Dance Consortium Sets NDT2 UK Tour
By: Tyler Peterson Jan. 22, 2016
Under the artistic directorship of British-born Paul Lightfoot, Nederlands Dans Theater is headquartered at the Lucent Danstheater in The Hague. Since its foundation in 1959, this pioneering company has built a rich repertoire of more than 600 ballets by master choreographers Ji?í Kylián and Hans van Manen, renowned house choreographers Sol León & Paul Lightfoot, associate choreographers Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke and high-profiled guests such as Gabriela Carrizo, Hofesh Shechter, Johan Inger, Alexander Ekman and Sharon Eyal & Gai Behar.
In 1978, NDT founded NDT2, its junior division specifically focussing on talent development for dancers aged 18 - 23. Over a three year period NDT2 prepares 16 classically trained dancers (plus two apprentice dancers for the UK tour) from around the world for NDT2. One of the objectives of NDT2 is to acquaint the dancers with a lexicon of dance languages. Working with young and more established choreographers, the dancers perfect a range of styles and genres in which technique is a means to achieving their artistic core as world class performers.
NDT2 brings vibrant mixed bills to the UK in performances complemented by visual art, music composition, innovative lighting, set and costume designs.
Opening in Woking, followed by Southampton, Salford, Edinburgh, Newcastle, Bradford, Birmingham, Plymouth, Nottingham, Brighton and London, the Dance Consortium's NDT2 UK tour programme 2016, which is subject to alteration, will be as follows:
Programme A (Woking, Southampton, Newcastle, Birmingham, Plymouth and Nottingham): I New Then // mutual comfort (UK PREMIERE) // Solo // Cacti
Programme B (Salford, Edinburgh, London): Schubert (UK PREMIERE) // Sad Case // Some Other Time (UK PREMIERE) // mutual comfort // Solo // Cacti
Programme C (Bradford): Schubert // Sad Case // mutual comfort // Solo // Cacti
Programme D (Brighton): Schubert // Some Other Time // mutual comfort // Solo // Cacti
I New Then, by Swedish choreographer Johan Inger, sees four girls and five boys taken to great heights on songs by Van Morrison. Not a group in unison, but sprouting individuals who rebel against it. Inger's work breathes humour: it's fresh and optimistic, ranging from comic and theatrical to earthy and organic. Inger made his breakthrough as a choreographer in 1995 after a successful dancing career with NDT. His choreographies have won numerous prestigious awards. Inger, who was an associate choreographer with NDT between 2009 and 2015, created I New Then in 2012.
In 2015 Romanian choreographer Edward Clug made his NDT2 debut with mutual comfort. The choreography is detailed, sharply defined and at times features a twitchiness where the bodies flick and jerk so extremely and frequently that it can be interpreted as punctuation; a certain acknowledgement of the beat. Clug is interested in highlighting the dancers' individual stories in his work. mutual comfort emphasizes personal experience that arises from the process of creation that is led by illuminating human contradictions and imparting surprising moments of beauty and spontaneous irony.
Award-winning choreographer Hans van Manen created Solo for NDT2 in 1997. This seven minute, fast-paced ballet is set to Johann Sebastian Bach's violin partita. Solo is an athletic tour-de-force for three male dancers who portray a single man re-examining his place in the world. Since the choreography is exceptionally fast requiring extraordinary timing, the ballet can only be performed by the dancers taking turns. Van Manen, NDT's resident choreographer from 1988 - 2003, has created more than 120 ballets (62 of which for NDT), all bearing his unmistakable signature.
In 2010 Swedish-born choreographer Alexander Ekman created the international hit Cacti for NDT2. Ekman calls himself a 'rhythm freak' as one of his trademarks is designing contemporary soundscapes. Cacti, for which Ekman uses classical music, resulted in a new arrangement of Schubert's Der Tod und das Mädchen, created with Het Balletorkest (formerly known as Holland Symphonia). In Cacti sixteen dancers become the instruments of the orchestra as Ekman challenges the audience to reflect on the way in which art is perceived. Cacti was nominated for a Critics' Circle National Dance Award (Best Modern Choreography) and an Olivier Award (Best New Dance Production) in 2012.
At various venues during the tour, three works will showcase the choreographic relationship between NDT's artistic advisor Sol León and artistic director Paul Lightfoot. León & Lightfoot started creating work together over 26 years ago and since then have created over fifty pieces for NDT. In 2002 they were appointed house choreographers for the company and together they have won prestigious awards, such as the Benois de la Danse and the Herald Archangel.
First from León & Lightfoot is Schubert, an emotional ballet conveying a love story between a man and a woman. This highly technical pas de deux premiered in 2014 and is danced to Schubert's String quintet in C - Adagio.
Sad Case was originally created for NDT1 in 1998 when Sol León was seven months pregnant and acts as one of the main pillars of León & Lightfoot's impressive body of work. Set to Mexican mambo music Sad Case shows a continual search for the tension between satirical and classic moments.
Some Other Time premiered at the anniversary performance 25 Years León & Lightfoot. A white floor and black decor pieces that seemingly float across the stage, highlight the refreshing and oppressive feeling that the dancers portray in this ballet. All dressed in black and with a wide variety of pas de deux and solos Some Other Time is an extraordinary exercise for the NDT2 dancers in the emotional dance language synonymous with León & Lightfoot's choreographic style.
ENDS
For more information, visuals, interviews and press tickets please contact: Simon Harper, Simon Harper PR 07810 863408 or simonharperpr@gmail.com
DANCE CONSORTIUM presents NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER 2 - UK TOUR 2016:
New Victoria Theatre WOKING (press night Tuesday 12 April)
Tue 12 & Wed 13 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 0844 871 7645 www.atgtickets.com/woking
The Mayflower Theatre SOUTHAMPTON
Fri 15 & Sat 16 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 02380 711811 www.mayflower.org.uk
The Lowry SALFORD QUAYS
Tue 19 & Wed 20 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 0843 208 6000 www.thelowry.com
Festival Theatre EDINBURGH
Fri 22 & Sat 23 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 0131 529 6000 www.edtheatres.com
Theatre Royal NEWCASTLE
Tue 26 & Wed 27 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 08448 11 21 21 www.theatreroyal.co.uk
Alhambra Theatre BRADFORD
Fri 29 & Sat 30 Apr 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 01274 432000 www.bradford-theatres.co.uk
Birmingham Hippodrome BIRMINGHAM as part of International Dance Festival Birmingham 2016
Tue 3 & Wed 4 May 2016, 8pm
Tickets: 0844 338 5000 www.birminghamhippodrome.com
Theatre Royal PLYMOUTH
Fri 6 & Sat 7 May 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 01752 267222 www.theatreroyal.com
Royal Concert Hall NOTTINGHAM
Tue 10 & Wed 11 May 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 0115 989 5555 www.trch.co.uk
Brighton Dome BRIGHTON as part of Brighton Festival
Fri 13 & Sat 14 May at 7.30pm
Tickets: 01273 709709 www.brightondome.org
Sadler's Wells LONDON (press night Tuesday 17 May)
Tue 17 - Fri 20 May 2016, 7.30pm
Tickets: 020 7863 8000 www.sadlerswells.com
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