Introdans – KYLIAN

In this special programme, Introdans pays tribute in style to the artistry of master choreographer Jirí Kylián. Through a journey through the iconic works *Kinderspelen*, *Petite Mort* and *Chapeau*, the company showcases the power, beauty and emotion of his influential dance language. In addition, a film by Kylián will be screened, shedding light on his vision of time, movement and art from various perspectives. KYLIAN is a rich and impressive evening of dance that demonstrates the enduring significance of his work in the international dance world.

With 15 works from Kylián’s extensive body of work in Introdans’ repertoire, the company puts this exceptional artist in the spotlight. Kylián’s 80th birthday in 2027 provides a wonderful opportunity for this. Kylián’s vision is not only expressed through movement; the staging – from lighting to costumes – is also an integral part of the choreography. His influential dance theatre has set the standard worldwide.

Artistic Director Roel Voorintholt: “Every spring, we put a world-class choreographer in the spotlight with a themed programme. I attach great importance to showcasing existing, high-profile works by choreographers. Dance is not a disposable art form. The success of a choreography is timeless. Kylián has been bringing colour to the world of dance for 50 years. His work is pure delight. Ever since 1978, when I was a dance student, I have followed Kylián’s work with admiration, and that remains unchanged to this day.”

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Kylián’s rich dance language is nourished by its interplay with music. Take, for example, the choreography *Petite Mort*, which features Mozart’s Piano Concertos Nos. 21 and 23. Kylián selected the tranquil passages to contrast with the dynamic interplay of the 12 dancers: six men and six women. *Petite Mort* is an epic choreography about life, love and death. On the brink of ecstasy, one’s breath catches for a moment. The French call it ‘a little death’. The wafer-thin line between strength and vulnerability, potential and power.

*Children’s Games* is a choreography from Kylián’s early years. He drew inspiration from the 16th-century painting *Children’s Games* by Pieter Brueghel the Elder. Everywhere in the painting, children are at play, from ‘leapfrog’ to hoop-rolling. Everything happens simultaneously. But who is playing the game? Do we see the child within ourselves? On the dance floor, playtime has begun. Beneath the ‘May tree’, the seriousness of play takes shape in dynamic group pieces and playful duets. Kylián: “Dutch painting has contributed greatly to my passion for my new homeland. The painting ‘Children’s Games’ by Pieter Brueghel the Elder inspired me to create the ballet *Children’s Games*, of which I am still proud. Dance differs from all other art forms because it presents our own bodies as works of art.”

Jiří Kylián’s *Chapeau* is a vibrant and festive commissioned work set to songs by Prince and Hawaiian music, created for Queen Beatrix’s twenty-fifth jubilee in 2005. With this ballet, the master choreographer ‘tips his hat’ to everything the former Queen has meant to the Netherlands and to Dutch dance. He drew inspiration from her famous, extensive hat collection, around twenty replicas of which feature in the choreography. ‘Chapeau’ is cheerful, witty and exuberant, yet with its focus on even the most minute details, it simultaneously presents a major challenge for even the finest dancers.

Time and timing, says Kylián, are what it’s all about in art and in life. A dancer’s movement exists only in the moment. Here and now. Film offers Kylián a different perspective on the passage of time. This cinematic perspective must therefore not be missing from the focus programme. Part of the KYLIAN evening is the screening of his short film *Scalamare*. Kylián: “A couple who have spent forty years together are celebrating the anniversary of their honeymoon, which began on the steps of the Monumento ai Caduti that lead down to the Adriatic Sea near Ancona. And so here they stand once more, forty years later, in the very same spot, looking back on their lives, trying to come to terms with them, whilst at the same time looking forward to a very short and uncertain future. With tears and laughter, with humour and sarcasm, they try to relive a few moments from their shared past.”