NEDERLANDS DANS THEATER

The Civic - Auckland Live, Auckland

29/06/2016 - 02/07/2016

Production Details



Auckland Live presents

Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT)

Wednesday 29 June – Saturday 2 July, 7.30pm
Saturday 2 July – 2.30pm
Live at The Civic
$79.90 – $109.90

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If you see only one live performance this year…  NDT is the one to see – The New York Times

Heralded around the globe as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies and innovators, for the first time Nederlands Dans Theater (Netherlands Dance Theatre) comes to New Zealand for an exclusive Auckland season.   

Five minutes of the performance is sufficient to be certain: this company is one of the seven wonders in the world of dance – Le Figaro

Under the expert artistic guidance of house choreographer Paul Lightfoot, NDT consists of 27 phenomenal dancers from across the globe, each one excelling in their solo qualities. The dancers are renowned for their versatility, astonishing technique and virtuosic expression.
 

Learn more about NDT and the choreographers

They are the world’s most magnificent dancers: a retina-shredding spectacle of passion and power – The Sunday Herald

Experience the unparalleled brilliance of Nederlands Dans Theater from Wednesday 29 June to Saturday 2 July at The Civic. 

Nederlands Dans Theater Programme 
Safe as Houses (30 mins) by Sol Leon & Paul Lightfoot
Woke up Blind (15 mins) by Marco Goecke
The Statement (19 mins) by Crystal Pite
Stop-Motion (36 mins) by Sol Leon & Paul Lightfoot
Programme subject to change

Woke up Blind and The Statement premiered on 4 February 2016, The Hague.  The Auckland season will be the first time that these works will be performed outside of The Netherlands.

Performance dates and times

Wed 29 June 2016 7.30pm
Thurs 30 June 2016 7.30pm
Fri 1 July 2016 7.30pm
Sat 2 July 2016 2.30pm
Sat 2 July 2016 7.30pm

FREE NDT Pre-show Q&A:

Thursday 30 June, 6.30pm to 7pm
Safari Room, The Civic

The Q&A will give you the chance to understand how the talented dancers of NDT work with their choreographers and rehearsal directors.
This special occasion will give you an exclusive insight into the creative process behind NDT. During the Q&A you will meet members of NDT’s artistic team and dancers. This is the perfect interactive opportunity to learn more about the companies’ vision and repertoire.
 

Ticket Prices* 

Premium Elite $109.90

Ticket includes: An NDT souvenir programme, access to an exclusive pre-show lounge and a glass of bubbles or orange juice in the lounge on arrival.

Premium $79.90

*Service fees apply

Student Group prices are available. Please contact the Ticketmaster Groups Line on 09 970 9745 or groups@ticketmaster.co.nz



Dance , Contemporary dance , ,


2 hours

Towards Perfection

Review by James Wenley 01st Jul 2016

If Safe as Houses could be described as having the restraint and poise of a period drama, Marco Goecke’s Woke up Blind is pure film noir. Utilising the most stripped-back staging of the evening, the piece appropriately situates itself within darkness, with only a few lights looming in the distance. The defining feature of the piece is the irresistible music of Jeff Buckley, specifically You and I and The Way Young Lovers Do. Rather than merely underscoring the performance, it’s the very heart of it.  Read the review

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Dancers provide exhilarating viewing

Review by Raewyn Whyte 30th Jun 2016

The splendid dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater’s company NDT1 received a standing ovation on the opening night of their Auckland season, an acknowledgement of their stellar performance. Their New Zealand debut, this almost three-hour show presents four extraordinarily complex contemporary ballets created in the past 15 years, providing much to think about.

Audience favourites seemed to be two brand new short works which premiered in March this year at The Hague, distinctly post-classical and strongly contrasting.

