The annual honours from the Stichting Dansersfonds’79 have been announced as part of the Nederlands Balletgala 2025, set to take place on Monday 24 November at the DeLaMar Theater in Amsterdam.
This year’s Special Prize has been awarded to Demi Verheezen of the Dutch dance company Introdans, in recognition of her impressive artistic growth and mature stage presence. The jury praised her “beautiful technique, great musicality, long lines and suppleness” and said she “stands out, radiant and relaxed, visibly dancing from an inner calm.”
Verheezen’s performance in a production of the minimalist composition Canto Ostinato by Dutch composer Simeon ten Holt played a key part in the decision. The jury noted how she made a strong impression in Introdans’s interpretation of this slow-evolving piece, as well as in works titled Swan Lake, Notes of Longing and Bambù.
Meanwhile, the Encouragement Prize went to fellow Introdans dancer Mark van Drunick, being acknowledged as “a young dancer with intelligence, courage and perseverance” who has embraced complex minimalist choreography with conviction.
In another highlight, the gala edition this year is dedicated to Roel Voorintholt, Artistic Director of Introdans since 2005, for his outstanding contribution to Dutch dance. The Dansersfonds’s board emphasised his role in helping the company achieve international recognition. (arnhemsekoerier.nl)
The connection to Canto Ostinato is particularly notable: ten Holt’s landmark work, characterised by its slowly shifting patterns and meditative character, opens unique expressive possibilities for dancers. Verheezen’s award thus underscores both her musical sensitivity and her ability to inhabit a piece that demands sustained attention and subtly evolving movement.
As the Ballet Gala approaches, anticipation grows for the live celebration of these award-winners and the tribute to Voorintholt’s legacy within Dutch dance.
Composers in the crosshairs of our attention