A cello emits a flurry of notes and we immediately recognise the first of Johann Sebastian Bach’s six cello suites, which will be played in their entirety by Jean-Guihen Queyras. The musician is seated upright in his chair, with his back to the audience, at the centre of a bare stage. The slender silhouette of Belgian choreographer Anne Teresa de Keersmaeker appears, and with a raised finger, she signals the start of the first Suite, the most famous of all, which her dancers accompany with a sequence of movements that exploit the geometry of the space while underlining the precise rhythms of the music.
This scene takes place in the main hall of the Comédie de Genève, as part of the La Bâtie festival. Backstage is a well-known actor, Van Cleef & Arpels, which supports the event through its Dance Reflections programme. The goal of this programme, which was launched in 2020, is to reaffirm the company’s commitment to the art of dance and the values of creativity, the sharing of knowledge and education. Since then, many artists and dance companies have been supported by the brand, which also pioneered the Dance Reflections by Van Cleef & Arpels festival, which took place in London in 2022 and Hong Kong in 2023. “This initiative is part of a major tradition for the Maison, which began over 80 years ago when Claude Arpels met George Balanchine,” explains Nicolas Bos, president of Van Cleef & Arpels.
A delicate dance
The two men met towards the end of the 1940s. Claude Arpels and the famous choreographer shared a passion for precious stones and, of course, dance. Together they began a creative collaboration that resulted in the three-act ballet Jewels, choreographed by Balanchine, which premiered in New York in April 1967. Each act is inspired by a different gemstone and a different composer: Gabriel Fauré for Emeralds, Igor Stravinksy for Rubies and Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky for Diamonds.
This artistic pas de deux, which was performed in the most prestigious theatres around the world, was a natural reflection of Van Cleef & Arpels’ creative sensitivity. The first ballerina jewellery clips appeared in the early 1940s, in a variety of shapes and poses. With their gold or diamond faces, bejewelled hair and sparkling tutus edged with gemstones or festooned with pearls, these charming little silhouettes sculpted from gold quickly became a house signature.
Time to dance
Throughout the last century and up to the present day, the Maison has continued to pay homage to the art of dance. Beginning in 2006, the Haute Joaillerie Ballet Précieux watch collection has been part of this tribute, gradually fleshing out an entire universe of aesthetic and technical refinement through its various chapters, revealed over many seasons. Fluid, dynamic, delicate and exquisitely graceful, the world of opera and ballet is brought to life through breathtaking tableaux inspired by the stylistic repertoire of classical dance.
The Lady Arpels Ballerine Enchantée watch, in rose gold or white gold set with diamonds, celebrates the incredible talent of Russian ballerina Anna Pavlova, who once said that she had always dreamed of being able to dance as lightly as a butterfly. With this watch, Van Cleef & Arpels brings her dream to life by giving the stylised ballerina butterfly wings of enamel, which flutter against the guilloché enamel dial. This poetic complication reveals the time on demand, through the wings.
More recently, Van Cleef & Arpels excelled itself once again with the Lady Arpels Ballerine Musicale, which comes in three versions. Another poetic complication, this watch celebrates the origins of the Maison’s connection with the world of dance. Each watch is inspired by a different act of Balanchine’s 1967 ballet Jewels. The musical scores have been specially arranged to be played inside the watch, thanks to the addition of a carillon and a music box mechanism. This auditory experience is accompanied by a visual spectacle. Emeralds, rubies and diamonds take the stage, evoking the French, American and Russian schools of dance on the dynamic dials. On request, the curtain is raised to reveal the ballerinas. This is true art!
