DANCE

As you might expect from one of the world’s busiest dance capitals, there is always lots to see in London. In this Letter from London, I bring you just a flavour of what has been happening here in the spring and early summer of 2025.

In their hometown of Estoril, Portuguese Companhia Paulo Ribeiro presented an adaptation of Maurice Accompagné—the first part of a period-inspired trilogy of contemporary dance designed to guide audiences through the early 20th century (with following parts focusing on the 1960s and the present day).

The season finale in the Spanish capital belongs to the Madrid en Danza festival, where some of the most prominent names on the contemporary dance scene can regularly be seen.

The last premiere of the 2024/2025 season at the National Theatre Ballet was the triple bill Sarcasms, named after Hans van Manen's central duet, which in turn was named after Sergei Prokofiev's accompanying composition.

During the three-day “Reflections & Reflections – On the Future of Debate Culture” programme at the Berliner Festspiele, Emanuel Gat unveiled Freedom Sonata (2024), a work that navigates, both literally and conceptually, the fragile boundary between order and the pursuit of freedom.

We met with world-renowned choreographer and versatile artist Jiří Kylián, whom I know personally, to talk about the upcoming unique event Kylián Festival: Wings of Time, which is being prepared in Oslo, Norway (May 29–June 14). We also discussed the perception of the passage of time, life, and death.

Dance Context Journal, a direct follow-up to the print publication the Special Issue of Taneční aktuality, is currently in the process of editing its second offering.

The rising talents of Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) brought Falling into Shadow to the stage of Stadsschouwburg Utrecht—a compelling, genre-blending evening built around three distinctive choreographies.