This years Festival provided a rich and varied selection of contemporary dance from around the world. There were performances on ice, dancing grandmothers from South Korea, a dancing robot from Taiwan, young talent from Codarts, troupes from Denmark, Macedonia, Sweden, Ireland and much much more but it was the rare opportunity so see the legendary Martha Graham Dance Company from New York
The Martha Graham Dance Company, currently celebrating its ninetieth year, provided a fitting climax to this year’s excellent Holland Dance Festival.
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. August Strindberg’s Miss Julie has been performed around the world many times in its original dramatic form, on film and, inevitably, as dance. Now it comes in the shape of a brand new ballet, choreographed by the much acclaimed American Stephen Shropshire
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. Mixed Bill was a very special evening, on several counts. It brought together three of the world’s foremost choreographers and, in three of the four pieces, featured dancers who one might have imagined would long ago have hung up their pointe shoes and tights.
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. There are several dance academies in the Netherlands of international standing and, judging by last night’s show by third year students from Rotterdam’s Codarts, it is easy to see how Holland maintains its position as a world leader in contemporary dance.
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. An aperçu of the work of the company based at The Joyce Theatre in New York. The eight dancers performed with zest and precision and although there was quite a lot of outstanding solo work it was in the ensemble sequences that the company excelled. Altogether a satisfying evening.
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. Huang Yi’s partner for the evening was not a slim-thighed ballerina with pointe shoes and a tutu but a large industrial robot, the sort we have all seen making cars. After their initial getting-to-know-each-other phase of hesitant approaches, a relationship develops. The robot seemed to sniff at the heels of its human companion like a curious dog . . .
Part of the HOLLAND DANCE FESTIVAL. There is no music to start with just a female voice describing in some detail the physiology of the human brain . . . Visually, it was impressive and bode well for the evening’s entertainment.
