Nederlands Dans Theater Celebrates Jirí Kylián

The Nederlands Dance Theater, a modern dance company established in 1959 as an offshoot of the more traditional Nederlands Ballet, won international acclaim during the two-decade (1978-1999) artistic directorship of choreographer Jirí Kylián. This disc celebrates Kylián's achievement by presenting three of his works—each roughly a half-hour in length—in beautifully performed and filmed renditions that also showcase the three companies: NDT I, made up of the full complement of dancers; NDT II, a group of young performers; and NDT III, composed of dancers over the age of 40. Bella Figura (NDT I, 1995), set to a selection of baroque instrumental excerpts, offers a collage of lovely individual moments for groups and soloists. Birth-Day (NDT III, 2001), an absurdist take on a birthday celebration, features performers dressed in 18th-century garb engaging in a variety of comic actions and melancholic reveries set to a collection of Mozart pieces. And Sleepless (NDT II, 2004), also featuring a haunting Mozart work for glass harmonica reconstructed in a modernist idiom, is an abstract celebration of the human form and expressive physical movement. All three testify to Kylián's imaginative use of both space and gesture, and to the remarkable abilities of his company. Each of the segments feature interviews with the choreographer in which he articulates the conceptions behind the piece and discusses technical demands. A lovingly produced tribute that should be a must for performing arts collections, this is also recommended for general viewers with an appreciation of contemporary dance. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)