photographer: ERWIN OLAF
Choreographing is dreaming with my eyes open...
choreographer and young creative associate at dutch national ballet (2021-2024)
"The place where I feel most home, is the place where I can share and create with others, where art unites people and allows us to be different, a place where our uniqueness is embraced. What I love about dance, is that it can speak the unspoken. To choreograph for me is like dreaming with my eyes open."
IN SHORT:
Wubkje Kuindersma is a choreographer based in The Netherlands
Young Creative Associate at Dutch National Ballet from January 2021 till August 2024
She is known for her poetic and emotionally rich works. She has a background with ballet and contemporary dance, which allows her to create pieces that are both technically demanding and deeply expressive.
Human connection is an important recurrent theme in her work.
Her choreographic style merges contemporary dance with ballet and personal movement vocabulary.
Music plays a vital role in her choreographies.
She loves to get creative with other art forms, such as visual art, theater, fashion, film, live music, composers, literature, photography, animation, virtual reality, opera, science a.o .
She honours the talent and role of the dancers by fully engaging them into her work.
Dancemagazine USA included her in their “Top 25 to watch list for 2019” an annual list of the dancers, choreographers and companies that are on the verge of skyrocketing and dancemagazine believes represent the future of our field.
Her duet Two and Only for Dutch National Ballet has been internationally acclaimed and performed worldwide. Marijn Rademaker got nominated for the Prix de Benois 2018 for his role in this duet. He performed it together with Timothy van Poucke on the Benois Gala at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in June 2018.
Her full length 2 Act ballet "Echoes of Van Gogh" (2023) for West Australian Ballet and West Australian Symphony Orchestra was received with enthusiasm by audience and press and was nominated for 4 West Australian Performing Arts Awards.
In 2024 Wubkje is nominated for the Fast Forward Fellowship of Fonds Podiumkunsten in The Netherlands. A program which supports artists to develop their art in international context.
In August 2024 she visited and followed interim artistic director David McAllister at West Australian Ballet, learning all about artistic leadership.
Her first work in Africa "whispers from within" at Cape Ballet Africa - warmly welcomed by audience and press
part of the evening Breathwords
25th march 2025 Art Scape Theatre Capetown.
She choreographed for Dutch National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet Junior Company, Korzo & NDT, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Cape Ballet Africa, Ballet Dortmund, West Australian Ballet, BalletX, Danish Dance Theatre, Skanes Dansteater, Ballet Kiel, BalletX, Noverre - Stuttgart Ballet, National Youth Ballet of John Neumeier, Ballet Coburg, Hessisches Staatsballet, Dutch National Ballet Academy, Beijing Dance Academy, Emergence, Codarts, Arts Umbrella, Philharmonie Luxembourg, a.o
upcoming new works:
Dutch National Ballet - Dansersfondsgala
Wurzburg Ballett
ZhdK - Zurich University of the Arts
Cape Ballet Africa
a.o
contact: [email protected]
videos: vimeo.com/wubkje
MORE:
Wubkje received her Bachelor of Arts at Rotterdam Dance Academy/ Codarts University of Arts , and danced with Nürnberg Ballet, Djazzex, Gulbenkian Ballet, McGregor's Random Dance, Danish Dance Theatre, and in many freelance productions.
She is educated and trained in ballet technique, Graham, Cunningham, Limon, Horton, modern jazz, improvisation composition, ao
Kuindersma won during her education a scholarship in the national ballet competition of Dansersfonds in 1997.
She received as student a nomination for The Philip Morris Award for outstanding performance in the ITS Festival in Amsterdam 1998.
CHOREOGRAPHER
Her first choreography Aquasomnia (2009) won an award for originality of movement vocabulary and outstanding movement quality in the choreographic competition U30 in Cologne in 2010.
In 2016 she received the BNG Bank Dance Award for Excellent Choreography Talent - for her work Doubleyou, which premiered at Korzo&NDT in November 2015.
Her duet Two and Only for Dutch National Ballet has been internationally acclaimed and performed worldwide. Marijn Rademaker got nominated for the Prix de Benois 2018 for his role in this duet. He performed it together with Timothy van Poucke on the Benois Gala at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in June 2018.
Kuindersma’s Tales of A Nordic Mind for Danish Dance Theatre delivered dancer Csongor Szabo a nomination as Best Dancer for the prestigious Danish Reumert Award in 2018.
The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University and Dutch National Ballet nominated Kuindersma to serve as an Artistic Partnership Initiative Fellow in Summer of 2018.
In May 2019 Kuindersma was nominated for the Dutch Dance Award “Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht” in the Netherlands, a prestigious award supporting emerging talent.
Her "Architecture of Hope", a co-production with West Australian Ballet and Dutch National ballet, was awarded the Performing Arts West Australian Award Best New Work in June 2020. It premiered 7th February 2020 in Perth (WA).
