Nederlands Dans Theater 2

Nederlands Dans Theater, under the artistic leadership of Paul Lightfoot, is one of the leading contemporary dance companies in the world. NDT’s dancers are renowned for their virtuosity, astonishing technique and unparalleled expression. Moreover, the company contributes to various art forms by involving visual art, music composition, and innovative light and set designs, all the while developing new talent. In its theatre in The Hague, all this comes together daily in surroundings that are regarded as a breeding ground, constantly moving ahead to let the future of dance take shape.

NDT2 was founded in 1978. In its almost 35 years of existence, it has developed into a top quality, internationally-recognized company performing in theaters all over the world.

NDT2 consists of 16 dancers between the age of 17 to 23, all of whom completed a classical ballet training. Dancers are recruited from all over the world. The initial aim of NDT2 is to ‘feed’ the main company NDT1 with its young dancers. It therefore serves as ‘bridge’, to mature freshly graduated dancers from various classical conservatories and schools, and to prepare them for a professional career in dance. Today over seventy percent of the dancers of NDT1 started their career in NDT2.

The repertoire of NDT2 is diverse, working with established choreographers such as Hans van Manen, Ohad Naharin, Sol León and Paul Lightfoot and Johan Inger. But also, more importantly, working with upcoming choreographers like rising star and associate choreographer Alexander Ekman. NDT2 works closely with young choreographers and, confronted by different choreographic styles and techniques, gives its dancers the opportunity to react to contemporary developments in music and art. These talented young performers are able to mirror the realities of today and incorporate these elements into new productions as a kind of Zeitgeist of the 21st century.