Jacopo Godani is an Italian dancer-choreographer who directs Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company
31-636: Nederlands Dans Theater ( NDT ; literal translation Netherlands Dance Theatre ) is a Dutch contemporary dance company . NDT is headquartered at the Amare building in The Hague . NDT also performs at other venues in the Netherlands, including Amsterdam 's Het Muziektheater and Nijmegen 's Stadsschouwburg. NDT comprises three dance companies: Nederland Dans Theater I, Nederland Dans Theater II, and Nederland Dans Theater III. Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT)
62-612: A contemporary dance piece calling attention to the issues surrounding our ever-increasing dependence on technology. Jacopo Godani Godani was born in La Spezia, Italy, where he began studying classical ballet and modern dance techniques in 1984 at the Centro studi Danza, under the direction of Loredana Rovagna. He also pursued studies in the visual arts for three years at the Fine Arts School of Carrara. In 1986, Godani
93-563: A dance technique called Taylor technique, which is now taught at modern dance schools like The Ailey School in New York City. Additionally, choreographers like William Forsythe developed techniques that deconstructed classical dance vocabulary and expanded both the technical and conceptual possibilities of contemporary dance. According to the International Encyclopedia of Dance, William Forsythe has established
124-578: A framework for his conceptual ballets which do not conform to a fixed style but instead integrate elements from various trends in contemporary art and thought. His productions utilize language, song, film, video, sculpture, and electronic sounds, as well as amplified noises generated by the dancers. His choreography incorporates academic dance terminology that imparts a classical quality to all of his works, even his most experimental pieces. William Forsythe has cited Rudolf Laban and his Space Harmony movement as an artistic influence, although his ballet technique
155-825: A leading soloist with William Forsythe 's Ballet Frankfurt and has collaborated with Forsythe on the choreographic creation of many of Ballet Frankfurt’s most representative pieces. Godani developed his career as a choreographer creating original works for international companies such as: Royal Ballet Covent Garden, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Compañía Nacional de Danza, Nederlands Dans Theater , Royal Danish Ballet , Ballet British Columbia , Le Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse, Corpo di ballo del Teatro alla Scala , Royal Ballet of Flanders , Ballet de l'Opéra national du Rhin , Finnish National Ballet , Semperoper Ballett , Sydney Dance Company , Israeli Opera Ballet & Suzanne Dellal Centre, Het Nationale Ballet, Aterballetto, Les Ballets de Monte Carlo and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Godani
186-404: A lot with guest choreographers. For example: Hans van Manen, Johan Inger, Crystal Pite , Lukáš Timulak, Cayetano Soto, Marco Goecke , Medhi Walerski, Ohad Naharin, Tero Saarinen, Wayne McGregor and William Forsythe . Nederland Dans Theater I (30 dancers) was founded in 1959. The dancers all have solo qualities and are not divided into categories. Besides works of Jiří Kylián and Lightfoot León
217-570: Is in large part determined by the observer themselves." Cunningham formed the Merce Cunningham Dance Company in 1953 and went on to create more than one hundred and fifty works for the company, many of which have been performed internationally by ballet and modern dance companies . Additionally, the emergence of Tanztheater , German for “dance theater,” pushed contemporary dance beyond traditional performance boundaries. This genre incorporated everyday movements and blurred
248-600: Is often perceived to be closely related to modern dance, ballet, and other classical concert dance styles. It is characterized by a blend of styles that often integrate elements of ballet, modern dance, and cultural or social dance forms. In terms of the focus of its technique, contemporary dance tends to combine the strong but controlled legwork of ballet with modern that stresses on torso. It also employs contract-release, floor work , fall and recovery, and improvisation characteristics of modern dance. Unpredictable changes in rhythm, speed, and direction are often used, as well. In
279-465: Is performed. By initiative of Jiří Kylián a new group was set up in 1991, especially for dancers of 40 years and older. This group became legendary in the dance world. But because there was not enough structural subsidy to keep up the activities of Nederlands Dans Theater III as a permanent part of the company, the management and Board of Nederlands Dans Theater decided in 2006 to discontinue Nederlands Dans Theater III in its current form. Plans to continue
310-542: Is significantly shaped by George Balanchine . Through the combination of these influences, William Forsythe has developed a technique of dance characterized by its fragmented nature, which further expounds the subtle differences and interconnectedness of modern, postmodern, and contemporary dance. Reflecting the situation in society at large, contemporary dance is increasingly incorporating overtly technological elements, and, in particular, robots. Robotics engineer/dancer Amy LaViers, for example, has incorporated cell phones in
