This season is a celebration of women in theatre; it shines a spotlight on all who identify as women who share their experiences, passion and creativity within the theatre industry. When Emily Molnar took up the post of artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) in August 2020, it was a key moment in the development of one of Europe’s most influential dance organisations.
Nederlands Dans Theater’s artistic director Emily Molnar tells Diane Parkes about her hopes for the company and her excitement about the tour ahead of NDT 2’s visit to our Theatre Royal.
The company has a stellar reputation for creating new work, supporting emerging artists, and developing exceptional dancers – and Emily was keen to build on that success and take the company on the next step of its journey.
Emily danced with internationally renowned companies on both sides of the Atlantic including Ballet British Columbia where she was also artistic director for 11 years and has choreographed works for companies across the world. She has a strong vision for NDT.
“I’ve always felt like dance has been the way I’ve learnt about myself and the world. When I took the position at NDT, I was at a place in my life where I wanted to continue with a larger platform to support the development of artists and extend the possibilities of dance as an artform,” she says. “NDT represents a lot of what I am attracted to – the commitment to creating new work and nurturing artists through all the stages of their careers.
NDT supports such a diverse number of contemporary artists, choreographers and designers, it felt like the natural next step for me.
It is a very exciting time for the company. We’ve just moved into a new building and after 60 years there is a very important question to consider – are we 60 years old or 60 years young?
I would say 60 years young and I think it’s very timely to consider what it means to be a large-scale arts organisation in the world today. How can we contribute now in ways we might not have been able to in the past? How can we share with and best support our international arts community?”
Part of that sharing with the international community sees NDT 2 embark on its first UK and Ireland tour in six years with a programme featuring two tour premieres alongside a firm favourite from the company’s repertoire.
The evening opens with one of the premieres The Big Crying, created by NDT associate choreographer Marco Goecke and set to songs by American singer-songwriter Tori Amos.
“The Big Crying was originally created for NDT 2,” says Emily. “It’s an exquisite and haunting work that exemplifies Marco’s inspired artistic voice that travels deep into the nervous system of the viewer. This piece was created right after his father had passed away, it is a conversation about loss and the longing for life.”
Also coming to the UK and Ireland for the first time is IMPASSE, choreographed by former Swedish Royal Ballet and NDT dancer Johan Inger with music by French-Lebanese jazz composer and trumpeter Ibrahim Maalouf.
“Johan’s work carries a very human and poetic quality,” Emily says, “IMPASSE is a wonderfully theatrical and playful piece. It hasn’t had a long life outside of The Netherlands yet because it was made just before Covid. We’re very glad to have this opportunity to share it with a larger audience.
Both of these pieces are large group works which I find delicious because the audiences can get to know the whole company and experience their unique versatility and virtuosity as performers.”
The third production is Simple Things, an iconic quartet created by Hans van Manen who has been involved with NDT since it was founded, as a dancer and choreographer before becoming artistic director in 1961.
“Simple Things is a gem. It is a beautifully crafted interplay between music and dance that attests to Hans van Manen’s contribution to contemporary ballet. It’s a piece that we’ve had in our repertoire for many years. It is a wonderful work for the development of our young dancers and always received well by audiences.”
For Emily, the programme is more than three separate works, they are all interconnected.
“What I find important is to curate a journey for audiences, one with different qualities, fantasies and expressions. It’s about experiencing a diversity of ideas and styles that show a range of approaches to contemporary dance. For audiences that have seen a lot of dance, there’s a lot to enjoy. And for those who are new to dance, it’s a very inviting and welcoming programme.”
Book now