Also this issue:

Metal Heads
Early pioneers in the art of engraving are on display at the Art Museum.
-Susan Hagen

Artsbeat

Science Friction
Bill Bryson on exploring science without putting his audience to sleep.
-Juliet Fletcher

The Bell and the Glass
-A.D. Amorosi

Color Forms
-Janet Anderson

ArtQuicks

Bat Boy, the Musical
-Steve Cohen

Gentlemen Volunteers
-Toby Zinman

May 14-20, 2003

dance

Review: Nederlands Dans Theater II

by Janet Anderson

Anyone who saw Nederlands Dans Theater II at Annenberg last weekend is probably still reeling from the impact of that much talent slamming into the audience. Czech Jiri Kylián transformed the already well-established Nederlands Dans Theater into a three-pronged ballistic dance missile back in 1975. We saw NDT II, the young troupe, aged 17 to 22; some of them will go into NDT I, the main company -- and later, around age 40, a few may segue gracefully into NDT III. All are considered artistic equals; none could be any better than these fantastic kids.

Maestro Kylián's Indigo Rose introduced us to the dancers moving in a series of vignettes set to music that ranged from Johann Sebastian Bach to good ole country western. Nine dancers prowled, flirted and engaged in mock battles combining weird moves seamlessly. A triangle composed of thin, bright lines shared the stage, looking like laser sculpture, but when white cloth shimmered over it and created a prop, it was clear the illusion was very real indeed. Overhead a strip of video showed close-ups of the dancers mugging, laughing and posing. It was a complex and beguiling introduction to the troupe.

Englishman Paul Lightfoot's Sad Case heated things up with the appearance of five dancers wearing white outfits smeared with brown streaks, with faces and visible body parts painted white. There was nothing muddy or sad about the dancing. The dancers shivered, talked and shrugged as they whipped around to fast-paced Latin music. Artfully arranged spotlights seemed to light up in response to wolf whistles. It was wonderfully sappy and never less than terrific to watch.

Israeli choreographer Ohad Naharin's Minus 16 caused something close to dance bedlam. It began modestly enough during intermission with one dancer in a black suit and hat shuffling in front of the stage curtain, which eventually opened to show 11 other dancers, identically dressed (Orthodox Jews? Lounge lizards?) moseying around doing the same low-key boogie. Then, wham, a blasting techno rendition of Hava Nagila burst out and near-demonic folk dance erupted. We met the dancers in solos performed to their own voiceovers. Then they surged out into the auditorium, dragging hapless audience members onstage for a dance party. No one wanted to let these dancers stop. The famous Philadelphia walking ovation with the audience clapping as it disappears didn't happen. Note to Rummy: There are weapons of mass destruction in The Hague!