Power Center, Ann Arbor DANS THEATER NEDERLANDS

t 8:002018 a 8:00,32hg, Marc 24, 2018 athEveninFriday vening, Marc n tfootPaul Lig ectorDirArtistic75th and 79th Performances of the 139th Annual Season27th Annual Dance Series

This weekend’s performances are supportedby Cheryl Cassidy and Level X Talent.Funded in part by the Building Audiencesfor Sustainability initiative of The WallaceFoundation.Media partnership provided by Metro Times,Michigan Radio 91.7 FM, and WDET 101.9 FM.Special thanks to Jenna Bacolor, Lily Baldwin,Tom Bray, Clare Croft, Bill De Young, JessicaFogel, Seema Jolly, Grace Lehman, LeslieRaymond, Ann Arbor Film Festival, Ann ArborPublic Schools Community Education andRecreation, and the Ann Arbor Y for theirparticipation in events surrounding thisweekend’s performances.Special thanks to Tiffany Ng, assistantprofessor of carillon and university carillonist,for coordinating Friday’s pre-concert musicon the Charles Baird Carillon.In consideration of the artists and theaudience, please refrain from the use ofelectronic devices during the performance.The photography, sound recording, orvideotaping of this performance is prohibited.

PROGRAMSol León & Paul LightfootShoot the MoonIntermissionCrystal PiteThe StatementIntermissionLeón & LightfootSingulière OdysséeThis evening’s program is approximately two hours in length including twointermissions.C O M PA N YChloé Albaret, Alexander Anderson, Jon Bond, Juliette Brunner, Lydia Bustinduy,Olivier Coëffard, Prince Credell, Spencer Dickhaus, César Faria Fernandes,Alice Godfrey, Aram Hasler, Sebastian Haynes, Chuck Jones, Madoka Kariya,Gregory Lau, Carolina Mancuso, Rena Narumi, Jorge Nozal, Marne van Opstal,Myrthe van Opstal, Christie Partelow, Sarah Reynolds, Paxton Ricketts,Yukino Takaura, Luca Tessarini, Roger Van der Poel, Jianhui Wang, Meng-Ke WuFollowing Friday evening’s performance, please feel free to remain in yourseats and join us for a post-performance Q&A with members of the company.3

SHOOT THE MOONChoreography / Sol León and Paul LightfootMusic / Philip Glass: “Movement II” from Tirol Concerto for Piano and Orchestra; Dunvagen, New York/Albersen Verhuur B.V., ‘s-Gravenhage.Lighting / Tom BevoortDecor and Costumes / Sol León and Paul LightfootWorld premiere / April 27, 2006, Lucent Danstheater, The HagueDuration / 23 minutesShoot the Moon revolves arounda higher level of expression inrelationships. It is about the one thingthat can create or change it: theemotions hidden inside. Revolvingwalls with striking black-and-whitewallpaper create three separaterooms, each containing its own lovestory. The door to the other roomalways seems to be open and throughthe window a new world beckons.Shoot the Moon earned León andLightfoot the Swan Award, the mostimportant Dutch dance prize, for“Best Dance Production” in 2005–06.4

T H E S TAT E M E N TChoreography / Crystal PiteMusic / Owen BeltonPlaywright / Jonathon YoungVocal Performance / Meg Roe, Colleen Wheeler, Andrew Wheeler,Jonathon YoungLighting / Tom VisserDecor / Jay Gower TaylorCostumes / Crystal Pite, Joke VisserWorld premiere / February 4, 2016, Zuiderstrandtheater, The HagueDuration / 19 minutes“The Statement is a wedge of realism;cold and current. We recognize boththe characters and the languageas being of our world and our time.The Statement is a one-act play,with four characters locked in theirown battle for control, and with themorality of their actions: they havebeen tasked with fueling a conflictin a distant country. Character ‘A’declares: ‘For generations they’vebeen fighting. All we did was use it.We used it as an opportunity — theattacks — for investment. For growth.We used it.’ Now, being asked to takeresponsibility for their actions in orderto exonerate their superiors, a conflictis rising within their department.”— Crystal Pite5

SINGULIÈRE ODYSSÉEfor Gérard LemaîtreChoreography / Sol León and Paul LightfootMusic / Max Richter: Exiles; Decca Music Group (Universal Music PublishingGroup). Recorded by Het Balletorkest (March 24, 2017); Conductor: MatthewRowe; Pianist: Maarten van Veen.Lighting / Tom BevoortSet Design / Sol León & Paul LightfootCostumes / Joke Visser, Hermien HollanderWorld premiere / February 2, 2017, Zuiderstrandtheater, The HagueDuration / 34 minutesSingulière Odyssée (2017) is symbolicof the choreographers’ awareness ofhow the predominance of travel, ofmoving and of living in an everlastingstate of flux, has carried throughthe DNA of our times. The piece isset in a train station based on theart deco waiting room of Basel’sCentral Station. Dancers come andgo as passersby in transit with theexception of one character wholingers in waiting and watchestravelers go by and come back, in amoment frozen in time. For this piece,the music, titled Exiles, has beenespecially composed by none otherthan Max Richter.Photo (next spread): Nederlands Dans Theater in Shoot the Moon; photographer: Rahi Rezvani.6

