NDT Summer Intensive 2017

As a dancer, Heidi Vierthaler (Germany) has worked with some of the most prominent companies and choreographers throughout Europe and the US, including The Forsythe Company and The Gothenburg Danskompani. She teaches and creates works for companies, festivals, and universities worldwide, such as Cullberg Ballet, Carte Blanche, Skånes Danstheater Compania Nacional de danza, and Modafe Festival.

“The Summer Intensive period is a wonderful opportunity for the future generation of dancers to work closely with NDT, as well as other teachers and choreographers in the field. It offers a diverse range of training that makes the dancers aware of the importance of versatility in the dance field today. For this edition, I am creating a new work in collaboration with the young participants of the course. I enjoy seeing how they make their own creative choices, based on the improvisational tasks that are given. During the creative process I collaborate with the participants in building the material. Together, we take a look at it, shape it, and then reshape it, bringing in new dynamics. As soon as I start to feel what’s effective, I encourage the dancers to bring themselves into the choreography as well. I want them to feel empowered, to make choices and share their ideas. The movement of this creation is very functional and human. I incorporated a wide range of sensations by exploring the emotional body, spatiality, physical restrictions and simply how one might relate to another individual or group.

One of the strengths of NDT Summer Intensive is that it offers the element of creation. This allows the dancers to share and explore their own ideas, take risks and to collaborate with others. Since there has been a huge shift in the making of work today, in which many choreographers ask for collaboration, I feel it is important to challenge students to create movement in different contexts, explore it, and to adapt it to different movement styles and situations.”

Nederlands Dans Theater was a starting point for former NDT 1 dancer Lukáš Timulak (Slovakia) to choreograph. Since then he has made new works for companies such as the Slovak National Theater, the Swedish Gothenburg Ballet, the Nationaltheater Mannheim, as well as NDT. Recently, Lukáš co-founded the foundation Make Move Think together with designer Peter Bilak, focusing on multidisciplinary artistic collaborations.

“As a choreographer I like to discover the full potential of each opportunity. If it is to choreograph for stage, screen or even on a paper. Curiosity is the biggest drive for me to find out which dancers I have in front of me and how we bring all the work and thoughts together into a final idea or performance. I like to think of it as a magic world and try to approach it differently each time I create, in order to keep on searching. While making this piece, I try to create a serious but fun atmosphere in the studio. Each creation process is different, but I always keep my eyes and ears open and follow my intuition.

NDT Summer Intensive is a wonderful glimpse into the company and its working environment. It is a very demanding course and the participants have to devote themselves completely in order to enjoy the full potential of the experience. Focus, but playfulness as well, is on the everyday schedule in this highly challenging journey.

For this creation, there is just a short amount of time, many decisions and choices happen in the moment. This way of working is very important and interesting to me. It results in a wonderful way to learn from and trust each other.”

After a dance career of over 10 years with NDT, Václav Kuneš (Czech Republic) decided to solely focus on choreographing. In 2007 Václav founded his own dance company 420PEOPLE, together with former NDT dancer Nataša Novotná. The company is based in Prague and tours internationally.

“I always believe in the dancers I work with – everyone is unique and everyone has his or her own idea about what they can or cannot do. During this creation process I explore those ‘can/can’t’ states of mind in them. As well as in myself; it works both ways!

These two weeks I am creating a new work. The average level of the dancers I work with is high. On the other hand, they are quite young. That’s a challenge on both accounts, I feel that’s the exciting part of this work. During the creative process I rely on the dancers’ own creativity, on their involvement. The complexity of NDT Summer Intensive – classes as well as the creative process with different choreographers – is what makes the summer in Den Haag very, very special!”

“For me, the exchange is about constantly reflecting on each other”

Jiří Pokorný (Czech Republic) started his dance training at the pre-ballet school of the State Opera when he was only eight years old and continued his studies at the Prague National Dance Conservatory. After his graduation, Jiří started his dance career with Laterna Magika in Prague, and three years later he joined NDT. He has worked with many renowned choreographers

such as Jiří Kylián, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, and Ohad Naharin. After NDT, he danced with Kidd Pivot under the direction of Crystal Pite. Since his first choreography for NDT’s Switch, Jiří has created for NDT Summer Intensive and Up & Coming Choreographers. For the regular NDT 2 programme he created A Honeydew Hunt (2015) and Humpback Runner (2016). For this year’s edition of the Summer Intensive, Jiří teaches groups A and B.