CriticalDance Forum

<img src="http://www.sadlerswells.com/whats_on/spring2003/images/side_ndt2.jpg" alt="" />

The wonderful NDT2 are at Sadler’s Wells this week. Most companies with a “2” after their name are studio companies tending to perform a subset of the rep of the main company. However, NDT2 is a major company in its own right with some of the best dancers to be seen anywhere and a freshness born of the age limit of 22 and its specially created rep.

For this visit they have two programmes:

Programme 1: Wed 28 & Thu 29 May at 7.30pm

“Dream Play” by Johan Inger
“Shutters Shut” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
“Subject to Change” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
27’52” by Jiri Kylián

Programme 2: Fri 30 & Sat 31 May at 7.30pm

27’52” by Jiri Kylián
“Shutters Shut” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
“Subject to Change” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
“Minus 16” by Ohad Naharin

Click here for more information about the works.

To book by telephone:
Call the Ticket Office on 020 7863 8000; Monday to Saturday, 10am - 6.30pm. There is a minicom for hearing impairments 020 7863 8015. Payment can be made by Visa, Mastercard, Amex and Switch.

Click here for details of personal and online booking.

Last night (Wednesday, May 28, 2003) saw the opening of NDT2 at Sadler’s Wells and here are some post-show impressions from the audience:

Programme:
“Dream Play” by Johan Inger
“Shutters Shut” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
“Subject to Change” by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León
27’52” by Jiri Kylián

Anthony: I thought it was absolutely incredible and I was enthralled. My favourite was the Kylian. It was an interesting, abstract work and I thought the dancers were very fluid with incredible flexibility and technique and the choreography was innovative.

Emma Carr: I had a fantastic time – amazing, innovative dance responding to the music. I particularly enjoyed Paul Lightfoot’s “Subject To Change” where the stage craft was superb.

Claudine: A great evening, very well balanced, beautifully danced, very interesting choreography – it was all there. I liked both the middle pieces [Lightfoot/Leon].

Mark: I enjoyed it very much. I’m relatively new to dance and this is only the second thing I have ever seen and I thought it was fantastic. I particularly enjoyed “Dream Play” and the energy of it. I didn’t really understand the final one [Kylian], but I still enjoyed the movement.

Noriko: I enjoyed the first one [Inger], but I didn’t like the Schubert one [2nd by Lightfoot/Leon]. The final one [Kylian] started very well and was fast-moving, but then I thought it tailed off. I though the female dancer with the dark-hair [Parveneh Scharfali] was incredible with wonderful movement.

Patricia: I had mixed feelings about the last part [Kylian]. The beginning was very vivid and active but then it became confusing - maybe that was the aim. On the whole though I really liked the evening. I like Sadler’s Wells and I think the performances in this theatre do have a value and this was one of the ones that I really enjoyed.

<small>[ 29 May 2003, 08:45 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Press release

NDT 2 2003 Tour
Not content with bringing the best in international dance to London, Sadler's Wells is presenting a UK tour of NDT2 . The tour runs from 28 May - 18 June and visits 6 venues in England and Scotland.

Tour Dates: 28 May - 18 June

For booking details visit individual theatre websites

Tue 3 & Wed 4 June

SHEFFIELD Lyceum Theatre
Norfolk Street, Sheffield S1 1DA
Tickets £9 - £17.00
Box Office: 0114 249 6000
www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk
Programme - Subject to Change (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon), Out of Breath (Johan Inger), Minus 16 (Ohad Naharin)

*************************

Fri 6 & Sat 7 June

HIGH WYCOMBE Swan Theatre
St Mary Street, High Wycombe HP11 2XE
Tickets £10 - £16.50
Box Office: 01494 512000
www.wycombeswan.co.uk
Programme: Subject to Change (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon), Out of Breath (Johan Inger), Minus 16 (Ohad Naharin)

