Saturday Noon:
Folk Dance Teachers from the Netherlands

We have many amazing Master Teachers from the Netherlands and there is a reason for that. There is a history, in the Netherlands, of training people to teach Folk Dancing. In this presentation Maurits and Tineke will talk about how folk dance developed in The Netherlands,  the start of a folk dance teacher training, the type and length of training people receive as well as how it is continuing today.

They will illustrate their talk by putting you to work in your own living room to join some practical exercises. A good way to experience a glimpse of elements of the Dutch teacher training.

Sunday Noon:
A compilation of performances of Het Internationaal Danstheater
– a professional folk dance company in The Netherlands

Maurits worked for this company for 23 years. First as choreographer,  later as assistant artistic director and eventually as artistic director. During his career he made over 40 stage programs and did extensive dance research all over the world. Each year a new theatre performance was produced with a specific theme, like for example The Travelers (about the Roma), Mother India(dances from India), Soul of the Black Sea (a program on the cultures around the Black Sea), Alexander the Great (voyage of Alexander of Macedonia), The Silk Road.

Maurits decided to leave as artistic director January 2011 and went back to his old passion,  teaching amateur groups as a guest teacher. In November 2017, he was appointed Ridder (Knight) in de Orde van Oranje Nassau, a high royal award for his lifelong work in the field of dance.

Maurits will show a compilation of different performances and provide background information on the production and research.