A-Level Dance - Nederlands Dans Theatre, Jiri Kylian

'Let us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world' - Voltaire

'Bella Figura' - Jiri Kylian, 1995

'Sleepless' - Jiri Kylian, 2005

'Sleepless' - Jiri Kylian, 2005

As I am nearing the end of my secondary education, and exams are looming- I thought I might do a short post about one half of my A-level dance course- (please suppress your yawns!). Alongside choreographing a 2-3 minute group piece, it's natural to study a contemporary dance practitioner, a list of which are provided by the exam board. 

I am studying Czech-Dutch choreographer Jiri Kylian, whom is known for his modernist, avant-garde approach to movement exploration and use of theme. Now, not only is his work astoundingly technically challenging- but the dancers he chooses have limbs like giraffes and flexibility to rival a pipe-cleaner: daunting to say the least, when you have to perform a solo that reflects his choreographic style. 

As is standard, I have chosen two of his works to inspire my solo: 'Bella Figura' (1995), which is an exploration of the human mind and the subconscious 'performance' to which human nature conforms, and 'Sleepless' (2005), which focuses upon the state between being awake and asleep. From these, and with the help of my teachers, I have created 'Somnus'- a 3 minute solo dealing with the concept of consciousness. 

 

Here is my solo!

 I know, my technique isn't flawless, nor do I have the NDT 'beanpole' physique; but this was only a rehearsal, and I am still pretty proud of this piece.

Oh, and sorry about the poor video quality- it was filmed on my crappy phone!