The Netherlands Dance Theatre, my all -time favorite company, is coming to Seattle in February....has anyone seen them lately? What have they been doing....what type of work?...I saw them at Metropolitan Opera House many years ago, and they absolutely brought down the house....! A unique and happy blend of modern and ballet..and Jiri Kylian is such a brilliant choreographer!! I want to get a huge group of friends to go-actually I'm going to try to get group rate for a large group of my students...I think it's an important part of their education to see this group.

trina, here's the link to the topic on the visit of the three NDT companies to the Edinburgh Festival. I'm afraid that 'Arcimboldo' their anniversary celebration knees-up was not well received over here.<P>Are all three companies visiting Seattle or just NDT I?<BR> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000219.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000219.html</A>

I was fortunate enough to see them perform 2 years ago, and although I couldn't tell you EXACTLY what they did, I do remember that they were the most exciting company in the performance. (oh actually, never mind, I just remembered that Pilobolus was there too, but I really enjoyed NDT)<P>Like most of the other companies they did a contemporary ballet piece and it had just the right blend of flawless technique and 'weirdness' to make the audience love it.<P>-Marc

Who will take over the NDT now that Kylian is stepping down? Also, I don't have a clear picture of what "Acrimboldo" was like --was it an "anthology"--kind of like what Merce Cunningham used to do with his "Events" pieces-where he combined excerpts from new and repertory pieces into a kind of repertory "stew"? I felt that the excoriating review and some kind of statement of how this "decadent" piece negated all the other repertory seemed a bit harsh...surely we don't need to "throw out baby with the bathwater"!! <BR>Stuart--in answer to your question--I believe only NDT I is touring here...NDT III came a couple of years ago-they were GREAT!! My favorite piece of theirs "No Sleep Till Dawn of Day" (also wins the award for GREAT title!!)which used this aboriginal chanting/mantra type of music (Australia, Fiji, something like that)and was a duet for two women....one of which was Martine van Hamel....awesome dancer and inspiring as she dances into her fities and has more pure stage presence and magnetism than most dancers have half her age!!

here is the link to my reviews of NDT1 and NDT3 earlier this year:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000200.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.criticaldance.com/ubb/Forum5/HTML/000200.html</A> <P>their website:<BR> <A HREF="http://www.euronet.nl/users/cadi/index2.html" TARGET=_blank>http://www.euronet.nl/users/cadi/index2.html</A> <P>kylian's successor was named quite some time ago - it's a woman whose name i can't recall, but i will dare to take a stab in the dark at a name like 'marian sarstadt' - and then be horribly embarrassed when it turns out to be someone quite different!

Spot on grace, a recent NDT II programme was to hand by my PC.

Trina<BR>I saw all 3 companies in 'Arcimboldo' in September.<BR>Just wanted to say that it was, for me, one of the most enjoyable evenings of dance in a long time.<BR>It was a collection of short pieces by Kylian and others, with all sorts of dance including even clowning and slap-stick.<BR>Apparently Kylian created it as a kind of 'thank you' to the NDT audience, and a celebration of the company.<BR>The superb talent and sheer exuberance of the dancers was a real joy.<BR>As it was the last night of the Edinburgh Festival the skies were full of fireworks as we left the theatre. It seemed apt.

Carlyg, are you new to our website? You may have posted before, I just missed it, if so!Anyway, welcome, if you are in fact, new!!<P>Question---this new piece "Acrimboldo"--do you think it will be enjoyable and accesible to audiences not familiar with NDT? I only ask becasue they are coming here to Seattle in Feb, 2001. And Seattle is not that familiar with them (NDT III was here about 2 years ago, but that's it). And also, this particular piece seems to be an "anthology" of older works? Yes? Do you think unfamiliar audiences can "get it"?<BR>

Good to see you here Carly. Thanks for your thoughts on 'Arcimboldo'. A dedicated fan I met in London told me that the very negative comments of all the UK critics had missed the point of this entertainment made in high spirits as a celebration of the Company.

Thanks Trina and Stuart<BR>I confess I tend to lurk more than contribute, and congratulations on your first year.<BR>Yes, Arcimboldo is extremely accessible, even to audiences unfamiliar with modern dance. I may be wrong but I think it is actually all new, or at least recent stuff.<BR>However although it's a compilation ( includes work by Paul Lightfoot, Patrick Delcroix and Johan Inger as well as Kylian ) the whole thing is bound together by the 4 members of NDT 3 between and during dances for NDT 1 or 2, so I'm sure you'll not be getting it in Seattle if its NDT 1 who are visiting.<BR>In contrast to 'Arcimboldo', the reviews of the mixed programs by NDT 1 alone in Edinburgh were glowing. <BR>Stuart - I'm sure your friend's right about the critics not understanding what this was about. Or maybe sometimes they just forget how to enjoy themselves !<BR>Here's what Kylian had to say about 'Arcimboldo':<BR>"...this performance was created for our public. It is our present, not only to the thousands of people who have shown an unbroken support of our art, but also for newcomers in order to take them on a trip of easy initiation."<BR>