Making way for new talent: EUROPA NEW GEN 2027 to feature two female choreographers and an all-female ensemble for the first time

With EUROPA NEW GEN, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises is providing a stage at sea for a new generation of international choreographers. In November 2027, the format will take the next step: for the first time, two female choreographers – Fay van Baar and Ève-Marie Dalcourt – will take on artistic responsibility, and the dance ensemble will also consist entirely of women. In addition, a new documentary about the French choreographer Antonin Rioche offers insights into the creation of his works and the artistic process on board.

Contemporary dance begins long before the curtain rises – it starts along the way: with EUROPA NEW GEN, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises established a unique format in 2025 that gives a new generation of choreographers the space to develop their own works. The focus is on artists who have already gained experience in internationally renowned dance companies and at leading theatres, and who are now further developing their own choreographic style. Rather than adhering to a fixed artistic or stylistic framework, the format centres on individual perspectives, corporeal languages and forms of expression.

“With EUROPA NEW GEN, we aim to support young talents at precisely that exciting stage in their careers when great performing experience gives rise to a unique artistic style. In 2027, we will be focusing on female perspectives for the first time: Fay van Baar and Ève-Marie Dalcourt will each develop their own production as they support one another. Together with an all-female ensemble, they are breathing new life into the format whilst giving space to two very distinct styles,” says Lisa Wilken, Head of Luxury Cruises at Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.

Behind the scenes at EUROPA NEW GEN

A new documentary about the French choreographer Antonin Rioche shows what this creative process looks like. He epitomises the EUROPA NEW GEN approach: trained in Switzerland, he subsequently worked as a freelancer with Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui and Sasha Waltz, amongst others. His choreographic work combines classical dance traditions with contemporary forms and elements from theatre, film and the visual arts.

The documentary focuses on the works THE ACT OF ADULTING and WE ARE DOING GREAT. THE ACT OF ADULTING celebrated its world premiere on board the EUROPA and forms the centrepiece of the film.
WE ARE DOING GREAT, in turn, is an existing production that was first performed on board a ship by Hapag-Lloyd Cruises. Filmed by Tommy Pascal, the documentary takes a behind-the-scenes look at the creation and rehearsals on board.

The format was launched in December 2025 by the Canadian dancer and choreographer Johnny McMillan with his artistic collective ELK SKIN. In 2026, EUROPA NEW GEN was continued with Antonin Rioche. Both represent different choreographic approaches and the deliberately open-ended artistic definition of the format.

EUROPA NEW GEN entirely in female hands for the first time

A new chapter begins in November 2027. For the first time, EUROPA NEW GEN will focus entirely on women. Fay van Baar and Ève-Marie Dalcourt will take on the choreographic lead, and the entire dance ensemble will consist of women. This results in two distinct productions: Fay van Baar will be responsible for one evening’s performance, with artistic support from Ève-Marie Dalcourt. For the second evening, the roles are reversed. Ève-Marie Dalcourt will take on the role of choreographer, whilst Fay van Baar supports her as artistic assistant. This unites two distinct perspectives that complement one another without compromising their individual artistic styles.

Both choreographers bring extensive international dance experience to the project. The Dutch-British Fay van Baar began her professional career in 2015 at the Nederlands Dans Theater, where she appeared in more than 40 productions. She has worked with choreographers such as Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Yoann Bourgeois and Jiří Kylián. She now develops her own works, working with the Korzo Theater as well as other institutions and projects associated with the Nederlands Dans Theater; her latest creation for Scapino Ballet Rotterdam will premiere in January 2027.

The Canadian Ève-Marie Dalcourt danced with Nederlands Dans Theater II for three years and subsequently worked as an assistant and rehearsal director for Alexander Ekman, amongst others. In this role, she staged works with internationally renowned ballet companies. Having previously choreographed as part of collectives, EUROPA NEW GEN marks an important next step for her: the new production of the EUROPA will be Ève-Marie Dalcourt’s first choreographic work for which she is entirely responsible.

Fay van Baar and Ève-Marie Dalcourt are also linked by a long-standing friendship and artistic collaboration. For Ève-Marie Dalcourt, EUROPA NEW GEN offers something that is by no means a given for emerging choreographers: space, resources and freedom to experiment and develop her own production. She therefore describes the format as a kind of “incubator for dance”.

The upcoming EUROPA NEW GEN cruises:

• Sample cruise EUR2628: “Caribbean dream route”. EUROPA NEW GEN returns to the EUROPA with French choreographer Antonin Rioche. From New York to Miami: from 5 Dec to 21 Dec 2026 (16 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 10,180 per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.de/EUR2628.

• Sample cruise EUR2702: “The temperament of South America”. EUROPA NEW GEN is back on board with Canadian dancer and choreographer Johnny McMillan and his artistic collective ELK SKIN. From Rio de Janeiro to Valparaiso: from 25 Jan to 18 Feb 2027 (24 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 17,250 per person, double occupancy, including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.de/EUR2702.

• Sample cruise EUR2724: “The fascination of Africa’s south”. For the first time, two women – Fay van Baar and Ève-Marie Dalcourt – are taking on the choreographic responsibility for EUROPA NEW GEN, and the entire dance ensemble is made up of women. From Cape Town to Cape Town: from 17 Nov to 4 Dec 2027 (17 days). Bookable in the PLATINUM fare from € 9,860 per person, double occupancy (including early booking discount, valid until 31 Jan 2027), including travel package to and from departure and arrival points. For more information, visit: www.hl-cruises.de/EUR2724.

The video “EUROPA NEW GEN – Contemporary Dance | MS EUROPA” offers insights into the work of choreographer Antonin Rioche and can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/JbrPYCFEORY.