Nederlands Dans Theater 1, Mixed Bill, Sadler's Wells

Last seen in the UK in 2014, Nederlands Dans Theater 1 has been captivating audiences with creative original dance since it was established in 1959.

The company originated when 22 artists broke free from the Nederlands Ballet, impassioned by dance and determined to give it a style of their own. Since then, NDT 1 has been a pioneering force for contemporary dance.

When NDT 1 performs at Sadler’s Wells this summer, its 28 dancers will wow us with two works by resident choreographers Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, alongside pieces by associate choreographers Crystal Pite and Marco Goecke.

Sol León and Paul Lightfoot offer glimpses of the love lives of three different couples in Shoot the Moon. Revolving walls swathed with black and white wallpaper create three separate rooms, each containing its own love story which is danced to music by Philip Glass.

Also by León and Lightfoot, Stop-Motion sees seven dancers depict a process of farewell and transformation, accompanied by melancholic music from Max Richter.

A battle for control arises in The Statement, a piece created by Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist Crystal Pite with playwright Jonathon Young – the joint creators of the Oliver Award-winning Betroffenheit.

Based on a script written by Young, The Statement involves four dancers who share a heated conversation around a conference table.

Closing the programme is Marco Goecke’s Woke up Blind, an emotion-driven offering that takes inspiration from the music of Jeff Buckley. Two female and five male dancers are drawn into an acoustic world where they embrace the unknown, throwing caution to the wind through highly complex movement.

London dance audiences saw Nederlands Dans Theater’s second company, NDT2, recently as part of Sadler’s Wells Sampled but this mixed bill is a much-anticipated return for NDT 1.

Don’t miss it!