The Big Crying

• Choreography Marco Goecke

Sleepless

• Choreography Jiří Kylián

Details of the third part, choreographed by Neo Soulier, will be announced after the show’s premiere in September.

Lasts approx. 90’ with intervals in between parts.

With its incisive stage language, Nederlands Dans Theater shapes the future of contemporary dance and returns to the Istanbul Theatre Festival after a long hiatus.

One of the world’s most distinguished contemporary dance companies, Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT) reaches an audience of 150,000 each year across an extensive touring circuit spanning from Europe to Australia, and sets its course for the Istanbul Theatre Festival in 2026. With its distinctive technique and energetic repertoire, the company is considered a key reference point in contemporary dance. Nederlands Dans Theater’s visit to Istanbul stands out as one of the most compelling highlights of the festival’s international programme.

The aesthetic identity of Nederlands Dans Theater was built on a synthesis of Benjamin Harkarvy’s classical ballet principles and Martha Graham’s modern dance language. Yet the figure who propelled the company to international prominence was Jiří Kylián, who joined the company in 1973, later becoming the artistic director and founding NDT 2 in 1978. Under Kylián’s leadership, NDT evolved into a school of choreographic thought, collaborating with groundbreaking artists such as Crystal Pite, Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, and William Forsythe. Today, NDT 2 remains the freshest and most dynamic bearer of this remarkable legacy, continuing to transform the poetic language of the past through the formal explorations of the present.

Described by The Times as ‘a dazzling fusion of elegance and sorrow’, this programme brings together three works from different generations of the NDT lineage, forming a three-part contemporary dance manifesto. Choreographies by Jiří Kylián, Marco Goecke, and Noé Soulier follow one another, each with a distinct voice.

With Kylián’s poetic dramaturgy reaching into the deepest layers of human experience, Goecke’s physically intense choreography shaped by a profound sense of mourning, and Soulier’s new work premiering in September, this evening will linger long in the minds of festival audiences.

‘The dancers of NDT 2 are not only technical masters but also bring immense emotional depth and energy to the stage.’
-The New York Times

‘One of the world’s most prestigious junior companies; a sharp discipline and modern aesthetic dominate their every move.’
-The Guardian

‘Goecke’s Big Crying is a physical manifestation of grief; trembling arms and rapid gestures tell of sorrow where words end.’
-Financial Times

‘Dark, intense, and highly personal. Big Crying has a rhythm that leaves the audience breathless.’
-NRC, Netherlands

‘Sleepless presents that fine line between reality and dream with perfect visuality, with dancers emerging from a torn void on stage.’
-Bachtrack

“Kylián’s genius is proven once again in 'Sleepless' with his choreography pushing the boundaries of space; a cold but mesmerizing atmosphere.”
-Dance Europe

Tickets go on general sale on Wednesday 22 April at 10.30. A priority booking period for Black, White and Red Tulip Card members begins on Tuesday 21 April at 10.30. For detailed information on ticketing, student tickets and the 50% discount available to audience members with disabilities, please click here. The festival programme will be announced in full in September.

PLEASE NOTE

• Food and beverage options are available.
• A complimentary cloakroom service is provided.
• Parking is available. Click here to view the car park entrance on the map.

ACCESSIBILITY

• The venue can be reached by metro (M2 line, Gayrettepe station, 600 m; M11 line, Gayrettepe station, 400 m) and by Metrobus (Gayrettepe stop, 450 m).
• There are steps at the main entrance of the venue. Audience members using wheelchairs may access Zorlu PSM via the entrance next to Remzi Bookstore on level -1 of the shopping centre.
• The auditorium is wheelchair accessible.
• Accessible parking spaces are available in the venue’s car park, and step-free access to Zorlu PSM is provided via lift.