Internationaal Danstheater

Internationaal Danstheater

Faithful to the roots while moving with the times

People dance. In all cultures, at all times, worldwide. In high spirits, to invoke the gods, to draw courage or to cope with sorrow. Together or alone, people dance and play music. While traditions and customs differ, the experience is universal.

For 50 years, the Internationaal Danstheater has travelled the world in search of authentic dance as inspiration for its theatre productions; productions which serve as a cooking pot in which today’s makers are modern chefs preparing and serving an original meal using traditional ingredients.

This methodology means that the Internationaal Danstheater links the original dance traditions of various cultures with the Dutch world of modern and classical dance and academic study. It is a unique position with a very special history resulting in a wealth of knowledge and experience. The Internationaal Danstheater’s methodology is its stock-in-trade which it is deploying in its translation to the future. Its motto is: remaining faithful to the origins whilst moving with the times.

It is an inspiring challenge for the company to respect the past whilst searching for latter-day, accomplished artists; international choreographers whose productions stem from ritual, who derive their inspiration from other cultures and who have already established themselves. Dutch choreographers of all ages are also given an explicit opportunity to research their artistic and creative vision of tradition, ritual and diversity, and to translate this into performance.