Crystal Pite’s richly scripted looping drama The Statement (19 minutes) is a Machiavellian tale of two pairs of functionaries who seek to transfer accountability for some disastrous recent event. A pre-recorded script by Jonathan Young is intermixed with a rumbling soundscape by Owen Belton and paralleled by the dancers moving fluidly around, under, over and across a large boardroom table beneath a suspended zone of silence. Their intricate and wily manoeuvres provide exhilarating viewing.

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Absolutely beautiful to watch

Review by Roxanne de Bruyn 30th Jun 2016

A feeling of anticipation in the theatre before the performance starts. Three dancers stand on the stage outside the curtain, their backs to the audience. Everyone slowly falls silent, clearly expecting to see something remarkable over the next couple of hours. They aren’t disappointed.

The production opens with Safe as Houses, a work inspired by the I-Ching and the influence of changing spaces on humanity. A revolving wall creates different spaces as it slowly moves around the stage, with different dancers performing in groups, pairs and alone. A monochrome stage and sharp, strong movements give an abstract impression of different places and eras. Contrasting music echoes the change of the physical environment that the dancers find themselves in, and the movements of the group, along with melting walls and recurring characters, speak to the ability of people and patterns to survive changes and challenges.

A short break takes us to Wake Up Blind, performed to two Jeff Buckley songs and embodying the feeling of young love. The first song is slow, and dancers move through the music, with strong, often jarring movements. The second piece is faster and the dancing matches it. The movements are intricate, energetic and physically demanding, and are barely constrained, almost losing control. Bodies twitch and tremble, then morph and blend in complicated, mesmerising steps. The passionate and extremely physical piece engages the audience and they respond positively to the energy and emotion.

The next piece however, brings that energy to a climax. Modern, dynamic, and completely different to the other pieces, The Statement immediately arrests the audience’s attention. A dramatic work, performed to a script, it is engaging and engrossing, offering a cynical view of corporate life. The dancers are standing around a boardroom table, moving to a heated conversation which much of the audience can relate to. Amusing and almost comedic to start, the audio changes to a remixed version of the argument. The quick, sharp movements dissolve into a confusing dystopian mass, showing a grim reflection of a blameful society and corporate immorality. Darker than the other previous two works, there is a feeling of being trapped and unable to leave the inevitable cycle of the conflict and blame. Dramatic lighting creates vignettes on and off the table and the choreography uses the strength of the dancers to create fluid, seemingly effortless transitions. The effect is gripping, stark and somewhat disturbing.

In contrast, Stop-Motion is a beautiful, lyrical piece that feels almost like watching a dream. Supported by video transitions and with gentle echoes of the opening work, it plays with light and shadows, giving the audience a strong connection with the dancers. The dancing seems to give the music form and substance and is a sheer joy to watch. There is the sense of sharing a common vision that transcends the usual roles of performer and observer. At the end, all sense of artifice falls away, with the dancers performing on an unadorned stage, yet somehow the magic still remains.

Overall, the company performs beautifully, demonstrating their strength and technique. Despite the sheer physicality of the different performances, the dancers seem light and effortless with no visual indication of the effort some of the movements take. The simple, often androgynous costumes are modern and very understated, ensuring all attention is focused on the dancing.

The works are relatively abstract, with less form than many local productions. They seem to tug at fleeting ideas and emotions, leaving the audience uncertain about just what they’ve seen that speaks to them so powerfully. The production explores ideas of possibility and loss, yet the overall is effect is peaceful, serene, and absolutely beautiful to watch.

 

Comments

Raewyn Whyte July 1st, 2016

The credits are provided on the production page --just click on the NDT link.

Kristian Larsen June 30th, 2016

One of Europe's most well known dance companies comes to Auckland with a four piece showcase and the reviewer doesn't mention any of the choreographers by name. Oh well if you want something done....

"Safe as Houses" choreographed by Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot
"Woke Up Blind" choreographed by Marco Goecke
"The Statement"  choreographed by Crystal Pite
"Stop Motion" choreographed by Sol Leon and Paul Lightfoot

There you are, I did it for you

 

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