Jiří Kylián is a renowned Czech choreographer. He was born on March 21, 1947, in Prague, Czechoslovakia (now the Czech Republic). Kylián is known for his innovative and expressive dance works, which have been performed by major ballet companies around the world.
Kylián began his dance career at the Prague National Theatre Ballet School and later joined the Stuttgart Ballet in Germany. In 1975, he became the artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) in The Hague, Netherlands. Under his leadership, NDT became one of the most influential contemporary dance companies in the world.
Throughout his career, Kylián has created numerous acclaimed ballets, including “Symphony of Psalms,” “Sinfonietta,” “Petite Mort,” and “Sechs Tänze.” His works often blend elements of classical ballet with modern and experimental movement, exploring themes of human emotions, relationships, and the human condition.
Kylián’s choreography is characterized by its musicality, poetic storytelling, and innovative use of space and lighting. His works have received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Lawrence Olivier Award and the Benois de la Danse Lifetime Achievement Award.
Today, Jiří Kylián continues to create new works and collaborate with dance companies and artists around the world. His contributions to the world of dance have had a lasting impact and continue to inspire dancers and choreographers globally.
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Choreographer Jiří Kylián and director Boris Paval Conen made the film on location at coal mine int the Czech Republic, where Kylián choreographed the piece for four dancers on the spot. The Dutch composer Han Otten arranged Bizet’s original score and olso integrated additional music specially composed for the film. The trial of strength between…
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When you’re a young dancer, you like to fill rooms with your energy, which is tied to a young, capable body. But as you get older, you start to reduce to what you want to say. So when is it time to say goodbye to dance? Finding the right balance, the answer might be ‘Never!’…
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Jiří Kylián choreographed Gods and Dogs for the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), on which he exerted a decisive influence as its director of many years. In his hundredth creation for the renowned ballet company – a lugubriously mysterious chamber ballet for four couples – Kylián reflects on the boundaries between normality and madness, and calls…
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Filled with eerie images on the border of reality and dream, Jiří Kylián’s work blends oneirism and wry humour. Set to music by John Cage and Anton Webern, Stepping Stones pays tribute to the memory and heritage of dance. On stage, Egyptian cats are the guardians of tradition. Three new pieces by Kylián enter the…
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Three performances by the Nederlands Dans Theater. The choreography by Jiri Kylian is set to Stravinsky’s ‘Les noces’ and ‘Symphony of Psalms’, and Toru Takemitsu’s ‘Torso’. Among the dancers are Shane Carroll, Nils Christe and Sabine Kupferberg. Every now and again Jirí Kylián’s vivid kinetic imagination catches us by surprise. His pieces frequently manage to…
