Associate choreographers
Photo: Hugo Thomassen
NDT alumni Imre van Opstal and Marne van Opstal are Dutch choreographers and renowned performing artists. As siblings, they form a creative duo.
Marne van Opstal (Velden, 1990) trained at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague. He danced with NDT 2 from 2009 to 2012 and with NDT 1 from 2012 to 2020. Marne received the Limburg Culture Prize in 2011, won De Avond van de Jonge Danser (NTR TV) in 2009, and the Berlin Special Prize Tanzolymp in 2004.
Imre van Opstal (Venlo, 1989) joined the Norwegian company Carte Blanche after completing her studies at Codarts Rotterdam. She joined NDT 2 in 2012 and danced with NDT 1 from 2015 to 2017. From 2017 to 2020, she danced with Batsheva Dance Company. In 2014, she was awarded the Dancers Fund ’79 Encouragement Prize, and in 2017 she received the Swan Award for ‘most impressive dance performance’ for her role in Sharon Eyal’s Salt Womb (2016).
Following their successful and prominent dance careers at NDT, the siblings made their debut as a choreographic duo with LiNK (2014) as part of NDT & Korzo’s talent development programme Up & Coming Choreographers, followed by John Doe (2015). For NDT’s regular programming, they created The Grey (2017) for NDT 2, and Take Root (2019) and The Point Being (2023) for NDT 1. Take Root was nominated for the Swan Award for ‘most impressive dance production’.
They have also created Eye Candy (2021) for Rambert Dance Company, The little man (2022) for Nationaltheater Mannheim, I’m afraid to forget your smile (2022) for the Hessian State Ballet, Heart Drive (2022) for Ballet BC, Mommy, Look! (2023) for Ballett Theater Basel, To Kingdom Come (2023) for GöteborgOperans Danskompani, and Voodoo Waltz (2024) and I am Bob (2024) for Hessisches Staatsballett.
The brother and sister have distinguished themselves as distinctive makers with a raw and emotional style, often drawing on theatrical and surreal elements and partnering work. Their collaborative creations frequently explore the human condition, as well as the boundaries and possibilities of body and mind.
In the 2025–2026 season, they will create a new work for NDT 2, premiering within the programme I dreamt, it was, alongside a work by Sharon Eyal.
From that same season onwards, Imre and Marne van Opstal will take on a new role within NDT as associate choreographers. We are proud to continue our creative journey with them and look forward to everything we will create together.
For more info, visit imremarnevanopstal.com