Choreography: Jirí Kylián
Music: Steve Reich Drumming / part I
Light Design: Joop Caboort
Costumes: Joke Visser
Staging: Roslyn Andersson
World premiere by Nederlands Danse Theater at the AT&T Danstheater of The Hague, November 23rd, 1989. Premiered by Compañía Nacional de Danza at Teatro Real de Madrid, May 25th,2004.
For Jiří Kylián, the fascinating aspect of Reich's composition lies in its rhythmical structure - especially in the stylistic device called phasing. It creates a floating underground where the choreography is free to develop independently. Whereas Kylián customarily considers music as the primary source for his choreographies - meaning that he sets his work to an (existing) musical structure - with Drumming he felt challenged to give unabridged priority to the dance. The result became an exciting and head-on flight of eight female dancers. Falling Angels, “a piece about our profession” as the choreographer likes to comment on it.
