Vital or Lethal?

In 2014, Jiří Kylián took a radical step. He withdrew the performance rights for his works from the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) for three years. For almost a quarter of a century, from 1975 to 1999, Kylián had shaped the aesthetics of the company in The Hague as artistic director and made the NDT world famous; for another ten years, he had been associated with the company as resident choreographer. And now this. He wanted to prevent the NDT from becoming a repertory company, he explained in an interview for the Neue Zürcher Zeitung (12 January 2019) on the occasion of the four-part Kylián evening Bella Figura at the Zurich Ballet. "The shadow of Mr. Kylián should not constantly look over the shoulders of the younger generation. They should concentrate on their own ideas and creations."

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