Jirí Kylián

Jirí Kylián
Name	Jiří Kylián
Birth date	21 March 1947
Birth place	Prague, Czechoslovakia
Occupation	Choreographer, Artistic Director, Teacher
Years active	1960s–present

Jiří Kylián is a Czech-born choreographer and director known for reshaping contemporary ballet and modern dance through his tenure at the Nederlands Dans Theater and wide-ranging collaborations across music, visual art, and theatre. His work integrates influences from Prague, Brussels, Paris Opera Ballet, Royal Ballet, and international companies, earning him recognition from institutions such as the Royal Swedish Opera, Vienna State Opera, Paris Opera, and the Kennedy Center. He is noted for combining classical technique with contemporary movement, theatrical staging, and innovative music partnerships.

Early life and training

Born in Prague in 1947, he trained at the Prague Conservatory and later at the Royal Ballet School in London after moving west to study with prominent teachers connected to Royal Ballet traditions. Early influences included teachers and choreographers associated with Czech ballet lineages and émigré artists who had worked with companies such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, Sadler's Wells Theatre, and the Grand Théâtre de Genève. He encountered repertory by figures like Marius Petipa, George Balanchine, and Kenneth MacMillan during formative study tours and summer workshops tied to institutions including the Royal Academy of Dance and the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing.

Career with Nederlands Dans Theater

He joined Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) and rose to become artistic director, where he developed repertory for dancers drawn from schools such as the Codarts University for the Arts, Hochschule für Musik und Tanz Köln, and the Juilliard School. Under his leadership NDT toured to venues including the Lincoln Center, Opéra Bastille, Teatro alla Scala, Bolshoi Theatre, and Sydney Opera House. His programming often juxtaposed works by choreographers like William Forsythe, Paul Taylor, Alvin Ailey, and Pina Bausch while commissioning composers associated with the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, London Symphony Orchestra, and ensembles such as Ensemble Modern.

Choreographic style and major works

His choreographic voice merges elements traceable to Isadora Duncan and Vaslav Nijinsky with contemporary sensibilities akin to Merce Cunningham and Twyla Tharp, producing signature pieces such as "Sinfonietta", "Stamping Ground", "Wings of Wax", and "Sarabande". Kylián's works frequently set to music by composers like Gustav Mahler, Igor Stravinsky, Béla Bartók, Steve Reich, Philip Glass, and Ludovico Einaudi, and staged for companies including the New York City Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Stuttgart Ballet, and the National Ballet of Canada. His movement vocabulary emphasizes fluid torso articulation, contrapuntal partnering, and theatrical light design influenced by collaborators from the Nederlands Dans Theater II, Het Muziek Theater, and festivals such as the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and Avignon Festival.

Collaborations and multimedia projects

He collaborated with composers, designers, and visual artists across Europe and North America, working with figures connected to the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Deutsche Grammophon, and art institutions such as the Tate Modern and Centre Pompidou. Notable partnerships involved set and lighting designers who had worked at the Vienna State Opera and Théâtre du Châtelet, choreographers from companies like Batsheva Dance Company and Cirque du Soleil, and filmmakers associated with Czech New Wave cinema and broadcasters such as the BBC and ARTE. Multimedia projects integrated projection technology developed at labs tied to the Netherlands Film Academy and the Delft University of Technology.

Teaching, mentorship and leadership roles

Beyond NDT he held residencies and gave master classes at institutions including the Royal Conservatoire of The Hague, Codarts, Juilliard School, The Juilliard School, Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet, Moscow State Academy, and universities such as Yale University and New York University. He mentored choreographers who later led companies like Ballet BC, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet, and the Royal Ballet of Flanders, and served on juries for competitions such as the Prix de Lausanne, Varna International Ballet Competition, and festivals including the Holland Festival.

Awards and honors

He received awards and honors from cultural bodies including the Order of the Netherlands Lion, the Laurence Olivier Award, the French Ordre des Arts et des Lettres, and prizes from institutions such as the Benois de la Danse, Golden Mask, and the Graham Foundation. He has been honored with honorary degrees from conservatories like Codarts and universities such as Queen Mary University of London and received lifetime achievement recognitions from organizations including the International Theatre Institute and the International Dance Council (CID).

Category:Choreographers Category:Czech choreographers Category:Contemporary dance