From land swallowed by the sea to the forgotten language of an undiscovered game. From the transience of life to a survival kit for human existence. In this first part of the special Jiří Kylián retrospective (Wed 18 and Thu 19 June), Norwegian National Ballet takes us on a journey along the roots of humanity as well as those of the choreographer.
Day after Yesterday: 1978-1991 by Jiří Kylián
Forgotten Land | No More Play | Petite Mort | Symphony of Psalms
The melancholic Forgotten Land is inspired by land slowly being taken over by water and Edvard Munch's painting The Dance of Life, which depicts a woman on the waterfront in three stages of her life. The piece symbolises the coming and going in life and relationships, brought to life in the movements of six couples to the music of Benjamin Britten's Sinfonia da Requiem. With No More Play, we are drawn into a choreographic game of body, mind, sound and light in time and space. It is a game whose rules are unknown and must be learnt along the way - a metaphor for the essence and inevitability of life.
Created on Mozart's two most popular sonatas, Petite Mort poetically describes the ecstasy of sexual intercourse. It is an experience described in several languages as the ‘little death’, the moment when we realise that our lives are only short. In tantalising and impressive duels between dancer and floret, Kylián pays tribute to the finiteness of our existence. Closing Symphony of Psalms connects the human with the divine. In a continuous swelling and retreat, the dancers accompanied by choir and orchestra are completely absorbed in Stravinsky's symphony.
Kylián Masterclasses - CHAPEAU & Bella Figura
On Saturday, June 14 and Sunday, June 15, Holland Dance Festival, Amare, and Kylián Productions B.V. are organizing two special masterclasses (11:00 AM - 12:30/1:00 PM), where you can get acquainted with the work of the world-famous choreographer Jiří Kylián. In the masterclass, you will work on a fragment from internationally acclaimed repertoire — CHAPEAU (ages 12 to 17 — free to attend, but reservation required) or Bella Figura (18+), under the guidance of a teacher who deeply understands and lives the oeuvre of the master choreographer.
14 June, CHAPEAU (ages 12 to 17) 15 June, Bella Figura (18+)
In Conversation with Jiří Kylián
On Saturday, June 21 (6:30 PM - 7:15 PM), a special and exclusive conversation will take place with choreographer Jiří Kylián, one of the most influential choreographers in the international dance world. Together with two other icons — Samuel Wuersten (director of Holland Dance Festival) and Ingrid Lorentzen (artistic director of The Norwegian National Ballet) — we will look back, forward, and deeply inward into the life and work of one of the greatest choreographers of our time.
More about In Conversation with Jiří Kylián
Photo Exhibition: Captured in The Moment
On the first floor of Amare, nine images from Jiří Kylián’s work are displayed, forming a visual journey through Kylián’s impressive artistic career. It is a tribute to Kylián’s vision and to The Hague as a center for contemporary dance.
This performance is shown thanks to Fonds Internationale Dans (FIND). Amare, Holland Dance Festival and Nederlands Dans Theater join forces in this fund with the aim of bringing high-profile international dance productions to the Netherlands and presenting them in Amare to profile The Hague as the dance city of the Netherlands.
