The Nederlands Dance Theatre’s AN EVENING WITH KYLIAN is a knockout.

Filmed at the Company’s home, the Lucent Theatre at The Hague. this is four short works showcasing the extraordinarily brilliant dancing of the company who are in top form.

The opening thrilling, gripping work ‘Chamber’, a world premiere by Medhi Walerski with music by Joby Talbot .It is inspired by, and is a reworking of, Stravinsky’s ‘Rite of Spring’.

‘Chamber’ opens with a very dapper man in a dark suit and cane (meant to be Stravinsky or Nijinsky perhaps?) who has a mumbled speech about the dancers. With starkly dramatic lighting (the dancers at times seem to dis/appear by magic) there are also the boxes that function as the wings and pivot to create open/closed doors.

This is a sparse, bleak but incredibly powerful ‘Rite of Spring’ with some choreographic elements reminiscent of the Kenneth Macmillan and Pina Bausch versions. Talbot’s score is harsh and spiky with an incessant , relentless rhythm .Walerski’s choreography is at certain points ominously robotic but this is contrasted with the sinuous, athletic pas de deux and also includes some very demanding lifts and the use of a very flexible back. The liquid, flowing solos for the Chosen Couple are amazing.

‘Sweet Dreams’ , one of the two Kylian ‘ black and white’ ballets we see in this program , could be viewed as rather strange and nightmarish , with Kylian examining the complex world of the human subconscious.

‘Sweet Dreams’ begins with a female dancer very carefully picking her way over a line of green apples. The apples represent forbidden desire, as in the ‘fall’ in the Garden of Eden. The cast comprises four couples in black corset/bodice leotards and tights or , for the men, black trousers. The lighting is sensational – the couples are mostly divided by square shafts of light that at times look like different levels /platforms on the stage . The apples are used in various sometimes ironic, sometimes comic or serious ways.

There are amazing sculptural athletic pas de deux and upside down lifts, and also the use of a ramp ( at one point a woman is upside down on the ramp and there is a rain of apples). Sometimes the choreography is insect like with almost impossible lifts. Toward the end there is an image of the dancers with their hands, like binoculars, peering at the audience.

‘Sarabande’ another Kylian ‘black and white’ work, has absolutely stunning, very detailed period dresses, suspended on wires, hanging mid-air. Bursting with energy, the six fabulous hunky men wear white tops, and in the opening, in the golden light, breathe and ripple like the sea.

A deep Graham plie is favoured and Kylian demands incredible use of a very flexible back .Tiny isolated movements such as fingers fluttering or checking the hold on an ankle are important .Tai- chi like movements are also incorporated.

Sometimes the men are suddenly explosive in their mad action and we see this is the sweat dripping from the cast. Lighting ranges from almost clear angelic white to Caravaggio- like gloom. At a couple of points the choreography was reminiscent of Graeme Murphy’s work. Amplified groans , thuds, yells, percussive slaps etc are heard as the men crawl , leap, slide , spiral turn …Towards the end the Bach violin concerto leads to sensational individual solos and a weird laugh at the end.

The final work, ‘Swan Song’ is dominated by the giant set of the double staircase that moves/splits/revolves/cracks open/snaps shut.

SWAN SONG is dedicated to former NDT dancer Stefan Zeromski who ended his performing career with this piece .There are three women in the work – one in white , one in grey ,one in red , in textured short shifts, and six men in dark suits.

Are the characters allegorical ? Are we meant to get an idea that the work has a Checkovian feel? It isn’t really clear. Sometimes the men appear to be a many headed Death, separating two lovers. There are some astonishing solos and pas de deux.

The woman in white vanishes between the split-apart sections of the staircase .The woman in red is discovered mysteriously sleeping (dead?) about half-way up the staircase and the grey clad woman makes a very dramatic appearance between the two halves of the staircase. At the end one of the men stand with his head bowed – in mourning?

Required viewing this is a glorious production, a must for all NDT devotees and/or fans of contemporary dance.

The Netherlands Dance Theatre’s production of AN EVENING WITH KYLIAN, with a running time of 2 hours and 50 minutes with two intervals, is screening this Thursday at 10am at the Dendy Opera Quays and Newtown cinemas.

© Lynne Lancaster
10th December, 2012

Tags- Sydney Movie Reviews- AN EVENING WITH KYLIAN, Nederlands Dance Theatre, Jiri Kylian, Dendy Newtown and Opera Quays, Sydney Arts Guide, Lynne Lancaster.