Bella Figura

Jiři Kylián

Jiří Kylián (b. 1947) started his dance career at the age of nine, at the School of the National Ballet in Prague. He left Prague when he received a scholarship for the Royal Ballet School in London in 1967. After this, he left to join the Stuttgart Ballett led by John Cranko, and in 1975 Kylián became artistic director of the Nederlands Dans Theater in The Hague (NL).

In 1978, he put NDT on the international map with Sinfonietta. That same year, he founded Nederlands Dans Theater 2, which was meant to function as a breeding ground for young talent. He also initiated Nederlands Dans Theater 3 in 1991, the company for older dancers from forty till ‘death’. This three dimensional structure was unique in the world of dance.

After an extraordinary record of service, with an oeuvre of almost 100 ballets, Kylián handed over the artistic leadership in 1999, and remained associated to the dance company as house choreographer until December 2009. In the last ten years, Kylián has directed three dance films, Car-Men (2006), Between Entrance & Exit (2013), Schwarzfahrer (2014) and Scalamare (2017).

Behind the Scenes

Who is Jiří Kylián?

Get to know Jiří Kylián, the man behind several audience favorites including Bella Figura, Petite Mort, and Wings of Wax.

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In the studio: Jiří Kylián's Bella Figura

Go behind the scenes of a work that's sensual yet sensitive, vulnerable and poetic. 

In the studio: Jiří Kylián's Bella Figura

Watch the dancers rehearse Bella Figura, Jiří Kylián's visually stunning masterpiece that subverts the Baroque compositions that form its backdrop. 

Video by Ernesto Galan 

Watch the dancers rehearse Bella Figura, Jiří Kylián's visually stunning masterpiece that subverts the Baroque compositions that form its backdrop. 

Video by Ernesto Galan 

In the studio: Kylián/Wings of Wax

Rehearsals are underway for Kylián/Wings of Wax…

In the studio: Kylián/Wings of Wax

From a charming Balanchine classic, to Kylián’s breathtaking Wings of Wax, to Ekman’s delightful Cacti—this program has everything you need to feel inspired this spring. Here’s a peek at our dancers rehearsing this trio of heart-racing ballets.
Video by Ernesto Galan  

From a charming Balanchine classic, to Kylián’s breathtaking Wings of Wax, to Ekman’s delightful Cacti—this program has everything you need to feel inspired this spring. Here’s a peek at our dancers rehearsing this trio of heart-racing ballets.
Video by Ernesto Galan  

On stage: Lia Cirio in Kylián’s Wings of Wax

Join Principal Dancer Lia Cirio onstage…

On stage: Lia Cirio in Kylián’s Wings of Wax

Principal Dancer Lia Cirio walks us through her breathtaking performance in Jiří Kylián’s Wings of Wax. 
Video by Ernesto Galan 

Principal Dancer Lia Cirio walks us through her breathtaking performance in Jiří Kylián’s Wings of Wax. 
Video by Ernesto Galan 

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