Black Pride Ball Amsterdam and Amsterdam Sinfonietta present Opus 1 Ball: a unique symbiosis of classical music and ballroom, the Black queer performance culture that originated in 1980s New York. Two worlds that rarely meet join forces in a shared ode to the ballroom scene and to diversity.
The Main Hall of Het Concertgebouw is transformed into a spectacular ball venue. Ballwalkers from the international ballroom scene compete in categories such as Fem Queen Realness and Runway, showcasing their creativity and personal expression. The finest ballwalkers take the spotlight on a specially created catwalk, while a jury judges them in various categories and the audience cheers them on.
Classical and contemporary music come together in a unique clash of styles and eras. Alongside classical works such as Mahler’s Adagietto and Fauré’s Pavane, Amsterdam Sinfonietta performs ballroom classics including The Ha Dance and Sexy Like Sinia, as well as Gloria Gaynor’s ultimate LGBTQIA+ anthem I Will Survive. DJ MikeQ brings the vibrant energy of the ball, while MC Zelda Fitzgerald uses her verbal acrobatics to lift the ballwalkers to even greater heights.