Watch the pictures

Parade

NDT 1
Crystal Pite The Statement
Crystal Pite Parade

The performances in this programme have taken place in season 2016-2017.

Season 2016-2017 concludes with an evening solely dedicated to the work of associate choreographer Crystal Pite. NDT 1 will perform a newly developed version of Pite’s eclectic masterpiece Parade (2013).

Like many choreographers Pite realized she wanted to return to the work to explore it deeper, and to further develop and enrich its characters. The piece is an apt image of imagination, absurdity and ritual. With the rank-and-file marching bands in contrast to a disorganized parade of clowns, Pite emphasizes the tension between instinct and intellect, rational and irrational, unconsciousness and consciousness.

Watch the pictures of Parade.

Programme order

The Statement – Crystal Pite
Parade – Crystal Pite

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes, including 1 short intermission in the theatre hall

Performance dates

Season 2016-2017 | May 18 – June 15, 2017
The Hague, Eindhoven, Amsterdam, Tilburg, Utrecht, Groningen, Rotterdam

In this performance

“The Statement, created in 2016, was conceived as a companion piece to Parade, a work I created with NDT three years earlier. It has been a delight to finally weave these two works together into the performance you will see tonight.

Parade is an allegory of an escalating conflict between two cultures. It presents a politicized and volatile frontier, where borders are shifting, and people are displaced or decimated so others can gain ground. Though its theme is as timely as ever, Parade nevertheless sits at a level of remove – as if the events are from a time long ago and in a fictitious land comfortably far off. Parade is presented as an absurd circus act, with the conflict exploding between a camp of clowns and a rank-and-file marching band.

In counterpoint, The Statement is a wedge of realism; cold and current. We recognize both the characters and the language as being of our world and our time. The Statement is a one act play, with four characters locked in their own battle for control, and with the morality of their actions: they have been tasked with fueling a conf lict in a distant country. Character “A” declares: “For generations they’ve been fighting. All we did was use it. We used it as an opportunity – the attacks – for investment. For

growth. We used it.” Now, being asked to take responsibility for their actions in order to exonerate their superiors, a conflict is rising within their department.

The Statement re-frames Parade as a constructed and exploited theatre of war. It aims to un-peel the layers of artifice and stylization that make Parade so otherworldly, and to bring us closer to the content within. The work questions our own level of remove and culpability in humanitarian crises that are unfolding at a distance right now.

I would like to thank Jonathon Young for creating the text for this performance and for helping me to grapple with the work’s subject. Heartfelt thanks also go to my amazing collaborators: composer Owen Belton, set designer Jay Gower Taylor, costume designer Nancy Bryant, and lighting designer Tom Visser, for their commitment, generosity and mastery. I would also like to express my gratitude to the incredible dancers of NDT for their essential and beautiful contributions to this work, and to the organization as a whole, for supporting and facilitating this creation with such integrity, and for giving me this precious opportunity to create here in this house.”

– Crystal Pite

THE STATEMENT – CRYSTAL PITE

“The Statement is a wedge of realism; cold and current. We recognize both the characters and the language as being of our world and our time. The Statement is a one-act play, with four characters locked in their own battle for control, and with the morality of their actions: they have been tasked with fueling a conf lict in a distant country. Character “A” declares: “For generations they’ve been fighting. All we did was use it. We used it as an opportunity – the attacks – for investment. For growth. We used it.” Now, being asked to take responsibility for their actions in order to exonerate their superiors, a conflict is rising within their department.” – Crystal Pite

Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Choreography: 'The Statement' by Crystal Pite.
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“In a strong choreography, Pite demonstrates how people are driven to despair, express indignation or draw and regroup in frustration. This makes The Statement topical yet timeless.”

Theaterkrant
on The Statement
Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Choreography: 'Parade' by Crystal Pite.
PARADE – CRYSTAL PITE

The central image of Parade is a parade of clowns, and a marching band. For Crystal Pite, the parade felt like an apt image of imagination, absurdity, and ritual. The play between the disorganized clowns and the rank-and-file marching band exemplifies the tension between instinct and intellect, rational and irrational, unconscious and conscious. Parade looks inward towards the frontiers of the human mind: imagination, dreams, creativity.

