Interludes

THE HANGOVER REPORT – Paul Lightfoot and Sol León bid farewell to Nederlands Dans Theater in style with STANDBY & SHE REMEMBERS

• By drediman
• July 22, 2020
• No Comments

A segment from Paul Lightfoot’s “Standby”, which is available for streaming until August 10th on Nederlands Dans Theater’s YouTube channel.

Back in 2018, Paul Lightfoot made the decision to step down as artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater this year (Canadian Emily Molnar was chosen to take over the coveted role), as did his wife, Sol León, as the company’s artistic advisor. The timing of the decision seemed appropriate, as 2020 would coincide with the 60th anniversary season of the contemporary dance company, which is world renowned for its iconic sleek and sexy aesthetic. Who knew at the time that their planned departure would cross paths with the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. Luckily, I was able to catch NDT live in performance one last time under the couple’s guidance — quite literally in the nick of time at New York City Center this March before the world changed irrevocably (you can read my review of that memorable performance here). As one last gesture to commemorate their time with and innumerable contributions to the influential dance company – collectively, they choreographed almost 60 pieces for NDT – Mr. Lightfoot and Ms. Sol, respectively, have choreographed two final ballets. They were unveiled last week.

Of course, given the current condition of the world, the consumption of these ballets by live audiences wasn’t a practical route. As such, the couple has instead filmed these works and released them on NDT’s YouTube channel (they’re available for streaming until August 10th). As with all things that NDT endeavors, these films are stylish and impeccably well-produced (kudos especially to the design team’s brilliant lighting of the ballets). Like the superb Pina Bausch film Pina, these dances exist triumphantly within the world of cinema without being minimized. If anything, the camera’s active gaze makes these ballets even sexier. And as far as the quality of the dancing, the films are a telling document of these rigorously-trained dancers’ oft-emulated but decidedly unmatched technique and discipline. The gorgeous company – costumed simply in both works in some variation of black and/or white – remains as astonishing as when I first saw them fifteen years ago during a vacation in Barcelona (they danced Jiří Kylián’s striking evening-length One of a Kind, a performance which I still vividly recall).

Certainly the flashier and more dance-focused of the two works is Mr. Lightfoot’s timely Standby (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED), which is described as “a ballet inspired by the limitations and possibilities of social distancing”.  Filmed in what appears to be a huge warehouse, the work is divided into 18 movements and primarily features a progression of solos and duets (as befits the work’s theming). Indeed, over the course of 40 exciting minutes of silken choreography, many of the NDT’s distinctive dancers were given ample opportunities to take and shine in the spotlight. The hodgepodge score takes its inspiration from various eras of classical music, an effective homage to the the company’s extraordinary ability to combine rock solid classical technique with a boldly modern flair. Mr. Lightfoot has playfully built in numerous trick endings, perhaps commenting on his departure process. Standby eventually culminates in grand fashion with the entire company dancing in thrilling unison, albeit with each dancer appropriately positioned at least six feet from their fellow company members.

If Standby is the more joyful and broadly entertaining coda to the couple’s fruitful time at NDT, Ms. León’s goodbye present She Remembers (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) is the more elegiac and purposefully focused of the two works. In the introduction to the intrinsically cinematic ballet, she singles out a few company members – Jorge Nozal, Marne van Opstal, Roger Van der Poel, Meng-Ke Wu, Sebastian Haynes, and of course, Mr. Lightfoot. The aforementioned talents all appear in the piece, either in performance or via archival footage. The piece takes its name from a musical composition written by Max Richter for the sublime HBO series The Leftovers, a haunting track that’s prominently featured in the somber 20-minute piece. Compared to Standby, She Remembers relies more overtly on cinematic techniques, emphasizing facial expressions in close-up, as well as artful cuts and collages. As such, it’s a refreshing departure from the pure dance exuberance of Mr. Lightfoot’s spectacle and is perhaps a hint of what’s to come in the next chapter of Ms. León’s artistic life.