Marijn Rademaker, the principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet, is ending his dancing career. A chronic knee injury has prompted his decision to stop dancing straightaway.
In April this year, Marijn Rademaker won the Grand Prix at the DANCE OPEN festival in St Petersburg, and in June he was nominated for the prestigious Russian dance award the Benois de la Danse, known as the ‘Oscar of dance’, in the category ‘best dancer’.
On Sunday afternoon, 16 September 2018, Marijn will give a farewell performance. He will dance one last time on the stage of Dutch National Opera & Ballet, immediately after the programme The New Classics.
He will be performing Edward Clug’s Ssss… and joining dancing partner Igone de Jongh in the ‘white’ pas de deux from La Dame aux Camélias.
Following his dancing career, Rademaker will remain with Dutch National Ballet as assistant ballet master.
Marijn Rademaker: “Of course it’s a real shame that I have to stop dancing early because of a chronic knee injury. But I’ve had a long and wonderful career, on which I can look back with pride and pleasure. Now it’s time to move on, and I’m very happy and proud that I can pass on my experience as an assistant ballet master with Dutch National Ballet”.
Ted Brandsen, director of Dutch National Ballet:
“Marijn is the most exceptional Dutch ballet dancer of recent years, and his forced resignation from the stage is a huge blow to me. He’s been extremely unlucky with his injury, which is very sad. I’ll miss his artistry on stage, but unfortunately, this is a profession where that sort of thing can happen. But although he’s saying farewell to the stage and the audience, he’s not leaving the profession. I’m happy that Marijn is staying with us and with dance, and that he can pass on his special knowledge to a new generation of dancers. For him, it is a transition to another phase, in which he will be able to give a lot to the ballet world”.
Marijn Rademaker – biography
In 2000 Marijn joined Stuttgarter Ballett, where he was promoted to principal in 2006 after his highly successful debut as Armand in The Lady of the Camellias. Marijn has danced leading roles in nearly all the big classical ballets as Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty, The Nutracker, Don Quijote, Giselle and La Sylphide.
He worked together with many choreographers creating new work such as Wayne McGregor (Eden Eden, Yantra, Nautilus), Marco Goecke (Äffi, On Velvet), Mauro Bigonzetti (I Fratelli), Christian Spuck (Songs, Lulu, eine Monstretragödie, Der Sandmann, Sleepers Chamber, Das Fräulein von S.) and others.
In 2011, Marijn made his debut as a guest artist with Dutch National Ballet as Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty. Since January 2015 he is principal at Dutch National Ballet. He also workes with the Dutch National Ballet’s junior company and main company as a balletmaster. In 2016 he set Marco Goecke’s Äffi with the Bundesjugendballett at the Hamburg Ballet. In June 2015 he became an ambassador for Dance4Life.
In 1999, Marijn won an incentive award from the Dansersfonds ’79, and the fund also awarded him the Special Prize in 2012. He is also the winner of Der Faust (2006, for the best dancer in Germany), the Deutscher Tanzpreis (2009, Future Award) and the Premio Apuli Arte Prize (2009, Merit Award). Last April Marijn was awarded with the Grand Prix during the international DANCE OPEN festival in Sint Petersburg.
Farewell program Marijn Rademaker at Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Sun. 16 September 2018, curtain up 14.00
Ssss…
choreography: Edward Clug
For performing this solo from Edward Clug’s ballet last April, Marijn received the Grand Prix, at the DANCE OPEN festival in Sint Petersburg.
La Dame aux Camélias, white pas de deux
choreography: John Neumeier
Straight after his debut as Armand in La Dame aux Camélias in 2006, Marijn was promoted to principal at Stuttgart Ballett. During his farewell program, Marijn will dance the ‘white pas de deux’ together with his dance partner Igone de Jongh.