A good artistic director is an invisible one: Emily Molnar to NDT

Canadian Emily Molnar is the new artistic director of Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT1) from season 2020/2021. Looking at her track record, she has everything going for her: a loyal decade as artistic director of Canadian BC (British Columbia) Ballet, a solid reputation as a choreographer, acclaimed as a visionary, innovator and coach, and she has built an impressive career as a dancer with William Forsythe's former Ballett Frankfurt.

Two women at the top

Emily takes the place of Paul Lightfoot, who will devote himself more to choreography after nine years of leadership. Willemijn Maas already took over as Managing Director from ex-dancer Janine Dijkmeijer in May this year. So two women at the top. The dance world is therefore wildly enthusiastic about the appointment of Emily Molnar (45).  From Jean-Yves Esquerre, ex-NDT dancer and now director of the European School of Ballet ('best choice'), to Israeli modern choreographer Emanuel Gat ('Wonderful news').

The appointment is the result of a executive search in which candidates have applied and some have been recruited. As I have already previously reported there were at least three options: an artistic genius, a flexible manager or a radical artist with a big name and ditto ego. It became the flexible manager. 'If I'm doing my job correctly, I'm invisible - I'm asking other people to rise to their own sense of occasion... I feel that I'm studying democracy - that's what gets me up in the morning.'

So good lyrics from Molnar (according to reviewer David Jays) and a welcome addition to a company where things did get messy: 'If you approach a human being and ask them to have interest and create meaning with them, they will show up and take ownership.‘

On the verge of bankruptcy

When Emily took office as artistic director (that term sounds more jovial than the Dutch version 'Artistic Director', by the way) at BC Ballet, the company was apparently on the brink of bankruptcy. Should Molnar also be a saving grace at NDT? According to the annual reports, no:

At most, there is some fluctuation because of the plans for the new cultural complex in which NDT will have a place and the temporary playing of the Zuiderstrandtheater in Scheveningen. Furthermore, Amsterdam and abroad guarantee a 100% occupancy rate, where this is less true for The Hague. Here, however, lies Molnar's strength: in Vancouver, Emily often entered into a conversation with the community in which BC Ballet finds itself and proved that approach to be fruitful. Will it also succeed in home base The Hague?

I am curious to see whether, from a dialogue with an urban audience (ranging from Eritrean refugees to staff of international tribunals and embassies), high-profile projects can emerge with performances that sell out for days on end. Furthermore, you can bet that thanks to Molnar's excellent network, she will be able to go in all directions as a curator and perhaps work by Forsythe and Kylián will return to the stage regularly.