 Music by John Cage (Sonatas Nos. 5, 3, 11 and 16; Interludes Nos. 1 and 2) and Anton Webern (Six Bagatelles for String Quartet Op.9) Choreographed by Jiří Kylián Assistant to Mr. Kylián: Hans Knill Scenery and lighting by Michael Simon Executed by Joop Caboort Costumes by Joke Visser World Premiere: Stuttgart Ballet, 11/23/91 Original Cast: Tamako Akiyama, Catherine Batcheller, Sue Jin Kang, Marion Jager, Wolfgang Stollwitzer, Friedjof Gensel, Benito Marcelino, and Tamas Detrich ABT Premiere: Metropolitan Opera House, New York, 6/7/96 Cast: Christine Dunham, Susan Jaffe, Paloma Herrera, julie Kent, Griff Braun, Guillaume Graffin, Jose Manuel Carreno, and Wes Chapman 
The following are notes by Jiří Kylián:
During the Summer of 1980, I had the chance to
observe one of the largest tribal reunions of dancers
and musicians of the Australian Aborigines. I was
deeply impressed by the central role which dance
seemed to play in their lives. My curiosity made me
ask an old man for the reason. His clear and simple
reply: "Because my father taught me and because I
must hand my dance on to my
son."
As a matter of course this man saw his dance as an
important link in the- endless chain of evolution. And,
as such, he considered himself responsible to pass his
heritage on to preserve his
culture.
There is a line in my work which has -- since then --
been reflecting on this view of existence. Be it the
culture of the Australian Aborigine or rhythms, rituals,
objects of art casting a light on the origin of any
particular culture -- my point of interest is the same: It
is the traces old civilizations have left, traditions that
show the way from out of a living past. And, while
academic research is focused on structures of reason,
the world of intuition and subconscious currents --
imminent in dance -- has a chance to penetrate and
discover a different -- however tiny -- path leading from
each individual's origin into a common
future.
Stepping Stones stands in the line of those
choreographic studies which attempt a personal flash
vision on a subject as vast as the common heritage of
mankind. My excuse for this perhaps futile effort may
be verbalized as simple as the reasoning of the old
man. |