NDT2 and Taylor 2 Come to The Hartt School

The Hartt School welcomes two internationally acclaimed dance companies to its program this spring, Netherlands Dance Theater 2 (NDT2) and Paul Taylor 2 (T2DC). Both of these companies are renowned not only for their association with their famous main companies but also as stellar performing entities in their own right, populated by extraordinary young artists working with top-ranking choreographers. Both of the companies sought out the Hartt Dance program to initiate these projects because of its reputation for excellence and its forward looking approach to classical techniques in both Ballet, Modern, and Contemporary dance.

The Hartt School Dance Division at The University of Hartford is four year BFA program uniquely designed to incorporate intense professional training with career sustaining aspects of a liberal arts education. "It's a brilliant opportunity for our dancers to be working alongside the best young professionals in our field today.", said Stephen Pier, Artistic Director of Hartt Dance. "The essence of our art is passed from person to person. There is no substitute for being in the studio with truly great practitioners absorbing every level of nuance and gesture."

NDT2 will send 5 dancers and 2 artistic staff to work for three days in January with the entire Hartt Dance student body. They will give seminars on "Inside NDT", studio performances of selected repertoire, and workshops with the Hartt dancers on several pieces on their NYC and Boston programs.

Taylor 2 will teach technique classes at Hartt while setting Mr Taylor's incomparable work, "3 Epitaphs" on two casts of dancers. They will then perform alongside Hartt dancers in presentations of Hartt Dances, April 26, 27, 28 at Millard Theater, University of Hartford.

NDT 2 - 2018 marks the 40th anniversary of the Second Company to NDT. Originally brought to life with the purpose of feeding the first company with young talent, NDT 2 was founded in 1978. It has, however, shaped itself into an entirely independent division throughout the decades, attracting renowned choreographers from all over the world that come to create especially for NDT 2 to contribute to its extensive, own repertoire. What hasn't changed is the company's focus on the development of the artistic personality of its young dancers.

In a time span of three years, NDT 2 prepares sixteen classically trained dancers by offering a varied repertoire consisting of new works. This season, those will be made by established choreographers like Alexander Ekman and Bryan Arias, as well as a new generation of talents such as Felix Landerer. One of the objectives of NDT 2, is to acquaint the dancers with a lexicon of dance languages. Working together with diverse creators, provides the dancers with the opportunity to learn to react quickly to different dance languages, techniques and working methods.

Mr. Taylor established Taylor 2 Dance Company in 1993 to ensure that his works could be seen by audiences all over the world regardless of economic considerations and the logistical limitations of non-traditional venues. He worked with longtime colleague Linda Hodes to create a company that could accommodate performance requests, teach classes, and provide community outreach. With six dancers, Taylor 2 is the same size as Mr. Taylor's original Company. In selecting repertoire for Taylor 2, Mr. Taylor chose dances that reveal the broad spectrum of his work, sometimes reworking the original version to fit the smaller ensemble. Taylor 2's engagements are flexible and are customized to meet the needs of each community. They often consist of master classes and lecture/demonstrations in addition to performances that often take place in non-traditional venues as well as in theaters. Former Taylor dancer Ruth Andrien was named Rehearsal Director of Taylor 2 in 2010.

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