Sol León and Paul Lightfoot created Studio 2 to mark the 50th anniversary of the NDT in 2009. 

This creation pays tribute to the rehearsal hall where the two choreographers worked for twenty years; their repertoire currently boasts more than forty ballets. According to León and Lightfoot, the NDT’s soul is infused in the floor, walls and mirrors of the Studio 2 rehearsal hall. The music of this piece also refers to Tabula Rasa, Ohad Naharin’s first great choreography. In this respect, the ballet Studio 2 can also be considered to be an ode to this very meaningful legacy.

Source: Maison de la Danse

More information: www.ndt.nl

Sol León joined NDT 2 after graduating from the National Ballet Academy of Madrid in 1987. Two years later she joined NDT 1 and danced in masterpieces of Jiří Kylián, Hans van Manen, Mats Ek and Ohad Naharin. León continued to dance up until 2003, when she decided to fully devote herself to choreography, together with Paul Lightfoot. León became Artistic Advisor of NDT in 2012.

León and Lightfoot have been a choreographer's duo since 1989 and together they have created more than fifty pieces for the company, for which they received prestigious awards. In 2002 León and Lightfoot were appointed house choreographers for NDT.

In season 2017-2018 both new creations as well as an existing work by León & Lightfoot will be performed in the programmes "Side A: Split into One" (NDT 1), "Sum Thoughts" (NDT 2) and Savoir Faire (NDT 1).

Source : Nederlands Dans Theater 's website

More information : ndt.nl/en

Born in 1977, Fabien Plasson is a video director specialized in the field of performing arts (dance , music, etc).

During his studies at the Ecole Nationale des Beaux-Arts de Lyon (joined in 1995) Fabien discovered video art. He was trained by various video artists (Joel Bartoloméo Pascal Nottoli , Eric Duyckaerts , etc).
He first experimented with the creation of installations and cinematic objects.

From 2001 to 2011, he was in charge of Ginger & Fred video Bar’s programming at La Maison de la Danse in Lyon. He discovered the choreographic field and the importance of this medium in the dissemination, mediation and pedagogical approach to dance alongside Charles Picq, who was a brilliant video director and the director of the video department at that time.

Today, Fabien Plasson is the video director at La Maison de la Danse and in charge of the video section of Numeridanse.tv, an online international  video library, and continues his creative activities, making videos of concerts, performances and also creating video sets for live performances.

Sources: Maison de la Danse ; Fabien Plasson website

More information: fabione.fr

Artistic direction: Jiří Kylián

Creation: 1978

Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) is one of the most productive dance companies in the Netherlands, if not in the world. With six programs and nine world premieres in season 2015/2016, NDT shows an unprecedented number of new ballets. Artistic director Paul Lightfoot has deliberately chosen only a few revivals: "It's about artistic creation, not just choreography."
The company has always been ambitious and idiosyncratic. Since its founding in 1959 by Benjamin Harkarvy, Aart Verstegen and Carel Birnie in cooperation with eighteen dancers from Het Nationaal Ballet (The National Ballet), NDT has tried to pave its own way in the modern dance field. Glen Tetley and Hans van Manen prominently imprinted NDT with an avant-garde aesthetic and their nonconformist, progressive productions put the company on the national and international map.
Jiri Kylián added his own vision in the 80s and 90s, giving the company a distinct choreographic profile. Kylián was also a pioneer in focussing on talent development within the company, giving young professionals from within as well as outside the organization a chance to becomes dancers and choreographers of international repute. Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, both the house choreographers of NDT since 2002, are the primary examples of this.
Since 2011, Lightfoot also serves as the Artistic Director of the overall company whereas León has been its artistic advisor since 2012. León & Lightfoot have been working together since 1989 and earlier this season celebrated their 25th anniversary with new works and revivals of « Sad Case » and « Subject to Change » (NDT 2) and  « Sehnsucht and Schmetterling » (NDT 1).
The idea to divide the company into one that focuses on talent development (NDT 2) and one where the more mature dancers (NDT 1) can fully grow into their artistic personalities, was developed thirty years ago. Dancers of NDT 2 join NDT 1 under the condition that they meet the expectations of the artistic direction. The high requirements that must be met result not only in appreciation by the public, but also in international dance prices. Dancer and choreographer Medhi Walerski won the prestigious 2013 Swan for 'most impressive dance performance'. "With his impressive appearance and theatre sensitivity his presence never loses meaning and he holds the audience’s attention by continuously fixating them. Walerski is a master magician in time and space " according to the VSCD jury report.
The level is not only high for the dancers, but also for the (guest) choreographers. NDT is one of few production houses that offers the stage and the opportunity to many external choreographers to create work with a virtuoso dance company. It is therefore not surprising that international, award-winning Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter as well as Marco Goecke are regular guests at NDT. Their presence leads to creative cross-pollination of world class and unforgettable ballets. Masterpieces like « Bella Figura », « Symphony in D » and « Déjà Vu » are among the classics of the company. A part of the collection is even included in the archive of the Gemeentemuseum Den Haag, a unique phenomenon in the Dutch ballet world.

Source : Nederlands Dans Theater 's website

More information : ndt.nl/home.html