Van Cleef & Arpels Celebrates Dance in New York
Van Cleef & Arpels remains at the forefront of the arts.
The prestigious French brand, known for its support of artistic expression, is set to host its celebrated contemporary dance festival in New York for the second year. This year’s Dance Reflections program will occur from February 19 to March 21, featuring 16 performances at various notable venues throughout the city, including the Brooklyn Academy of Music and the Guggenheim Rotunda. It will showcase outstanding works from talented choreographers like Trisha Brown, Benjamin Millepied, and Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker.
Among the highlights, Millepied’s Reflections: Triptych will debut in its entirety at New York’s Perelman Performing Arts Center, alongside romeo and juliet suite, both performed by the LA Dance Project. Trisha Brown’s acclaimed set and reset (1983) will be featured, alongside a work by Merce Cunningham called travelogue (1977), performed by the Trisha Brown Dance Company in collaboration with the Merce Cunningham Trust. Additionally, the Lyon Opera Ballet will showcase bipedal walking by Cunningham (1999) and mycelium (2023) by Christos Papadopoulos.
There will also be multiple workshops hosted by the New York Center for Creativity and Dance for dancers at varying skill levels.
The event is significant for the brand. Catherine Renier, President and CEO of Van Cleef & Arpels, expressed, “Launching this festival in 2026 reaffirms our commitment to emphasizing the importance of dance as a form of cultural expression in society.” She hopes that through this initiative, more people can explore the fascinating world of dance that has inspired their brand for over eight decades.
Serge Laurent, the Director of Dance and Culture Programs at Van Cleef & Arpels, shared his excitement about presenting this program in New York again, noting that it adds another opportunity to celebrate contemporary dance’s richness and diversity.
The connection between Van Cleef & Arpels and the dance world stretches back to the 1920s. Louis Arpels, a ballerina and one of the house’s founders, would often accompany his nephew, Claude, to the Paris Opera. They were behind the creation of the jeweled ballerina clip during the early 1940s, a design that quickly became iconic among collectors.
In 1961, Claude met the legendary choreographer George Balanchine, who was so enchanted by the jewels in Van Cleef’s Fifth Avenue store that he incorporated them into his ballet jewelry (1967). This three-part ballet, inspired by emeralds, rubies, and diamonds, remains celebrated and is regularly performed.
Today, the spirit of Van Cleef continues in their dedication to contemporary dance, collaborating with various dance groups and establishing philanthropic partnerships to support the arts. Recently, they inaugurated the first Van Cleef & Arpels chair in dance history at New York University.
As the festival approaches, anticipation builds, and perhaps a standing ovation is certainly warranted.
