Nederlands Dans Theater 2 at Den Norske Opera & Ballett

The first time the young, specially selected dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater 2 visited Norway, the newspaper Aftenposten reported an "audience knockout". This season they return with three Norwegian premieres.

León & Lightfoot are well-known for their playful but also moving choreography for strong, expressive dancers. Their work Postscript is danced to live music by one of the choreographer duo's favourite composers, Philip Glass.

The guest performance also offers another look at Alexander Ekman's choreography. He was in his element in spring 2014 with A Swan Lake, created for the Norwegian National Ballet in the Main House. In his 2013 ballet Maybe Two the Swedish choreographer plays with heartache, blending text and movement, action and humour in typical Ekman fashion. As well as 16 dancers, a string quartet also appears on-stage.

The energetic company also brings to life Johan Inger's jazzed, high-energy I New Then from 2012. Dressed in everyday outfits, the nine dancers are challenged to find their artistic identity, resulting in colour, freshness and optimism.

«To be happy is to love. To be happy then is to suffer, but suffering makes one unhappy, therefore: To be unhappy one must love, or love to suffer, or suffer from too much happiness. I hope you're getting this down.»