LAST TOUCH FIRST By J. Kylian/M. Schumacher

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LAST TOUCH FIRST
A Holland Dance Production by Jiří Kylián & Michael Schumacher

Last Touch First is: "...an intimate and moving performance, in which desperation, madness and loneliness touch the depths of the six characters. The dancers move almost an hour in super slow motion, situated in the atmosphere of 19th century, which reminds of the grotesque plays by Russian author Anton Chekhov.", says dance critic Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen, about Last Touch First in NRC Handelsblad.

Last Touch First was premiered to great public and critical acclaim in February 2008 as a Holland Dance Festival production, and since it been on a World tour.
A short clip of "Last Touch First":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJC7W9ulzb4

The beginning:

It all started with a very simple idea, initiated by the Holland Dance Festival. Dance- improviser Michael Schumacher and dancer Sabine Kupferberg were to make a duet based on improvisation systems that were developed while working together on ‘The Moment’, a piece created for Nederlands Dans Theater III in 2001. However, this idea grew into a project of respectable size, based on Jiří Kylián’s ‘Last Touch’, created for Nederlands Dans Theater I in 2003.
Together with Jiří Kylián and Sabine Kupferberg, Schumacher made an ensemble piece, ‘Last Touch First’. In this work, Kupferberg and Schumacher have performed with Cora Bos-Kroese, Paula Sanchez, David Krugel and Václav Kuneš among others; all formerly of the Nederlands Dans Theater.
Last Touch First was premiered to great public and critical acclaim in February 2008 as a Holland Dance Festival production at Korzo theater in The Hague.
‘Last Touch First’ is remarkably suited for middle- and small scaled theatres. The six dancers and the scenery create a magical and gripping atmosphere.
NRC critic Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen pronounced Last Touch First to be ‘best dance production of the year’.

Jiří Kylián
Over 30 years now, Jiří Kylián is the choreographer-in-residence at the Nederlands Dans Theater. His works are seen and highly appraised throughout the world and his choreographies are to be found on the repertoire of numerous dance companies all over the world. Kylián has a special and long-lasting relationship with the Holland Dance Festival, resulting in many unique festival projects. In 1991, the festival opened with his first piece for Nederlands Dans Theater III, and in 2005 he celebrated the 30th anniversary at Nederlands Dans Theater by opening the Holland Dance Festival with a production for Nederlands Dans Theater II.

Michael Schumacher
The versatile dance-artist Michael Schumacher is a master of improvisation. He was a dancer with the Frankfurt Ballet, Twyla Tharp Dance, the Feld Ballet and the Pretty Ugly Dance Company. He made guest appearances for Peter Sellars and in productions with artists such as Dana Caspersen, Anouk van Dijk and Sylvie Guillem. He also performs with the Magpie Music Dance Company, an Amsterdam-based collective of improvisation artists, and teaches workshops in movement analysis and improvisation techniques. In October 2008, Michael Schumacher was awarded the Dutch Golden Swan (most outstanding dance artist) as well as the prestigious Jiří Kylián Ring.

Press Quotes:
“Best dance production of the year”
© Ingrid van Frankenhuyzen, NRC Handelsblad December 29, 2007

“This work is a futile ‘magnum opus’, yet therein lies its brilliance. For the duration of one hour we saw a work encompassing both ‘everything’ and ‘nothing’, eliciting a plethora of emotions. Its courage lies in the persistent pursuit of the hopeless”.
© Michael Kroes, Ballettanz, April, 2008

“A lingering feeling of electrifying amazement at the brilliant folding of time” | “It’s that rare occurrence: a performance that really ‘grabs’ you and leaves you affected in mind and body for days... The Holland Dance Festival production ‘Last Touch First’ is such a performance; a joining of the best forces of dance” (...) “Last Touch First is a sensation in a more subdued sense of the word... The Paradox of life and death, caught in Great Questions presented on stage in less than an hour. No answers, but a salutary attempt at human insight, as every great work of art is likely to give.” | “This production, beautiful in content as well as esthetically brilliant, touches points of human pain.”
© Sander Hiskemuller, Trouw, February 15, 2008

“Une dernière danse avant l’éternité” | “Fascinant et prégnant.” | “Il met en évidence l’exceptionnelle qualité des interprètes (Sabine Kupferberg, Michael Schumacher, Cora Bos-Croese, Rei Watanabe, David Krugel et Vaclav Kunes). En plongeant avec eux dans le souvenir de ce qui existait avant le dernière touché (Last Touch First), le
public est littéralement envoûte.”
© Corinne Jacquiéry, 24 Heures edition complete, 14 april 2008

“Ein Tänzerisch -theatralische Delikatesse erster Güte präsentierte „Last Touch First“ von Jiri Kylián und Michael Schumacher.“ | “Mit jedem Atemzug wachst im Publikum die Spannung. (...) Die bezwingende Präsenz geht unter die Haut. Das Publikum ist sich einig: ein großer Abend.”
© Marianne Mühlemann, Der Bund, 17 april 2008

“Kylian/Schumacher/Kupferberg zeigen im Rahmen von STEPS ein Stück, das unter die Haut geht. Nicht nur wegen der seltsam entrückten Atmosphäre – wie in einem Gruselkabinett. Vor allem die abgründichen Beziehungsbilder entfalten eine nachhaltige Tiefenwirkung, die erschaudern lässt. ” © Lucie Machac, Berner Zeitung, 17 april 2008

www.hollandancefestival.com