Nederlands Dans Theatre I

Founded in 1959, when 22 rebels broke away from the Nederlands Ballet to form a new company dedicated to contemporary rather than classical dance, over the past 52 years Nederlands Dans Theatre has developed a global reputation for choreographic excellence and virtuosic performance.

On the opening night of their exclusive Australian season at the Arts Centre, that reputation was bolstered by the performance of three works, beginning with a dramatic solo choreographed by the company’s former Artistic Director, Jiří Kylián, Double You.

Created by Kylián in 1994, this was a work of muscular choreography performed by Bastien Zorzeto. To the accompaniment of a Johann Sebastian Bach harpsichord work, and as two large pendulums swung hypnotically at the rear of the State Theatre stage, the shirtless Zorzeto spun, slapped, pointed and whirled through this powerful piece; the slow roll of a shoulder here, the deliberate tremor of a leg there displaying a precise and controlled physicality.

After a short break came the spectacular The Second Person, a 2007 work choreographed by Crystal Pite which can feature as many as 24 dancers on stage. An exploration of the tensions between the individual and the collective, this exquisite work featured a voiceover by Kate Strong intoning phrases about memory and movement, as a troupe clad in suits and dark glasses performed against a backdrop of ominous storm clouds.

Precise formations and sharp movements contrasted with moments of individual, unfettered joy, while imaginative stagecraft that was by turns poignant and playful enriched the massed lines on display. One moment a group of dancers manipulated a rod puppet with careful, controlled gestures; the next, a dancer became the puppet, seemingly controlled by the linked arms and assured movements of the dancers gathered behind her.

Finally, after interval, came the 2005 work, Silent Screen, choreographed by the husband and wife team of Paul Lightfoot and Sol León and set to the music of Phillip Glass. A celebration of silent movies, the work made stunning use of footage projected on screens behind the dancers: a lonely shore, a bleak forest, a close-up image of a child’s eye which transformed into a whirlpool dragging our gaze down into hidden depths.

In lesser hands such footage might overpower or detract from the movement on stage; here, the cinematic sequences only enriched and complemented the exacting choreography. An intensely physical pas de deux by two dancers in white, and remarkable imagery – the highlight being the striking entry of a dancer from the audience, the vast train of her dress stretching across the entire stage – ensured the mind never wandered during this compelling and beautiful work.

I am used to being reduced to tears by cinema, and sometimes by theatre, but never before have I experienced an evening of dance so sublime that I was moved to tears of joy. It has been 14 years since Nederlands Dans Theatre last performed in Australia; after Wednesday night’s exemplary performance, I for one can’t wait for them to return.

Rating: Four and a half stars

Nederlands Dans Theatre I
Double You: choreographed by Jiří Kylián
The Second Person: choreographed by Crystal Pite
Silent Screen: choreographed by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
Dancers: Shannon Alvis, Celia Amade, Karyn Benquet, Lydia Bustinduy, Anna Herrmann, Carolina Mancuso, Heather Myers, Sarah Reynolds, Parvaneh Scharafali, Ema Yuasa, Brett Conway, Silas Henriksen, Fernando Hernando Magadan, Menghan Lou, Jamy Meek, Georgi Milev, Jorge Nozal, Ivan Pérez, Dominic Santia, Rupert Tookey, Roger Van der Poel, Anton Valdbauer and Bastien Zorzetto

The Arts Centre, Melbourne
July 13 – 17

This review first appeared at Arts Hub on July 16th 2011.