Critic's Choice Dance Europe mentioned Kuindersma's "Anatomy of Light" amongst "best premieres" alongside works of Beaujean, Van Schaijk, Goecke and Clug in Ocober 2022.
other:
Wubkje regularly designs costumes and stage for her own creations.
She is a certified mindfulness instructor and has experience in teaching company class (ballet) at Introdans, Scapino Ballet, Skanes Dansteater, Danish Dance Theatre, Henny Jurriens Foundation, Dansehallerne Copenhagen, Norrdans, Korzo Theatre and other.
IN SHORT:
Wubkje Kuindersma is a choreographer based in The Netherlands
Young Creative Associate at Dutch National Ballet from January 2021 till August 2024
She is known for her poetic and emotionally rich works. She has a background with ballet and contemporary dance, which allows her to create pieces that are both technically demanding and deeply expressive.
Human connection is an important recurrent theme in her work.
Her choreographic style merges contemporary dance with ballet and personal movement vocabulary.
Music plays a vital role in her choreographies.
She loves to get creative with other art forms, such as visual art, theater, fashion, film, live music, composers, literature, photography, animation, virtual reality, opera, science a.o .
She honours the talent and role of the dancers by fully engaging them into her work.
Dancemagazine USA included her in their “Top 25 to watch list for 2019” an annual list of the dancers, choreographers and companies that are on the verge of skyrocketing and dancemagazine believes represent the future of our field.
Her duet Two and Only for Dutch National Ballet has been internationally acclaimed and performed worldwide. Marijn Rademaker got nominated for the Prix de Benois 2018 for his role in this duet. He performed it together with Timothy van Poucke on the Benois Gala at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in June 2018.
Her full length 2 Act ballet "Echoes of Van Gogh" (2023) for West Australian Ballet and West Australian Symphony Orchestra was received with enthusiasm by audience and press and was nominated for 4 West Australian Performing Arts Awards.
In 2024 Wubkje is nominated for the Fast Forward Fellowship of Fonds Podiumkunsten in The Netherlands. A program which supports artists to develop their art in international context.
In August 2024 she visited and followed interim artistic director David McAllister at West Australian Ballet, learning all about artistic leadership.
Her first work in Africa "whispers from within" at Cape Ballet Africa - warmly welcomed by audience and press
part of the evening Breathwords
25th march 2025 Art Scape Theatre Capetown.
She choreographed for Dutch National Ballet, Dutch National Ballet Junior Company, Korzo & NDT, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Cape Ballet Africa, Ballet Dortmund, West Australian Ballet, BalletX, Danish Dance Theatre, Skanes Dansteater, Ballet Kiel, BalletX, Noverre - Stuttgart Ballet, National Youth Ballet of John Neumeier, Ballet Coburg, Hessisches Staatsballet, Dutch National Ballet Academy, Beijing Dance Academy, Emergence, Codarts, Arts Umbrella, Philharmonie Luxembourg, a.o
upcoming new works:
Dutch National Ballet - Dansersfondsgala
Wurzburg Ballett
ZhdK - Zurich University of the Arts
Cape Ballet Africa
a.o
contact: [email protected]
videos: vimeo.com/wubkje
MORE:
Wubkje received her Bachelor of Arts at Rotterdam Dance Academy/ Codarts University of Arts , and danced with Nürnberg Ballet, Djazzex, Gulbenkian Ballet, McGregor's Random Dance, Danish Dance Theatre, and in many freelance productions.
She is educated and trained in ballet technique, Graham, Cunningham, Limon, Horton, modern jazz, improvisation composition, ao
Kuindersma won during her education a scholarship in the national ballet competition of Dansersfonds in 1997.
She received as student a nomination for The Philip Morris Award for outstanding performance in the ITS Festival in Amsterdam 1998.
CHOREOGRAPHER
Her first choreography Aquasomnia (2009) won an award for originality of movement vocabulary and outstanding movement quality in the choreographic competition U30 in Cologne in 2010.
In 2016 she received the BNG Bank Dance Award for Excellent Choreography Talent - for her work Doubleyou, which premiered at Korzo&NDT in November 2015.
Her duet Two and Only for Dutch National Ballet has been internationally acclaimed and performed worldwide. Marijn Rademaker got nominated for the Prix de Benois 2018 for his role in this duet. He performed it together with Timothy van Poucke on the Benois Gala at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow in June 2018.
Kuindersma’s Tales of A Nordic Mind for Danish Dance Theatre delivered dancer Csongor Szabo a nomination as Best Dancer for the prestigious Danish Reumert Award in 2018.
The Center for Ballet and the Arts at New York University and Dutch National Ballet nominated Kuindersma to serve as an Artistic Partnership Initiative Fellow in Summer of 2018.
In May 2019 Kuindersma was nominated for the Dutch Dance Award “Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht” in the Netherlands, a prestigious award supporting emerging talent.
Her "Architecture of Hope", a co-production with West Australian Ballet and Dutch National ballet, was awarded the Performing Arts West Australian Award Best New Work in June 2020. It premiered 7th February 2020 in Perth (WA).