ARTISTSNederlands Dans Theater (NDT) has alwaysbeen ambitious and idiosyncratic. Since itsfounding in 1959 by Benjamin Harkarvy, AartVerstegen, and Carel Birnie in cooperationwith 18 dancers from Het Nationale Ballet(The National Ballet), NDT has tried topave its own way in the modern dancefield. Glen Tetley and Hans van Manenprominently imprinted NDT with an avantgarde aesthetic and their nonconformist,progressive productions put the companyon the national and international map.Jiři Kylián added his own vision in the1980s and 1990s, giving the company adistinct choreographic profile. Mr. Kyliánwas also a pioneer in focusing on talentdevelopment within the company, givingyoung professionals from within as wellas outside the organization a chance tobecome dancers and choreographers ofinternational repute. Sol León and PaulLightfoot, both the house choreographers ofNDT since 2002, are the primary examplesof this. Since 2011, Mr. Lightfoot has servedas the artistic director of the company whileMs. León has been its artistic advisor since2012. Mr. León and Ms. Lightfoot have beenworking together since 1989 and in the2018–19 season they will celebrate their30th anniversary with a Dutch programcalled Sol & Paul.The idea to divide the company into onethat focuses on talent development (NDT2) and one where more mature dancers(NDT 1) can fully grow into their artisticpersonalities was developed 30 years ago.Dancers of NDT 2 join NDT 1 under thecondition that they meet the expectationsof the artistic direction.The level is not only high for the dancers,but also for (guest) choreographers. NDT isone of few production houses that offersthe stage and the opportunity to manyexternal choreographers to create work witha virtuoso dance company. It is thereforenot surprising that international and awardwinning choreographers Crystal Pite, HofeshShechter, and Marco Goecke are regularguests at NDT. Their presence leads tocreative cross-pollination of world-class andunforgettable ballets. Masterpieces like BellaFigura, Symphony D, and Déjà Vu are amongthe classics of the company. A part of thecollection is even included in the archive ofthe Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, a uniquephenomenon in the Dutch ballet world.Sol León (NDT choreographer and artisticadvisor) of Córdoba, Spain and PaulLightfoot (NDT house choreographer andartistic director) of Kingsley, England startedcreating as a duo for NDT nearly 30 yearsago. Together they have won prestigiousawards, such as the Benois de la Danse andthe Herald Archangel. They have been NDT’shouse choreographers since 2002, and havecreated more than 50 ballets together.Ms. León joined NDT 2 after graduatingfrom the National Ballet Academy of Madridin 1987. Two years later she joined NDT 1 anddanced masterpieces of Jiří Kylián, Hansvan Manen, Mats Ek, and Ohad Naharin.She continued to dance up until 2003,when she decided to fully devote herself tochoreography. She became artistic advisorfor NDT in 2012.Mr. Lightfoot studied at the Royal BalletSchool in London. He joined NDT 2 andmoved to NDT 1 two years later, where hedanced until 2008. Mr. Lightfoot becameartistic director of NDT in 2011.7

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Crystal Pite (choreographer) ofVancouver, Canada has been associatechoreographer with NDT since 2008.Ms. Pite created Pilot X (2005), TheSecond Person (2007), Frontier (2008),Plot Point (2010), Solo Echo (2012),Parade (2013), and In the Event (2014)for NDT. Ms. Pite is also an associatedance artist at Canada’s National ArtsCentre and at Sadler’s Wells in London.In 2002 she founded Kidd Pivot,her own company in Vancouver. Ms.Pite’s ballets are performed by dancecompanies worldwide.For more information on NederlandsDans Theater, please rinstagram.com/ndtdanceUMS ARCHIVESUMS welcomes Nederlands DansTheater as the company makesits UMS debut this weekend.Nederlands Dans Theater II and IIIappeared under UMS auspices inApril 1997 in performances at thePower Center.

THIS WEEKEND’S VICTORS FOR UMS:Cheryl Cassidy—Level X Talent—The Wallace FoundationSupporters of this weekend’s performances byNederlands Dans Theater.M AY W E A L S O R E C O M M E N D . . .4/144/154/19–21Colin Stetson: SorrowApollo’s Fire: Monteverdi’s L’OrfeoCold BloodTickets available at www.ums.org.O N T H E E D U C AT I O N H O R I Z O N 3/24You Can Dance: Nederlands Dans Theater(Ann Arbor Y, 400 W. Washington Street, 1:30 pm)3/24Salon Discussion: Lily Baldwin(North Quad, Space 2435, 105 S. State Street, 1:00 pm)In collaboration with the 55th Annual Ann Arbor Film Festival4/19UMS 101, Dance: Cold Blood(Power Center Green Room, 5:30 pm)Paid registration required; please visit bit.ly/UMSClasses to register.4/19Post-Performance Q&A: Cold Blood(Power Center, 121 Fletcher Street)Must have a ticket to that evening’s performance to attend.Educational events are free and open to the public unless otherwise noted.

4/14 Colin Stetson: Sorrow 4/15 Apollo's Fire: Monteverdi's L'Orfeo 4/19-21 Cold Blood Tickets available at www.ums.org. ON THE EDUCATION HORIZON 3/24 You Can Dance: Nederlands Dans Theater (Ann Arbor Y, 400 W. Washington Street, 1:30 pm) 3/24 Salon Discussion: Lily Baldwin (North Quad, Space 2435, 105 S. State Street, 1:00 pm)