'Dans' theater premieres tonight

What dance company would you consider to be an ideal company?

PREVIEW
	Nederlands Dans Theater Today and Tomorrow, 8 p.m. The Power Center $20, $28, $32, $36

Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) just might be your answer. Combining classical ballet technique with a style that is both contemporary and avant-garde, NDT equals absolutely amazing dance. Tonight and Friday NDT II and III make their debut in Ann Arbor at the Power Center.

NDT is actually divided into three companies. NDT II, established in 1978, is
composed of dancers ranging in age from 17 to 22; NDT III, created in 1991, consists of dancers over the age of 40; and NDT I, also known as the "Main Group," has been in existence since 1959.

The mastermind behind NDT is Artistic Director Jirí Kylián, who has been hailed as the most famous living choreographer in Europe. He refers to the companies as "three dimensions of a dancer's life." Each company has its own repertoire reflecting the specific qualities of a certain lifetime.

What makes NDT so sensational, however, is the dancers. The 14 dancers of NDT II, who eventually join NDT I, are vibrant and technically virtuosic. The mature and widely known dancers of NDT III, which includes former American Ballet Theater ballerina Martine Van Hamel; Sabine Kupferberg (Kylián's wife), a 15-year veteran of NDT I; Gary Chryst, a former principal dancer of the Joffrey Ballet; and Gérard Lemaitre, an alumnus of the original NDT I company, shows that a dancer's career just gets better after 40.

The two performances feature different programs. Both nights showcase many of Kylián's works, as well as other dances by such notable choreographers as Johan Inger, Paul Lightfoot, Ohad Naharin and the company's resident choreographer, Hans Van Manen.

In this rare joint performance of NDT II and III, experience their brilliant artistry. And let these talented dancers show you why Nederlands Dans Theater is so ideal!

04-03-97