Nederlands Dans Theater is unique in being three companies in one. NDT I is the main company with 32 dancers; NDT II is a group of 14 young dancers up to the age of 21 and with its own repertory, and NDT III is a small group of dancers of 40 plus years. The NDT II dancers are able to bring all their accumulated experience and expertise to a repertory devised to exploit their theatrical presence. Thus NDT, as a three in one entity, is able to present to its audiences the whole working life span of its artists. The current artistic director/choreographer is Jiri Kylian.

Nederlands Dans Theater II (16 dancers) was founded in 1978 for dancers between 17 and 22. Alongside ballets by Hans van Manen and Jiri Kylián, much work by young choreographic talent is performed. As a true pioneer, the ensemble is constantly striving to give more room to new and brave initiatives. Nederlands Dans Theater II is a top-quality, internationally recognized company with some of the world’s brightest young talent.

Programme

1. Minus 16 - Ohad Naharin

Minus 16 is a phenomenal work for all dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater II set to a thrilling musical compilation of cha-cha, mambo and traditional Israeli music. This choreography came about by putting together sections of previous works of Naharin: Zachacha, Anaphase, Sabotage Baby and Moshe.

‘…Minus 16 swings and is full of fun…’

Astrid van Leeuwen, Algemeen Dagblad

‘…It’s an orgie of dazzling, swinging and ecstatic dance…’

‘…Minus 16 is an absolute hit for Nederlands Dans Theater II…’

Ine Rietstap, NRC Handelsblad

2. Sleepless - Jiri Kylian

Decor: Jiri Kylian    

Light design: Kees Tjebbes    

Jiri Kylian has already made many masterpieces, one of them the fascinating Sleepless, a creation for six young dancers in which the set plays an important part. It has a wall behind which dancers – or sometimes just parts of their bodies – appear, disappear and return. The set allows unexpected entrances or creates hallucinating images of heads which in a grotesque way do not appear to go with the bodies.

3. Dream Play - Johan Inger

With Dream Play Johan Inger created an abstract yet narrative ballet to Stravinsky’s “Le Sacre du Printemps”. He gives a new perspective to the heavily charged story of the ritual spring sacrifice by reducing it to a daydream inspired by a fleeting encounter between the sexes. What follows the meeting is a wish-fulfillment dream, an erotic and sometimes aggression-tinged game for four men and two women, in which the dancers occasionally have rough-handed contact with the inventive stage set. Inger’s earthy, expressive movements fit wonderfully with Stravinsky’s raw sounds.

Nederlands Dans Theater II has been nominated for the prestigious British theatre award: the Laurence Olivier Award. The awards jury has announced this. Nederlands Dans Theater II has been nominated in the category ‘Best New Dance Production’ for Johan Inger’s choreography Dream Play, that was performed in the Sadler’s Wells theatre in London in May 2003.

The Awards ceremony will be held on Sunday 22 February in the Hilton Hotel, Park Lane in London, and will be broadcasted by BBC television.

The Dutch press about Dream Play:

“Dream Play is a feast for the eyes and the Nederlands Dans Theater II dancers are, one by one, worldclass

performers”

NRC Handelsblad

“The excellent young dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater II show every inch of their talent in Johan Inger’s work”.

De Telegraaf

“Johan Inger’s Dream Play is fresh and dynamic”.

Remarks: Tickets for The Nederlands Dans Theater II China Premiere are available now!