Timeless Grace – A Ballet Legacy

1. Our Previous Project: Benjamin Feliksdal – The Life Story of a Dutch Dance Master

In 2023, Roland Gaedtgens and Robin van Zutphen created a fully independent documentary about the legendary dancer and teacher Benjamin Feliksdal. This film received numerous international awards in New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Cannes, London, Barcelona, and Athens. In the Netherlands, it had its festive premiere in October 2024 in the Boekmanzaal of the Dutch National Opera & Ballet, as the official opening of the Legacies program.

2. A New Story: Rachel Beaujean, Muse of Hans van Manen

Following the success of the Feliksdal film, a new project was born: a documentary about Rachel Beaujean, an icon in the international ballet world, visionary artist, leader, mother of two, and a woman at the top of Dutch National Ballet.
It’s time to tell the story of this extraordinary woman.
The title: Timeless Grace.

3. What This Documentary Is About

Timeless Grace is a cinematic documentary about Rachel Beaujean, a central figure of Dutch National Ballet. Over the course of three years, we follow her in the final phase of her nearly 50-year career, in which she evolved from a star dancer into an artistic leader and muse to the great Hans van Manen.

The film offers an intimate view into the work, mindset, body, and spirit of a woman who has dedicated her entire life to the art of dance, both on and off stage. It combines observational scenes with in-depth interviews. Rachel Beaujean shares her story in her own words, alongside key figures from her career: Hans van Manen, Ted Brandsen, fellow dancers, former students, colleagues, and young dancers she now mentors.

We follow her during rehearsals at Dutch National Ballet and other renowned ballet companies abroad, during international tours, and in her role as the guardian of Hans van Manen’s oeuvre, work she meticulously passes on to a new generation of dancers at leading companies around the world.

Timeless Grace not only offers a close-up portrait of the woman behind the authority but also provides a sensuous, artistically layered insight into the international ballet world where dedication, craftsmanship, and inspiration converge at the highest level.

Watch the trailer for Timeless Grace https://vimeo.com/1073138339 Password: Rachel2025

And watch our earlier film, which made history in 2024 and won numerous awards at international film festivals: https://vimeo.com/1051064618?share=copy