To most Chinese people, the Netherlands means the tulip, windmill and its orange soccer team. But for dance fans, the Netherlands is synonymous with the best contemporary dance in the world.

The Nederlands Dans Theater I will perform in Beijing at the National Center for the Performing Arts tonight.

The Nederlands Dans Theater I (NDT), the Netherlands' international figurehead of contemporary dance, will give its second show in Beijing at the National Center for the Performing Arts (NCPA) tonight. The triple-bill features a work by Jiri Kylian, NDT's soul choreographer, and two by its resident choreography partners Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon.

In May, the Nederlands Dans Theater II, the company composed of budding talents, had already impressed Beijing audiences, who have been looking forward to a must-see performance by the more experienced dancers of Nederlands Dans Theater I.

"NDT is truly European contemporary dance at its best. It pushes the boundaries of modern dance with its innovative choreography, unique sets, and athletic, technical dancers," says Zhao Ruheng, dance director of the NCPA and president of the National Ballet of China.

Zhao watched Kylian's productions at NDT in 1990 and wanted to invite them to China. But at that time, contemporary dance was still new to Chinese audiences.

"In the past 10 years, we have seen works by Maurice Bejart, Roland Petit, Pina Pausch and Lin Hwai-Min, and now we finally have Kylian, although he himself cannot come as he does not do air travel," Zhao adds, counting off some of the world's leading choreographers who have performed in Beijing in recent years.

NDT has emerged as one of the leading contemporary dance companies in the world since it was founded in 1959. That year, 18 members of the former Het Nederlands Ballet (Ballet of the Netherlands) who decided to explore new forms of dance, using new techniques, ideas and experimentation, broke away from the tradition-oriented company.

Kylian's association with the NDT began in 1973 with his first ballet Viewers for the company as guest choreographer. In 1975, he became the dance company's artistic director, a post he retained until 1999. He remained associated with the dance group as resident choreographer and has created more than 73 ballets for NDT.

In the triple-bill NDT brings to Beijing, audiences will see Kylian's 1997 work Wings of Wax. The piece shows that music, lighting, sets and costume are as important as the dance itself, in contemporary dance.

A hymn to freedom inspired by the myth of Icarus, Wings of Wax is characteristic Kylian. The other two works are both created by the couple Paul Lightfoot and Sol Leon. The England-born Lightfoot and Spanish dancer Leon both were selected to join NDT in 1987. After dancing together with great success, they began a choreographic collaboration.

(China Daily October 15, 2008)