Jirí Kylián - Prague 1947

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Renowned choreographer and renowned artist on the international dance scene, Jirí Kylián is presented as one of the key pieces of dance.

Jiří Kylián began his career in dance at the age of nine, at the school of the National Ballet of Prague and in 1962 the Prague Conservatory admitted him as a student. In 1967, he leaves Prague after receiving a scholarship from the Royal Ballet School in London. Later, he leaves her to join the Stuttgart Ballet under the direction of John Cranko. Kylián made his debut there as a choreographer with Paradox for the Noverre Gesellschaft. After creating three plays for the Nederlands Dans Theater (Viewers, Stoolgame and La Cathédrale Engloutie), he became artistic director of the company in 1975. It was in 1978 with Sinfonietta that he put the Nederlands Dans Theater at the point of look international. That same year, together with Carel Birnie, he founded the Nederlands Dans Theater II, which served as a bridge between the school and the professional life of the company, as well as being an opportunity for young dancers to develop their skills and abilities and to do the times hotbed of the most incipient talent. Also, in 1991, Kylián created the Nederlands Dans Theater III, the company for senior dancers, over forty years old. This three-dimensional structure was something totally innovative in the world of dance. After this extraordinary service record, Kylian gave up the artistic direction in 1999, but continued to be part of the company as a stable choreographer until December 2009.

Jiří Kylián has created almost one hundred pieces, many of which are performed all over the world. Kylián has not only put his creations at the service of the Nederlands Dans Theater, but also for the Stuttgart Ballet, the Paris Opera Ballet, the Bavarian State Opera in Munich, Swedish television and the Tokyo Ballet and has worked with international personalities such as the composers Arne Nordheim ("Ariadne" 1997), Toru Takemitsu ("Dream Time" 1983), the set designers Walter Nobbe ("Sinfonietta" 1978), Bill Katz ("Symphony of Psalms" 1978), John Macfarlane ("Forgotten Land" 1980), Michael Simon ("Stepping Stones" 1991), Atsushi Kitagawara ("One of a Kind" 1998), Susumu Shingu ("Toss of a Dice" 2005), Yoshiki Hishinuma ("Zugvögel ' '2009).

During the summer of 2006, together with the cinematographic art director Boris Paval Conen, he created the film CAR-MEN, choreographed “in situ” in the lignite mines of the Czech Republic. In 2010, Kylián acts as Dance Mentor in the Rolex Art Initiative for Mentors and Disciples.

During the course of his career, Kylián has received numerous international recognitions, among which are: "Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau" of the Netherlands, "Honorary Doctor" of the Julliard School of New York, three Nijinski awards in Monte Carlo (best choreographer, company and work), the "Benois de la Danse" award, Moscow and Berlin, "Honorary Medal" of the President of the Czech Republic, "Commander of the Legion of Honor" of France and, in 2008, he was awarded one of the highest royal recognitions, the Medal of the Order of the House of Orange, awarded by Her Majesty Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands. In 2011, Kylián received the Lifetime Achievement Award in Prague in the category of theater and dance from the Czech Ministry of Culture and that same year his documentary 'Forgotten Memories' received the Czech Television award. In 2017, Kylián received the prestigious Gold Penning as an honorary citizen of The Hague, in the Netherlands.

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[Source https://www.danza.es/multimedia/biografias/jiri-kylian]