Prior to this performance, I had very limited exposure to contemporary dance. Rather, I’d taken the well worn path down the classical ballet trail, and tossed up whether to choose contemporary or classical on this occasion. I chose contemporary.

Silent Screen was a sharp piece, with conflicting themes - a young child seeking the attention of faceless strangers, flowing water of the sea being the soundtrack to the rigid movement of the performers. There was a story line to it, yet it was not obvious. The audience was left to interpret it on their own, and had I not gone on to read the performance booklet, I may have come away from it with a completely different outcome. Watching it was an intense, rough ride, but at the end, you felt like you came away with some kind of understanding of sorts.

Sh-Boom and Shutters Shut, as said above, were lighthearted additions. The audience was thankful for these, given the intensity of Silent Screen. The choreography was similar throughout all pieces, but it was amazing how the choreographers adapted it to suit each piece.

The end being Signing Off was, as the name suggests, about saying goodbye. It was an endearing piece, but one which still stuck to that familar “rigid” type of choreography of the Nederlands Dans Theater.

A brilliant production which used the combination of human figure and lighting with limited props. It was wonderful to watch, as long as you were prepared to let your senses and mind work for it.