Jirí Kylián: Seducing the Audience

It is always a delight to speak to Mr. Kylián, a man of great intellectual finesse, possessed of a depth of knowledge that goes far beyond the requirements of his profession. He is a master craftsman driven by a continuously questioning mind that often leads him into the proverbial heart of darkness: that shadowy area where the intellect and the soul are at odds with each other. The word “innovation” doesn’t do justice to describing his art. Somehow he manages to weave his way through cultural divides and storm the gates of the holy.

Kylián the artist exists in the here and now, but his mind traverses past and present.

Last month I spoke to him about “Silk & Knife,” an imposing work commissioned by the Royal Danish Ballet premiering on October 19. The title is as evocative as the press release by Det Kongelige Teater, describing the piece as “exploring the depths of the human soul” and “bridging the realms of imagination and reality, brutality and beauty.” Elsewhere they tell us that: “as a prelude the audience is invited to wander the dark cellars of the Old Stage, to experience performance art and installations.”

This announcement merely scratches the surface of what Kylián has in ...