In 1978, Kylian achieved an international breakthrough with Sinfonietta, which he set to music composed by his compatriot Leos Janacek. In a very brief time, Kylian created this work for the renowned Spoleto Festival in the United States. Sinfonietta was very well received. In the same year, Kylian was appointed Artistic Director of the NDT.

He further enhanced his reputation with such works as Symphony of Psalms (1978), Forgotten Land (1981), Svadebka (1982), Stamping Ground (1983) and L'Enfant et les Sortilges (1984).

Through the years, he has moved away from lyrical works to abstract and often surrealistic ballets, as evinced in No More Play (1988), Falling Angels (1989), Sweet Dreams (1990), Sarabande (1990) and Petite Mort (1991). In October 1994, the NDT made a highly successful tour of the United States and Canada, performing all these works (with the exception of Sweet Dreams). Apart from developing choreographed works, Kylian has also built up a unique organizational structure within the NDT, adding two new dimensions to the Dutch ballet company. The world-famous NDT I has now been joined by NDT II (experimental dance performed by dancers aged between 17 and 22) and NDT III (dancers who are aged 40 and older and work on a project basis).

In April 1995, Jiř Kylian celebrated 20 years with the NDT by mounting the large-scale dance production Arcimboldo, which involved all the dancers of NDT I, II and III. On that occasion, he received one of the Netherlands' highest honors, becoming Officier in de Orde van Oranje Nassau.

In 1996, NDT I was awarded the Edinburgh Festival Critics' Award for Dance. The following year, Jiř Kylian won the Edinburgh Festival Critics' Award for NDT III's program Tears of Laughter. On November 27, 1998, he was presented with the 1997 Joost van den Vondel Award, which goes to people or organizations active in Dutch, Flemish or Low German culture and art.

Jiř Kylian's most recent works are "As If Never Been" (NDT I in 1992), "No Sleep till Dawn of Day" (NDT III in 1992), "Whereabouts Unknown" (1993), "Tiger Lily" (NDT I), "Double You" (NDT III in 1994), "Arcimboldo" (NDT I, II and III in 1995), "Bella Figura" (NDT I in 1995), "Tears of Laughter" (NDT III in 1996), "Wings of Wax" (NDT I in 1997), "A Way A Lone" (NDT III in 1998), "Indigo Rose" (NDT II in 1998), "Half Past" (NDT I in 1999).

Biographical data:
1947 - born in Prague (Czechoslovakia)
1956 - entering Ballet School of National Theatre, Prague
1962-67 Prague Conservatory
1967-68 Royal Ballet School, London
1968 - first contract/Stuttgart Ballet (John Cranko)
1970 - first choreography for Stuttgart Ballet
1973 - first choreography for Nederlands Dans Theater
1975 - co-director; from 1978 Artistic Director Nederlands Dans Theater
1978 - international recognition with "Sinfonietta"/ Spoleto Festival, Charleston S.C. (U.S.A.)
1991 - Retrospective Jiř Kylian/Holland Festival
1995 - 20 years artistic direction/35 years NDT

Important tours with Nederlands Dans Theater:
U.S.A./Canada - 1978/79/80/81/82/87/94
Prague - 1982/91/95
U.S.S.R. - 1985/97
Australia - 1986/96
Japan - 1990/93/97
Argentina/Brazil - 1995/97
Israel - 1996
South Africa - 1996/97- frequently touring France, Italy, Germany, Spain

Works: total of 66 (52 for NDT) - as of 01 September 1997

a selection:
"Return to a Strange Land" (1974/75);
"Stoolgame" (1975);
"Transfigured Night" (1975);
"Symphony in D" (1976/77/81);
"Children's Games", "Sinfonietta", "Symphony of Psalms" (all 1978);
"Forgotten Land" (1981);
"Svadebka" (1982);
"Stamping Ground" (1983);
"l'enfant et les sortileges" (1984);
"Silent Cries", "l'Histoire du soldat", "Six Dances" (all 1986);
"Kaguyahime", No more Play" (both 1988);
"Tantz-Schul", "Falling Angels" (both 1989);
"Sweet Dreams", "Sarabande" (both 1990);
"Un Ballo" (1991) for Nederlands Dans Theater 2; "Obscure Temptations" (1991/NDT 3); "Stepping Stones" 1991/Stuttgart Ballet); "As if Never Been", "No Sleep till Dawn of Day"/NDT 3 (both 1992); "Whereabouts Unknown" (1993); "Tiger Lily"/NDT 1, "Perfect Conception", "Double You"/NDT 3 (1994); "Arcimboldo"/NDT 1,2,3; "Bella Figura"/NDT 1 (1995); "Tears of Laughter"/NDT 3 (1996); "Wings of Wax"/NDT 1 (1997); "A Way A Lone"/NDT 3 (1998); "One of a Kind"/NDT 1 (1998).

Stagings: with more than 40 companies - i.e.: Stuttgarter Ballett, Royal Swedish Ballet, Royal Danish Ballet, Royal Ballet London, Finnish National Ballet, Cullberg Ballet, The Australian Ballet, National Ballet of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Joffrey Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Ballet Theatre, Wiener Staatsoper, Tokyo Ballet, Scottish Ballet, Opra de Paris, Compaa Nacional de Danza/Madrid, Ballet Gulbenkian, Bayerisches Staatsballett, Batsheva Dance Company, Rambert Dance Company, Les Grands Ballets Canadiens, Lyon Opra Ballet and others.

Awards: Carina Ari Medal; Westend Theatre Award (London); Nederlandse Choreografie Prijs; Hans Christian Andersen Ballet Award (Copenhagen); Grand Prix International Vido-Danse (Nmes); Sonia Gaskellprijs (Amsterdam); Price of the Dutch Theatre Critics; Officier de l'ordre 'Pour les arts et lettres' (Paris); Premio Internazionale Gino Tani (Roma); Premio 'Danza & Danza' (Milano) for "Petite Mort"; 'Benois de la danse' (Moscow); Award for 'Outstanding Achievement of Cultural Merits' (Japan); Premio di Teatro di Roma/City of Rome; Decoration of the Royal Dutch order of "Oranje-Nassau"; Angel Award (Edinburgh International Festival); Honorary Doctor / The Juilliard School New York; Golden Medal for Outstanding Merits (Czech Republic); Joost-van-den-Vondel Preis 1997.