Nederlands Dans Theater

Overview

For over 50 years the Dutch company Nederlands Dans Theater has nimbly stretched the limbs of contemporary dance, and yet its appearances in Sydney are few and far between. This week is a rare exception, with four works from the company's repertoire to be viewed at the Sydney Opera House.

While no longer the coolest kid on the barre, Jiŕí Kylián still stands as a tremendous figure in the field of contemporary dance choreography. Originally trained in ballet, Kylián took the precision and physical discipline of the form and contorted it with expressions of wit and experimentation to create his own style, demonstrated here by his two pieces Sweet Dreams and Sarabande.

Also on show are two newer works, SH-Boom and Shoot the Moon (it is staggering how many of NDT's titles begin with an S). Choreographed by NDT's current artistic director, Paul Lightfoot, and his long-term collaborator Sol Leon, these works carry on in the vein of humour found in Kylián's; however, they have morphed into their own dramas, featuring almost love scenes and half-formed rooms.