*************************

Tue 10 & Wed 11 June

CANTERBURY Marlowe Theatre
The Friars, Canterbury CT1 2AS
Tickets £9 - £16.50
Box Office: 01227 787787
www.marlowetheatre.com
Programme: Subject to Change (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon), Out of Breath (Johan Inger), Minus 16 (Ohad Naharin)

*************************

Fri 13 & Sat 14 June

WOKING New Victoria Theatre
The Peacocks, Woking GU21 1GQ
Tickets £10 - £20
Box Office: 01483 545900
www.theambassadors.com/woking
Programme: Subject to Change (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon), Out of Breath (Johan Inger), Minus 16 (Ohad Naharin)

*************************

Tue 17 & Wed 18 June

EDINBURGH Festival Theatre
13/29 Nicolson St, Edinburgh EH8 9FT
Tickets £8 - £18.50
Box Office: 0131 529 6000
www.eft.co.uk
Programme: Subject to Change (Paul Lightfoot & Sol Leon), 27' 52" (Jiří Kylián), Out of Breath (Johan Iinger)

Seat availability for NDT2 at Sadler’s Wells as at 11.00am Thursday 29 May

Thursday - seats at all prices, but busy

Friday – very little availability

Saturday – seats at all prices, but busy

The message seems to be if you want a good seat away from the ends of the rows/at the back, then book soon ,especially for Friday.

<small>[ 29 May 2003, 04:30 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

I am not familiar with the choreographer Sol Leon. Can anyone tell me a little bit about him/her? :p

Review from The FT.

MORE

And from The Guardian.

MORE

<small>[ 30 May 2003, 03:03 AM: Message edited by: Joanne ]</small>

Well there's a surprise - the London newspaper critics hate NDT choreography. Although to be fair, Judith Mackrell is generous in some ways to the Company.

Only two reviews in, but I suspect that there will be little change from the others. In the first interval, one critic emerging from a huddle asked me whether they were all getting jaded from seeing too much dance. Possibly, but the real problem is that many of them do have narrow tastes, which make them unreliable commentators on companies like NDT, in my view.

For serious opinion on NDT, I turn to UK dance artists, choreographers and administrators, who generally rate them highly. On the night there was a very different view from the ex-dancers I talked to who write for the magazines.

It's outrageous that Clement Crisp calls NDT2 an "apprentice" company, when they are clearly a major company in their own right, not just a feeder to NDT1, as is the case with some other companies such as Cunningham and ABT. Sloppy journalism.

Regarding the throw-away comment of his companion about the dancers - What do they get up to when they're not having a good time? It's clear that the NDT2 dancers have a very good time indeed in this well-supported company creating work with fine choreographers with some of the best young dancers in the world.

In addition, it was clear from talking to audience members afterwards (see further up) that nearly everyone had a very good time indeed, as I did.

<small>[ 30 May 2003, 04:35 AM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Trina,

Check out NDT's website for info on their dancers and choreographers:

http://www.ndt.nl

Sol Leon's brief bio is at:

http://www.ndt.nl/Danser.asp?id=25&ndt=1&lang=en&romanndt=I&pid=0

--Andre

Thanks Andrew and here is some details about Paul Lightfoot and his collaboration with Sol Leon:



<small>[ 30 May 2003, 03:34 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

Netherlands Dance Theatre 2
By Allen Robertson for The Times


THE NDT2 company survives on the insatiable appetites of its dancers. Each of these young hopefuls — 17 to 22-year-olds from all over the globe — is intent on moving up from this junior group into the main NDT troupe. With that prime goal in sight (and 75 per cent of today’s NDT performers are indeed NDT2 alumni) these dancers are always willing to give their all. Audiences respond to their hunger. It’s impossible not to do so because they are not just eager, they are exceptional.

Since NDT2 was founded 20 years ago, some 130 dancers have passed through its portals. The current batch of 14 must be ranked among the very best of them.


click for more

NDT2 at Sadler’s Wells – a few quick thoughts

Overall I enjoyed the evening. This crop of dancers is exceptionally good and it will be interesting to see where they all go at the end of their period with the Company. However, I can think of at least one instance when a past NDT2 dancer looked their best at this stage. The freshness and vitality of these performers aged 17-22 is intoxicating.

