Where Ballroom meets the Orchestra

OPUS 1 BALL — August 7, 2026
Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam

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Event Rules: Please respect each other and help create a safer, inclusive, and welcoming environment for everyone. We do not tolerate aggression, assault, discrimination, exclusion, harassment, or physical/verbal violence of any kind, including but not limited to ableism, antisemitism, body shaming, bullying, intimidation, Islamophobia, racism, queerphobia, sexism, sexual misconduct, and transphobia. Anyone engaging in this behavior may be removed from the event.

On August 7, 2026, during World Pride Amsterdam 2026, the iconic Het Concertgebouw becomes the stage for something never seen before.

OPUS 1 Ball is a groundbreaking collaboration between FOR ALL QUEENS!, Black Pride Ball Amsterdam and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, a fusion of classical music and ballroom culture.

Two distinct worlds come together in a powerful tribute to expression, identity and artistry.

The Opus 1 Ball is an exhibition ball. Exhibition balls focus on performance, entertainment, and introducing ballroom to new audiences. They also create space for experimentation, practice, and special collaborations.

For Opus 1, ballroom meets live classical music. The music will be performed by Amsterdam Sinfonietta together with ballroom DJ Arakaza, blending ballroom classics like Sexy Like Sinia by Vjuan Allure and The Ha with classical works such as Adagietto and Pavane.

The ball walkers are cast, with the overall set-up following the structure of a traditional ball. Just like at a major ball, ball walkers first receive their 10s before moving further into the category through battles.

The Opus 1 Ball is vocally led by Zelda Fitzgerald Xclusive Lanvin, the first voice of the Dutch ballroom scene.

Concept by Zelda Dapaah Fitzgerald (FOR ALL QUEENS!) and Candida Thompson (Amsterdam Sinfonietta)

Consult: Perry Gits

Creative Director: Zoë Bab

Casting Director Ball: Jonovia Chase

Project Manager: Priscilla Macintosh

Executive Producer: Zoë Bab

Producer: Tyra Koning

Produced by Black Pride ball Amsterdam, FOR ALL QUEENS!, Amsterdam Sinfonietta, Het Concertgebouw

Team Amsterdam Sinfonietta:

Artistic manager: Stephan Heber

Head of Marketing: Chris Meeuwissen

Online Marketeer: Cyrille Smith

Production & Finance: Jantine Postma

Production: Ydeleine Bertsen

The Cultures

Ballroom History

Ballroom history traces back to the late 19th century, when Langston Hughes described these gatherings as a “parade of the fairies.”

By the late 1960s, contemporary ballroom — also known as the house-structured ball scene — began to take shape. Created by Black trans women, it became a space for creativity, self-expression, and the reimagining of identity.

Within ballroom, distinct forms of expression emerged — from categories like Face and Realness to performance styles such as Vogue Fem — each rooted in precision, storytelling, and embodied confidence. Alongside these forms, ballroom has also shaped a rich cultural language, with terms like “shade,” “reading,” and “serving” entering broader popular culture.

From the masked balls of 19th-century Harlem to global recognition through Paris Is Burning and Pose, ballroom has evolved into a powerful global cultural movement that continues to influence fashion, music, language, and performance worldwide.

Ballroom Legacy

OPUS 1 Ball honors this legacy, bringing it to a new stage.

Western classical music spans over a millennium, evolving from early medieval liturgical chants to a wide range of contemporary and experimental forms.

It is often divided into key eras — Medieval, Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic, and Modern/Postmodern — each marked by shifts in harmony, structure, and systems of patronage.

The tradition moved from predominantly monophonic, church-based compositions to highly structured symphonies, operas, and chamber works, and eventually toward more abstract and boundary-pushing approaches to sound.

Throughout its development, classical music has produced distinct compositional forms and practices — from the fugue and concerto to the symphony and sonata — while also shaping a specialized musical language of notation, theory, and performance.

From sacred spaces and royal courts to concert halls such as Het Concertgebouw, the tradition continues to evolve, influencing and being reinterpreted across cultures, disciplines, and generations.

For the first time in the histories of Het Concertgebouw and Amsterdam Sinfonietta, this tradition opens itself to a new dialogue — one that reimagines who classical music is for, and what it can become.

The Setup

The Opus 1 Ball is an exhibition ball. (in our case) it is a specialized ball where the ball walkers are not only casted, but the music is.

However the set up will be like a real ball. Like at a major ball, the 10’s will serve as the preliminaries. After the 10s are given by the judges, the ballwalker moves on.

16 ballwalkers from accross the globe will compete across four categories:

Fem Queen Realness
Vogue Fem
Face
Lip Sync Performance

Classical and contemporary music come together in a unique clash of styles and eras. Amsterdam Sinfonietta performs classical works such as the Adagietto from Gustav Mahler and the Pavane by Gabriel Fauré, alongside ballroom classics like The Ha Dance and Sexy like Sinia, as well as the ultimate LGBTQIA+ anthem, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor. A DJ contributes to the vibrant atmosphere of the ball, while MC Zelda Fitzgerald elevates the ballwalkers to the next level with dazzling verbal acrobatics.

Consult: Perry Gits

Photo by: Dion Bal
Creative Direction: Zoë Bab
& Dion Bal

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