THE HANGOVER REPORT – The incomparable NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER unveils three intriguing and eclectic U.S. premieres

The company of Nederlands Dans Theater 1 perform Marco Goecke's "Walk the Demon" at New York City Center. Photo by Rahi Rezvani.

The company of Nederlands Dans Theater 1 perform Marco Goecke’s “Walk the Demon” at New York City Center. Photo by Rahi Rezvani.

This weekend, the internationally-revered Nederlands Dans Theater 1 concluded its weeklong run at New York City Center. Founded in 1959, the visionary and adventurous dance company has become iconic for being on the cutting edge of contemporary dance for decades now. To commemorate its 60th anniversary season, NDT successfully unveiled three intriguing and eclectic U.S. premieres to enthusiastic audiences.

First up was Gabriela Carrizo’s The missing door, a noir-soaked work that’s in equal measure dance and theater (in fact, the piece is one of the most overtly theatrical pieces I’ve seen seen from NDT). Here, Ms. Carrizo has created a sinister and surreal world that would make filmmaker David Lynch proud. The program continued with Marco Goecke’s frenetic Walk the Demon, a work of that breathtakingly reassesses musicality and intent vis-à-vis its soundtrack. Mr. Goeke jarringly juxtaposes an unfiltered, tribal point of view with established societal norms. The evening concluded with Sol León and artistic director Paul Lightfoot’s Shut Eye, which I interpreted as a physical manifestation of the dream state. Shrouded in shadow and with loose associations abound, the work exuded both the mystery and familiarity found in deep slumber.

The NDT dancers – across both NDT1 and NDT2 – remain a wonder to behold. I first encountered the incomparable company way back in 2005 during a trip to Barcelona (where they performed One of a Kind, an evening-length work choreographed by the prolific Jiří Kylián), and suffice to say, I was beguiled by the sleekness, precision, and athleticism of its dancers. Over the years, NDT has managed to maintain its incredibly high standards, and the company’s prowess and commitment was once again on full display on this recent visit. Indeed, no one moves quite like this exquisitely-trained and oft-emulated troupe. No wonder New York dance fans came in droves to be awed.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

 

NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER
Dance
New York City Center
2 hours, 30 minutes (with two intermissions)
Closed

Categories: Dance

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