Dutch National Ballet

Shadows

Wayne McGregor / Milena Sidorova / Kurt Jooss

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Photo: Marta Syrko

Dates

13-28 Sep 2022

Location

Dutch National Opera & Ballet, Main Stage

Running time

2:30 incl. 2 intermissions

Tickets

n.a.

Phenomenal ballets about war, power and hope

One of the most gripping works in the history of twentieth-century dance is without a doubt Kurt Jooss' anti-war ballet The Green Table. Because Dutch National Ballet always strives to offer a programme that is as relevant as possible, it feels like the right choice to revive this important and, unfortunately, currently so topical choreography now, in this time of war. We have, therefore, chosen to replace the original season opener Celebrate! with the programme Shadows. In addition to The Green Table, this programme features a beautiful, hopeful work by Wayne McGregor and a world premiere by Milena Sidorova to Mozart's Symphony No. 25.

Phenomenal ballets about war, power and hope

The German choreographer Kurt Jooss created the ballet The Green Table in 1932, but its choreography still moves and engages audiences to this day. Jooss’ initial inspiration for this magnum opus was the medieval Danse Macabre, but events in 1930s Germany soon transformed this work into an indictment against abuses of power – stressing the futility of war. We see the ‘big shots’ at a conference table, deciding the fate of soldiers and civilians; while – at the opposite end of the spectrum – the victims of war come together in a silent circle dance, led by a triumphant death.

Exceptionally musical

The Green Table is not the only masterpiece to feature in Shadows, Dutch National Ballet will also be presenting the Dutch premiere of Wayne McGregor's Yugen (Japanese for sublime beauty). McGregor’s source of inspiration for this monumental ballet – which met with much acclaim in London in 2018 – was Leonard Bernstein's breathtaking Chichester Psalms, an eclectic mix of Hebrew text, Christian choral music and Broadway jazz. McGregor’s reading of this piece is incredibly musical, and alternates stunning lyrical dance scenes with powerful, dynamic group dances. The famous ceramic artist Edmund de Waal designed the set for Yugen, in which light and shadow play a pivotal role.

Timeless and powerful

The third work that will feature in Shadows is Regnum, a world premiere by Ukrainian-Dutch choreographer Milena Sidorova, who has danced with Dutch National Ballet for the past seventeen years and has been the company’s Young Creative Associate since 2021. Mozart's Symphony No. 25 inspired Sidorva to create this most recent piece, performed by 22 dancers. The music is both timeless and powerful, and is central to this ballet that is all about human motives and what people will do – both within personal relationships and society as a whole – to obtain power. For this ballet, Sidorova will be collaborating with game designer Anna Dohy, who is making her debut as a set designer. François-Noël Cherpin will design the costumes for this piece.

Credits

Regnum
World premiere
Choreography Milena Sidorova
Music Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Yugen
Dutch premiere
Choreography Wayne McGregor
Music Leonard Bernstein

The Green Table
Choreography Kurt Jooss
Music F.A. Cohen

Musical accompaniment
Dutch Ballet Orchestra, conducted by Matthew Rowe, and the chorus of Cappella Amsterdam, directed by Daniel Reuss

Soloist Nationale Koren (Yugen)
Rik de Jong (boy soloist)

Piano (The Green Table)
Olga Khoziainova
Mikhail Murach

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‘This is a huge honour, but also a tremendous responsibility’

Interview with Jeanette Vondersaar about The Green Table

Read the full interview

Scene Shadows: The Green Table | Photo: Michel Schnater

Scene Shadows: Regnum | Photo: Michel Schnater

Scene Shadows: Yugen | Photo: Michel Schnater

Archive image The Green Table

Archive image The Green Table

Milena Sidorova in the studio | Photo: Altin Kaftira

'Shadows' is unforgettable muscle ball dance from the trench'

[The Green Table] Death is played icily by Giorgi Potskhishvili, and Anna Tsygankova is moving as she moves through despair and grief to resignation. But the entire cast is simply fantastic.

[Yugen] The Hebrew chants in this layered composition, a very nice one-two punch between Het Balletorkest and Cappella Amsterdam, direct the dances as if in a moving natural landscape of emotions.

15 September

'The Green Table' is compulsory reading for politicians'

The Green Table still looks strong and convincing 90 years after its premiere. Droll but subdued in the scenes with world leaders around the green table.

[Yugen] Timothy van Poucke is the central character, whose movements express a deep longing for redemption.

14 September

'War misery and humanity in successful dance triptych Shadows'

Clapping for Death. It sounds a bit wry, but the powerful way in which the young Georgian dancer Giorgi Potskhishvili (21) plays the character of Death in The Green Table (1932) deserves praise.

[Regnum] Sidorova shows herself to be especially talented in how she brings large groups of dancers onto the stage in swinging rows to Mozart's Symphony No 25, played live by The Ballet Orchestra.

15 September

[The Green Table] Anti-war ballet from 1932 forms impressive finale to a relevant evening''

''Both pianists, Olga Khoziainova and Mikhail Murach, play F. A. Cohen's original composition fabulously well.

[Regnum] Sidorova was born in Ukraine and makes the connection visible with the country under fire in her piece that deals with power.

[Yugen] Although the piece begins with tight lines, it unfolds as a captivating emotional journey with dancer Timothy van Poucke as the leading motif.

15 September

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Dutch Ballet Orchestra’s mission is ‘to inspire movement in dance’. Since its inception in 1965, the orchestra has been the proud musical partner of Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater. In every performance, the orchestra searches for inspiring synergy between music and dance, in order to give the audience a magical experience.

Dutch Ballet Orchestra

Led by principal conductor Matthew Rowe, Dutch Ballet Orchestra is the leading orchestra for dance in the Netherlands. The orchestra accompanies performances ranging from traditional ballet to modern dance, alongside and is active in music education and talent development.

Besides performances with Dutch National Ballet and Nederlands Dans Theater, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long tradition of innovative – and award-winning – family performances. For instance, Creatures (in collaboration with ISH) received the international Young Audiences Music Award, and the production Hansel and Gretel (in collaboration with Orkater) won various Musical Awards. In these productions, the musicians play from memory, without a conductor and in costumes, so that they form an integral part of the performance. In 2022, the tradition will be continued with the production Beauty and the Beast, which will premiere in Philharmonie Haarlem. And finally, Dutch Ballet Orchestra has a long-term partnership with the Dutch National Ballet Academy. They are therefore involved in the music curriculum for pupils and students, facilitate student visits to orchestra rehearsals and provide music for the academy’s end-of-year performance, where possible.

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