The highlight for me was the central section with two works by Paul Lightfoot and Sol León. “Shutters Shut” to Gertrude Stein reading her poem “If I told him: A completed portrait of Picasso” was a 4 minute delight with arguably the highest density of staccato movement ever seen. It has everything including gestural work and tongues and the repeated movements mirror the repeats in the text. The initial solo dancer moving on the spot is joined for a unison duet that breaks into a more complex mix. A delightful work that I suspect will be around for a long time as it is accessible, funny and provides plenty of challenges for the dancers. Here and throughout the evening Parvena Scharafeli was exceptionally assured.

“Subject to Change” is the most impressive piece I have seen to date from this choreographic duo. Their sharp movement is always interesting and frequently has me thinking – I haven’t seen that before. However, in this work the structure is stronger and maintains its interest right through to the end. We see two lovers and a group of four men who open the work by unrolling a carpet for the couple and themselves from time to time to dance on. There is a sense of authoritarian control as the men shift the floor covering around and eventually end the relationship by rolling the carpet up. Apart from the inventiveness of the duet the section for the men is breath-taking with its explosive force. Another of the women dancers, Marthe Krummenacher, tackled the fiendish steps with great expression.

Johan Inger’s work does remind me of Mats Ek and it makes sense that Inger is now Artistic Director of Cullberg Ballet. “Dream Play” to part of “The Rite of Spring” is no exception with a mix of awkward and beautiful steps, the movement picking up the savagery in the music. Using this music invites comparison with some of the finest dance works of the 20th C, but really each ought to be examined on its own merits.

The new Kylian “27’ 52”” I found disappointing. It was unfortunate or more accurately poor scheduling that it followed “Subject to Change” as it also features manipulation of the floor covering and although there are differences, there was a feeling of déjà vu. There are some good duets and solos, but the structure and sense of the work eluded me and from conversations afterwards many felt the same.

I recommend seeing the Company. In most of the UK tour venues Ohad Naharin’s amusing “Minus 16” replaces Kylian’s “27’ 56””, which will make for a stronger programme in my view.

<small>[ 31 May 2003, 06:02 PM: Message edited by: Stuart Sweeney ]</small>

As a outside observer (from the US), it seems like Mr. Clement Crisp can be quite brutal in his reviews, for example; "Music defiled. Dance fatuous". From his reviews of Pacific Northwest Ballet and this most recent review of NDT II, it appears that Mr. Crisp takes as much relish skewering what's in front of him on the stage as the choreographers and dancers have in performing it. Just an opinion.

<small>[ 31 May 2003, 05:25 PM: Message edited by: trina ]</small>

Review from The Observer.

MORE

Young and sexy, but stuck in a loop
By Jenny Gilbert for The Independent

If I were a young dancer starting out on my career there's no question which company I'd be pestering to audition for. Nederlands Dans Theater is properly international, has a house-style much envied and copied around the world, and is unrivalled in its handling of fresh talent. Three-quarters of NDT's core performing group comes through NDT2, a squad of 17-to-22-year-olds ruthlessly selected for their physical ability and raw stage personality, and brought to performing maturity through professional exposure.

Do they look like apprentices? Does Queen Beatrix dance the can-can? NDT2 has been regularly thrilling British audiences with its annual provincial tours, and no, there's nothing probationary about them.

click for more

NDT2, Sadler's Wells, London
By John Percival for The Independent

Frequent tours of Britain have built a following for this junior branch of the Netherlands Dance Theatre. NDT2 comprises 16 dancers early in their careers, apparently (from the programme biographies) between late teens and mid-twenties, mostly with some previous experience. Given the fierce competition to join the main NDT company, and that some of these NDT2 aspirants can hope to make the transition, their performing standard is high.

But handsome is as handsome does, and for me what they perform does not present them fully as theatrical artists.

click for more