341-435: Is usually a choreographer who makes the creative decisions and decides whether the piece is an abstract or a narrative one. Dancers are selected based on their skill and training. The choreography is determined based on its relation to the music or sounds that is danced to. The role of music in contemporary dance is different from in other genres because it can serve as a backdrop to the piece. The choreographer has control over
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#1732773353317372-509: The Residentie Orkest . Many of the founding NDT dancers have made their mark on Dutch ballet and dance: The first group of dancers also included: Glenn Edgerton joined HSDC after an international career as a dancer and director. He began his dancing career at The Joffrey Ballet where, mentored by Robert Joffrey, he performed leading roles in the company's contemporary and classical repertoire for 11 years. In 1989, Edgerton joined
403-469: The "linguistic turn," which treated dance as a form of text and choreography as a structured linguistic system, to the subsequent "performative turn" which critiques representational practices and introduces new themes central to contemporary choreography. These themes include liveness, immediacy, authenticity, identity, and the interplay between presence and absence. As a result, contemporary dance works have become platforms for exploring complex themes, such as
434-493: The 1980s, the approach to contemporary dance became more intentional and academically focused, often described as “interdisciplinary” and “collaborative.” This period marked a shift from spontaneous and experimental methods to choreographies grounded in intellectual concepts, such as mathematical structures and repetitive patterns. Contemporary dance sometimes incorporates elements of non-western dance cultures, such as elements from African dance including bent knees, or movements from
465-604: The Japanese contemporary dance, Butoh . Contemporary dance continues to explore natural movement while embracing diverse influences and unconventional staging. Additionally, contemporary dance also examines the concepts of choreography and dramaturgy. The distinction between composition and improvisation, as well as between finished works and ongoing processes, is collapsed in the style of contemporary dance. This dissolution between previously rigid distinctions parallels broader cultural shifts from what scholar Gabrielle Klein calls
496-573: The Nederlands Dans Theater got subsidy from the city of The Hague and from the government. In the 1960s the NDTs repertoire comprised classical dance with a strong influence by American modern dance. The NDT got unprecedented recognition and success with the guidance of different persons like Hans van Manen and Jiří Kylián as artistic directors. In the first years of the 1970s there was no clear policy because of various conflicts within
527-548: The Nijinsky Awards. The choreographers (Hans van Manen, Jiří Kylián) and the NDT I have won awards on the prestigious Edinburgh International Festival. Contemporary dance Contemporary dance is a genre of dance performance that developed during the mid-twentieth century and has since grown to become one of the dominant genres for formally trained dancers throughout the world, with particularly strong popularity in
558-527: The Order of Orange Nassau by Queen Beatrix. In the Netherlands itself, the Nederlands Dans Theater has received the VSCD award (Vereniging van Schouwburgen en ConcertgebouwDirecties) twelve times. The Zwaan awards for "most impressive dance production 2009" and for "most impressive dance performance 2009" have been handed to the Nederlands Dans Theater. In foreign countries the NDT has also won several awards, including
589-485: The U.S. and Europe. Although originally informed by and borrowing from classical , modern , and jazz styles, it has come to incorporate elements from many styles of dance. According to the New Grove Musical Dictionary, contemporary dance evolved from the foundations of modern and postmodern dance, emphasizing innovation and a break from traditional forms. Due to its technical similarities, it
620-489: The acclaimed Nederlands Dans Theater, and after dancing for five years retired from performing to become artistic director of the main company, leading NDT1 for a decade and presenting the works of Jiri Kylian, Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, Ohad Naharin, Mats Ek, Nacho Duato, Jorma Elo, Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon, among others Jiří Kylián, Paul Lightfoot and Sol León (the two of them also referred to as Lightfoot León ). The Nederlands Dans Theater collaborates
651-779: The board of the NDT. That changed when in 1975 Jirí Kylian entered the board as artistic leader. The Nederlands Dans Theater had been based in the Lucent Danstheater at the Spui in The Hague from 1987 until its demolition in October 2015. The new Amare building, located roughly at the site of the former Lucent Danstheater, was opened in September 2021 and is home to NDT, the Koninklijk Conservatorium and