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“Canadian choreographer outlines a fascinating end of the world.”

de Volkskrant
on Parade

About Crystal Pite

Photo. Michael Slobodian. Choreographer: Crystal Pite.

Canadian choreographer and performer Crystal Pite is a former company member of Ballet British Columbia and William Forsythe’s Ballett Frankfurt. In 2008 Pite joined NDT as an associate choreographer. Pite’s choreographic debut was in 1990, at Ballet British Columbia. Since then, she has created over 50 works for companies such as The Paris Opera Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, Ballett Frankfurt, The Royal Ballet, and Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Pite also holds Associate Artist positions at Canada’s National Arts Centre, and at Sadler’s Wells, London. In 2002, she formed her own company Kidd Pivot in Vancouver. Currently touring is the Kidd Pivot/Electric Company Theatre production of Betroffenheit.

The dancers on 'Parade'

Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Dancer: Jon Bond.
Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Dancer: Rena Narumi.
Photo: Joris-Jan Bos. Dancer: Juliette Brunner.
JON BOND ON THE STATEMENT

“This was my third time working with Crystal on a creation. She is the absolute epitome of a true artist and creator. Working on The Statement was somewhat similar to my past experiences but with a little twist.

NDT and Crystal’s schedules were super tight leaving us with the responsibility of learning phrases via video messages and creating numerous phrases based on tasks she sent via email. We would record and send them back and forth until she was able to arrive and start constructing the piece herself. It was a fun way to collaborate on this piece. Talk about choreographing in the 21st century!”

RENA NARUMI ON THE STATEMENT

“The Statement was my first choreography as a dancer with NDT. It is a privilege to work with Crystal Pite again after many years. From 2010 to 2011 I’ve danced with Kidd Pivot, Crystal’s own company. Creating and performing her work, together with such talented dancers is very touching.

It was interesting and a fun experience to work on a piece based on a script written by Jonathon Young. We were listening to the text, while using our bodies and movement to express the words. It was fascinating to feel the body react to the voices’ tone and intonation. Crystal created such a strong message in using certain movements to these spoken words.

I can play around with my character and every time I perform The Statement it takes me on a different journey. I am really looking forward to perform this programme. Parade and The Statement provide two different worlds but are connected at the same time. To me, it’s another journey.”

JULIETTE BRUNNER ON PARADE

“To be given the opportunity to be a part of this programme is a great privilege. Since many years I was hoping to once get the chance to work with Crystal.

Now that I experience the collaboration with her in the studio I find it incredibly inspiring to see how dedicated she is to her work and how admirable in the way she approaches us dancers. One can truly feel the excitement she has to experiment and explore in new ways, which is enriching for us and challenging at the same time.”

Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Dancer: Jianhui Wang.
Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Dancer: Jianhui Wang.
Photo: Rahi Rezvani. Dancer: Lydia Bustinduy.
JIANHUI WANG ON PARADE

“It has always been a beautiful challenge to work with Crystal Pite. When you work with her in the studio the concentration is fully turned on to yourself, because she is efficient, she is clear with her idea, there is no time to waste, therefore your concentration is higher than 200%.

I am excited to be part of Parade. There is something unique about this piece that while being physical in her style of movement, Crystal also guides the dancers to be theatrical in their individual and unique character that she creates for each and every one of us. Every time I dance her work on stage I feel intense physical exhaustion, however this is overruled by the feeling of getting a chance to deeply explore human emotion. That is something very special about her work.”

RUPERT TOOKEY ON PARADE

“For me being in the studio with Crystal is always a pleasure. She is clear, articulate and humble, making everyone feel valued and part of the journey that we are on collectively.

As a clown in Parade there is a lot of freedom to play with the character, as well as interact with your fellow ‘clowns’ and bringing to life the absurdity of the clowns versus the military style of the marjorette’s makes for a lot of fun during the process as well during the performances. It’s great to be working with Crystal again and wonderful to be bringing Parade back to life.”

LYDIA BUSTINDUY ON PARADE

“For me to be in Parade feels like entering a world of wonder from where real matters become accessible to all of us, independently of race, sex orientation and status.

Crystal Pite always gives us the tools and the wise guidance to find our own meaning in her expression and the freedom to choose when to tune to our inmost self.”

Programme booklet

Programme booklet (NDT 1 | Parade)

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