Stepping Stones

Photo: Dirk Buwalda
On this photo: Ensemble

Choreographer: Jiří Kylián

“In the summer of 1980 I attended a festival for dancers and musicians from various parts of North Australia. I was deeply impressed with the importance the original inhabitants of Australia attach to dance. To satisfy my curiosity, I asked an elderly man about the mysterious weight of dance on this continent. His answer was concise and clear: “That is because my father taught this dance to me, and because I have to pass it on and teach it to my son”. This man saw himself as a tiny link in the endless chain of evolution. At the same time he was conscious of his responsibility to pass on the heritage that was entrusted to him, in this way taking care of the continuity of his culture.
These are the thoughts that form the foundation of my choreographic study 'Stepping Stones', and that can perhaps be considered as a homage to the past.” – Jiří Kylián