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#1732773353317682-749: The costumes and their aesthetic value for the overall composition of the performance and also in regards to how they influence dancers’ movements. Post-structuralist thought has significantly influenced contemporary dance. This influence has led to a deeper exploration of the dancer’s primary medium, the body, which sparked the development and integration of innovative movement techniques. Dance techniques and movement philosophies employed in contemporary dance may include Contemporary ballet , Dance improvisation , Interpretive dance , Lyrical dance , Modern dance styles from United States such as Graham technique , Humphrey-Weidman technique and Horton technique, Modern dance of Europe Bartenieff Fundamentals and
713-730: The dance technique of Isadora Duncan (also see Free dance ). Contemporary dancers train using contemporary dance techniques as well as non-dance related practices such as Pilates , Yoga , the acting practice of Corporeal mime - Étienne Decroux technique and somatic practices such as Alexander technique , Feldenkrais Method , Sullivan Technique and Franklin-Methode , American contemporary techniques such as José Limón technique and Hawkins technique and Postmodern dance techniques such as Contact improvisation and Cunningham technique, and Release technique . Some well-known choreographers and creators of contemporary dance created schools and techniques of their own. Paul Taylor developed
744-595: The distinction between art and daily life. Tanztheater steered contemporary dance away from linear narratives toward fragmented and montage-like choreography, giving rise to a style marked by disjointed "dance pieces" rather than narrative styles. Cunningham's key ideas include- Other pioneers of contemporary dance (the offspring of modern and postmodern) include Ruth St. Denis , Doris Humphrey , Mary Wigman , Pina Bausch , Francois Delsarte , Émile Jaques-Dalcroze , Paul Taylor , Rudolph von Laban , Loie Fuller , José Limón , Marie Rambert , and Trisha Brown . There
775-471: The group and realize new projects are being investigated. Besides works of Jiří Kylián and Lightfoot León the NDT performs works choreographed by Jacopo Godani , Ohad Naharin , Mats Ek , William Forsythe , and Crystal Pite . Both NDT I and II tour in the Netherlands and abroad with various shows. The Nederlands Dans Theater, the choreographers, the dancers and the groups have won several awards. Both Hans van Manen and Jiří Kylián are crowned as Officers in
806-402: The ideas that were established by it. In 1944 Cunningham accompanied his dance with music by John Cage , who observed that Cunningham's dance "no longer relies on linear elements (...) nor does it rely on a movement towards and away from climax. As in abstract painting , it is assumed that an element (a movement, a sound , a change of light) is in and of itself expressive; what it communicates
837-405: The repertoire of Nederland Dans Theater I comprises a large number of works by choreographers such as Nacho Duato , Mats Ek , William Forsythe , Crystal Pite and Ohad Naharin . Nederlands Dans Theater II (16 dancers) was founded in 1978 for dancers between 17 and 22, original name was 'De Springplank'. Alongside ballets by Hans van Manen and Jiří Kylián, much work by young choreographic talent
868-423: The unrepresentable and intangible aspects of human existence, which are difficult to represent using traditional and classical movement forms. Contemporary dance draws on both classical ballet and modern dance, whereas postmodern dance was a direct and opposite response to modern dance. Merce Cunningham is considered to be the first choreographer to "develop an independent attitude towards modern dance" and defy
899-561: Was accepted to further his studies at Maurice Béjart 's international dance centre, Mudra in Brussels. Godani made his professional debut in 1988 performing with several Paris based contemporary dance companies. In 1990, Godani formed his own Brussels based company and began his choreographic career. His work in Brussels was produced by the theatre Atelier Saint Anne and was supported by the Plateau theatre. From 1991 to 2000, Godani has been
930-639: Was appointed as Artistic Director and Choreographer of the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company beginning with the 2015/2016 season. Godani conceives all stages of work from the initial choreography through to designing the spaces, objects, environments and stage setting where his actions take place, writes text and concepts for his dramaturgical work, styles the image of interpreters conceiving costumes, engineers and develops innovative ways of using lighting, video and projections, and creates/edits music for some of his pieces. Godani formed
961-548: Was founded in 1959 by Benjamin Harkarvy , Aart Verstegen, and Carel Birnie. together with a group of 18 members of the Dutch National Ballet (which was directed by Sonia Gaskell ). Their intention was to break away from the more traditionally oriented Dutch National Ballet (Het Nederlands Ballet). NDT focused onto new ideas and experimentation with the exploration of new forms and techniques of dance. In 1961