Imre van Opstal & Marne van Opstal
Associate choreographer
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 was awarded the Special Prize at Tanzolymp Berlin in 2004.
Imre van Opstal (Venlo, 1989) graduated from Codarts Rotterdam before joining the Norwegian company Carte Blanche. She joined NDT 2 in 2012, danced with NDT 1 from 2015 to 2017, and was a member of Batsheva Dance Company from 2017 to 2020. In 2014, she received the Dansersfonds ’79 Encouragement Award, and in 2017 she was awarded the Dutch Swan for Most Impressive Dance Performance for her role in Sharon Eyal’s Salt Womb (2016).
Following their successful and distinguished dance careers at NDT, they made their debut as a choreographic duo with LiNK (2014) for NDT & Korzo’s talent development programme Up & Coming Choreographers, followed by John Doe (2015). They later 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 Dutch Swan 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 Hessian State Ballet, Heart Drive (2022) for Ballet BC, Mommy, Look! (2023) for Ballett Theater Basel, To Kingdom Come (2023) for GöteborgsOperans Danskompani, and Voodoo Waltz (2024) and I am Bob (2024) for Hessisches Staatsballett.
The brother and sister have distinguished themselves through a raw and emotional artistic style, often incorporating theatrical and surreal elements alongside intricate partnering. Their collaborative work frequently explores the human condition and the boundaries and possibilities of body and mind.
From the 2025–2026 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, go to imremarnevanopstal.com
''As associate choreographers at NDT, we wish to further deepen our exploration of the body’s transformative potential. We are fascinated by the way movement not only reflects emotion and identity but also reveals the layers of human experience. Our research focuses on the subtle interactions between dancers and the interplay between distance and closeness. We aim to enhance these physical experiences through the integration of music, scenography, and other theatrical elements. Our ambition is to continue investigating the power of vulnerability, intimacy, and physical expression, making visible the boundaries and depths of the human experience through dance."
Discover Imre & Marne
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Videos
Kill Your Darlings - Imre van Opstal & Marne van Opstal
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Videos
NDT's Associate Choreographers
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Read more about World premiere - 5 years Amare -
Read more about Kill Your Darlings -
Videos
Rehearsal | Kill Your Darlings - Imre van Opstal & Marne van Opstal
