum, yellow gold, turquoises, rubies, diamond, Van Cleef & Arpels Collection
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