Critic's Choice Dance Europe mentioned Kuindersma's "Anatomy of Light" amongst "best premieres" alongside works of Beaujean, Van Schaijk, Goecke and Clug in Ocober 2022.
- Echoes of Van Gogh - Kuindersma's ballet for West Australian Ballet - is nominated in Australia for Performing Arts WA Awards in 4 categories (juli 2024)
- Outstanding New Work 2023,
- Best Production 2023,
- Outstanding Duet or Ensemble (Dance) – Ludovico Di Ubaldo & Juan Carlos Osma (as Vincent & Theo)
- Outstanding Performer (Dance) – Ludovico Di Ubaldo (as Vincent )
other:
Wubkje regularly designs costumes and stage for her own creations.
She is a certified mindfulness instructor and has experience in teaching company class (ballet) at Introdans, Scapino Ballet, Skanes Dansteater, Danish Dance Theatre, Henny Jurriens Foundation, Dansehallerne Copenhagen, Norrdans, Korzo Theatre and other.
Wubkje is included as choreographer in Dancemagazine's TOP 25 TO WATCH LIST 2019 :
: www.dancemagazine.com/25-to-watch-2019-2621787820.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
: www.dancemagazine.com/25-to-watch-2019-2621787820.html?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1
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TANZ article january 2022
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¨... Earlier, a new name to watch, Wubkje Kuindersma, made a splash with Two and Only, set to songs by Michael Benjamin. Musical and never sappy, this duet for two men, Marijn Rademaker and Timothy van Poucke, portrayed emotional intimacy with a light touch. The piece held its own next to a wry, tongue- in-cheek pas de deux by Dutch master Hans van Manen, Déjà vu — no small achievement for Kuindersma. ¨
Laura Cappelle - Financial Times
Laura Cappelle - Financial Times
¨...Wubkje Kuindersma had the tough challenge of presenting her new work alongside a classic by Hans van Manen, which she did in style with Two and Only, a male duet pairing Rademaker, an experienced lead soloist, with apprentice dancer Timothy van Poucke. Kuidersma's ¨double¨was singer-songwriter Michael Benjamin, who performed two songs live on stage, accompanying himself on guitar for ¨Long Overdue¨and on piano in ¨From Blue to Red¨. Making no attempt to interpret the lyrics, Kuindersma nonetheless kept up an absorbing emotional momentum through her choreography, which was sentimental without being mawkish, and immutable without being banal. Here was a new choreographer of which to take note.¨
Graham Watts - Dancing Times
¨...Two and Only by Wubkje Kuindersma is the most affectionate work of evening. She created the piece especially for soloist Marijn Rademaker and élève Timothy van Poucke, an interesting partnership between a young dancer who is just starting his career and an experienced dancer who is at the top. The work is about universal love and the perishability of it. The duet between the two man combines power and masculinity with tenderness, and there is a sense of warmth and pain at the same time. Perhaps it is a memory of a relationship that once was. Singer and songwriter Michael Benjamin performs his touching songs live with the dancers on stage, adding to the intimate atmosphere.¨
Isabella Zijp - Bachtrack
Isabella Zijp - Bachtrack
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©Sketched Skin / Noverre
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awards*Performing Arts West Australian Award for Best New Work in June2020 - for Architecture of Hope, a co-production of West Australian Ballet & Dutch National Ballet
*nominated for Nederlandse Dansdagen Dansprijs May 2019 * nominated in TOP25 TO WATCH list 2019 - Dancemagazine * BNG Dance Award for Excellent Talent for choreography (2016) * SonderPreis for Aquasomnia in Choreographic Competition U30 Cologne (2010) * Scholarship from Balletvenner to study Gaga with Ohad Naharin in his Intensive Gaga Course (2009) * Nomination for Philip Morris Award for outstanding performance at ITS-Festival Amsterdam (1998) * Scholarship from Dansersfonds'79 in the National Ballet Competition (1997) Nominated by Dutch National Ballet to serve as Artistic Partnership Fellow at the Center for Ballet and Arts at New York University (2018)
Nominated in Dancemagazine's TOP25 TO WATCH LIST 2019
TEACHING COMPANY CLASS Introdans, Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, Skanes Dance Theatre, Henny Jurriens Foundation Amsterdam, Danish Dance Theatre, Norrdans, Dantzaz, Academy of Dramatic Arts, Korzo a.o.
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 in TOIMOI, a duet by Yohan Stegli & Wubkje Kuindersma
theatreIJS & VIS (2016)
choreography for immersive theatre production of Firma Mes, Dutch National Theatre & Korzo BLINDSPOT for Toneelschool Maastricht / Academy of Dramatic Arts. TWINS co-creation with actress Charlotte Munck |
in: Gefügeltes Gelb / ©Daniela Kurz
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©Mahl3 /
photo by Silvano Ballone
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