Architecture of the Invisible

Clowns (2016), Hofesh Shechter's first creation for NDT, studies the complexity of being alive, of fighting for shared values, and the raw, human desire for liberation. Originally created to entertain the upper class, clowns found clever ways to express uncomfortable truths and mock society – using the stage as their defence. Just like clowns did for queens and kings in eras past, Shechter holds up a mirror to his audience, revealing the truth of life in the guise of entertainment.

With this reprise, we once again get to experience the energetic intensity of a choreography revolving around both darkness and light, as opposing but inextricably connected forces of life. Supported by Shechter's own hypnotic soundtrack, Clowns finds the perfect balance between order and chaos.

"My work is derived from a connection to what's bubbling inside, observing and feeling what goes on inside me and the world around us. The swing of the world impacts the work immensely, contaminating me and the dancers – and I want it to." - Hofesh Shechter

Photo: Rahi Rezvani

The darkness and unpredictable rhythms of human life are at the centre of Jiří Kylián's Vanishing Twin (2008). The work was inspired by the medical phenomenon of the same name, a rare and unusual condition in which one foetus takes over the womb at the expense of its twin, until it disappears completely. It is a poetic symbol for the darker side we all share, which we don't accept and would rather not reveal to others. Imagining all that could have been had the vanished twin survived, Kylián's choreography aptly illustrates temporariness, suppressed emotions and our efforts to leave a mark on the world.

"We don't know how much time is left for us, to be able to say whatever we need to say. We will never know the value of the statements which we have left on our small planet, how incredibly tiny they are whenever measured up against endlessness and infinity." – Jiří Kylián

Photo: Joris-Jan Bos

Christos Papadopoulos' new work explores our subtle, everyday social connections, revealing the beauty within the most profound connections that often go unnoticed. Drawing from the unadorned fabric of the human experience, the choreographer illustrates the simplicity of shared moments: the unspoken understanding between friends, silent nods of solidarity among strangers, and the quiet resilience threaded through collective struggles.

A new voice for NDT, the Greek-born choreographer favours a minimalist and precise language of movement. Through small gestures that belie an intense physicality, Papadopoulos has created an ode to the power of invisible forces and transports the audience to a mysterious space in which there is neither beginning nor end.

"My starting point is usually a single moment. A fleeting impression, something small and likely insignificant that, whether it even existed or whether I imagined it, remains resolutely inside of me. During rehearsal, the struggle begins: to trust in that small thing and call it significant." - Christos Papadopoulos