AUGUST 7, 2026
HET CONCERTGEBOUW, AMSTERDAM
Where Ballroom meets the Orchestra
OPUS 1 BALL — August 7, 2026
Het Concertgebouw Amsterdam
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.
Consult: Perry Gits
Creative Directior: Zoë Bab
Casting Director Ball: Jonovia Chase
Project Manager: Priscilla Macintosh
Executive Producer: Zoë Bab
Producer: Tyra Koning
The Cultures
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.
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.
- 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
About
About
For all Queens!
FOR ALL QUEENS! is a sub-Saharan diasporic femme-led collective dedicated to building community through club culture and art. As founders of the Brussels Ballroom Scene and pioneers of FOR ALL QUEENS! Pride, they work to revive Black queer and femme club culture in Belgium while challenging dominant cultural norms. Embracing their role as cultural disruptors, they continue to innovate within Belgium’s music and nightlife landscape.
Inspired by figures such as Lady Phyll, crazinisT artisT, Angel Maxine and Fola Francis, they have collaborated with artists including Robert Owens and Zelda Fitzgerald to amplify messages of freedom, resistance and systemic change. Through partnerships such as their ongoing collaboration with Horst Arts & Music Festival, FOR ALL QUEENS! has helped shape inclusive cultural spaces by centering sub-Saharan diasporic artists and performers, using music, ballroom and nightlife as tools for solidarity and transformation.
Black Pride Ball Amsterdam
Stichting Black Pride Ball Amsterdam was founded by European Overseer Zelda Fitzgerald Xclusive Lanvin and Dutch Father Perry Xclusive Lanvin.
The initiative was launched in 2020 to make the Ballroom scene more inclusive for Sub-Saharan African ball walkers and to move away from dominant European ideologies within the scene. Over the years, the organization has facilitated and collaborated with Bijlmer Parktheater, Gemeente Amsterdam, Johan Cruijff Arena, Soho House Amsterdam and House Lives Matter (NYC)
Photo by: Nella Ngingo
Amsterdam Sinfonietta
As a leading string orchestra, Amsterdam Sinfonietta holds a unique position within the Dutch classical music landscape. Led by artistic director Candida Thompson, the orchestra tours the world with adventurous programs. With great passion, Amsterdam Sinfonietta has developed into a world-class ensemble which champions its own genre and innovates at the highest level. The orchestra embraces the entire repertoire for string orchestra, from classical masterpieces to newly commissioned works, while also exploring connections with other musical genres and art forms such as film, dance, and theater.
Amsterdam Sinfonietta has become a regular performer in European concert halls, and has toured across Europe, Asia, North and South America, and Australia, performing in venues such as the Barbican Hall in London, the Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, the Cité de la Musique in Paris, the National Centre for the Performing Arts in Beijing, Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, the Wiener Konzerthaus, as well as the Hong Kong Arts Festival.
The ensemble collaborates with top national and international soloists. Musicians such as Janine Jansen, Sol Gabetta, Kian Soltani, Bruce Liu, Thomas Hampson, Fazil Say, Beatrice Rana, Angélique Kidjo and Rufus Wainwright share the orchestra’s curiosity and constant drive for innovation.
Get your tickets
This is more than a performance, it’s a one-night-only event with limited seating in one of the world’s most iconic concert halls. Demand is high and once tickets are gone, they’re gone.
Secure your place now and witness a historic moment:
Secure your place now and witness a historic moment:
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.
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