Van Cleef & Arpels is to exclusively sponsor ballet and dance at the Dubai Opera, which opens its doors later this year.

Alessandro Maffi, Managing Director of Van Cleef & Arpels Middle East & India, said: “Femininity and grace have always provided constant inspiration for our creations, giving rise to various artistic collaborations. We are proud to embark on a new friendship with the Dubai Opera in bringing ballet and dance to the emirate.”

The Dubai Opera is a performing arts theatre located in the heart of Downtown Dubai in the UAE. The venue, which has 2,000 seats, will stage its first two classical ballets - Coppélia on September 15 and 17 and Giselle on September 16 - both performed by the Russian State Ballet and Orchestra of Siberia. 

Further performances this year includes Sara Baras, Spain’s most prevalent flamenco dancer, on October  13 and 14, and Ballet for Life and a Ballet Gala from Béjart Ballet Lausanne on October 21 and 22.

Van Cleef & Arpels is renowned for featuring a radiant homage to the art of dance within each season of creations and has made dance one of its major sources of inspiration. 

The French jewelry house’s first ballerina clips were created in 1940s in New York, at the request of Louis Arpels, a great ballet and opera lover. Highly sought after by collectors, these creations soon became a signature of Van Cleef & Arpels.

These links with the world of dance were strengthened when Louis’ nephew Claude Arpels met George Balanchine, the well-known choreographer and co-founder of the New York City Ballet, and invited him to the maison’s boutique on Fifth Avenue. Their shared passion led to Balanchine composing a trio of ballets titled ‘Jewels’ which were inspired by emeralds, rubies and diamonds and first staged in New York in 1967.

In 2012, Van Cleef & Arpels commissioned Benjamin Millepied, previously principal dancer at the New York City Ballet and founder of the LA Dance Project, to create a new trilogy based on the original ‘Jewels’ ballet called Gems, with the last installment – titled On The Other Side  - making its debut in London last month. 

The maison is also a patron of the Opéra National de Paris’ 3e Scéne and sponsors Fedora’s (The European Circle of Philanthropists of Opera and Ballet) prize for ballet. 

Dubai Opera Chief Executive Jasper Hope said: “Van Cleef & Arpels has such an incredible affinity with ballet and dance which stretches back decades. We look forward to a long and fruitful partnership with Van Cleef & Arpels.”