Dance Training in the Netherlands
a guide for talented dancers and their parents
Does your child dream of one day performing on stage as a professional dancer? Or are you a young dancer yourself, wondering what it takes to turn dance into your career? Then you quickly run into all kinds of questions. When is it smart to start a pre-professional programme? What options are there in the Netherlands? And how do you find out which programme suits you best?
The Dutch dance training landscape
There is no standard route that works for everyone. The age at which you start, the dance styles you choose and the amount of time you can invest in training all have an influence. You also need to take your school and home situation into account.
On this page you will find an overview of the different possibilities. This gives you a clearer picture of the steps you can take if you want to pursue dance seriously.
What dance programmes are there in the Netherlands?
Anyone who wants to become a professional dancer usually doesn't start directly with a HBO programme (university of applied sciences). This is often preceded by a period of intensive preparation, which can be organised in different ways.
Broadly speaking, there are three routes: an extracurricular pre-professional programme, an in-school pre-professional programme and a HBO dance programme. Each route has its own approach and fits a different stage in a dancer's development.
1. The extracurricular pre-professional dance programme
You follow an extracurricular pre-professional programme alongside your regular school, whether you are in primary school or already in secondary school. You train several times a week at a specialised dance school. The best extracurricular programmes offer a multi-year curriculum in which technique, artistic growth and mental development come together. This prepares you step by step for auditions for HBO dance programmes.
The big advantage is that you keep the freedom of your own school and familiar surroundings. You build up gradually and have time to discover whether a professional dance career truly suits you. The challenge is that combining school and dance takes considerable perseverance and good planning.
Danshuis Haarlem offers such an extracurricular pre-professional programme for dancers aged 8 to 18 in the Haarlem region and North Holland.
2. The in-school pre-professional dance programme
An in-school pre-professional programme combines dance and regular education in a single daily schedule. There are very few places in the Netherlands offering this type of programme. The best-known example is the Codarts Lyceum in Rotterdam, where students follow HAVO or VWO while also completing an intensive dance programme.
The big advantage is the high number of training hours per week. On the other hand, admission is strict and you have to make a clear, definitive choice for a future in dance at an early age.
3. The HBO dance programme
HBO dance programmes are intended for those who want to become a professional dancer, dance teacher or choreographer. You can only get in through an audition, and selection is strict. The main programmes in the Netherlands are:
- Codarts Rotterdam – Bachelor of Dance, with specialisations such as classical ballet, modern dance and musical theatre
- Academy of Theatre and Dance (AHK), Amsterdam – Bachelor of Dance and Theatre in Education
- ArtEZ, Arnhem – dance and choreography
- Fontys Academy of the Arts, Tilburg – dance and dance teacher training
- Royal Conservatoire, The Hague – music theatre and dance
These programmes are open from the age of 18. They expect you to have already built a solid technical and artistic foundation in the preceding years.
How do you choose the right route?
Which route suits you best depends on three things: your age, your level and your environment.
Are you between 8 and 12 years old? Then an extracurricular pre-professional programme is often the most logical and accessible choice. You build up gradually, combine it with your regular school and discover at your own pace whether dance truly suits you. As you get older and your level rises, the training becomes more intensive and the choices you make become increasingly important.
Are you between 12 and 16 years old and already training at a high level? Then you face an important decision: do you keep training extracurricularly, or do you switch to an in-school pre-professional programme? Factors such as travel time, your home situation and whether you want to go all-in on dance play a big role here.
For dancers between 17 and 21 who are ready for the next step but don't yet know exactly which one, the Top Year at Danshuis Haarlem is a great option. This year offers an intensive period of orientation and preparation, including guidance for auditions.
What makes for good preparation?
Auditions for HBO dance programmes are about much more than just your technical skills. The jury also looks at your artistic expression, musicality, ability to learn, stage presence and how you handle challenges mentally. A good pre-professional programme helps you grow stronger in all these areas. You don't just learn to dance better, but also to deal with feedback, develop your own style and perform when the pressure is high.
Those who have trained for years in a stable, professional environment – with regular teachers, real stage experience and personal guidance – walk into the audition with more self-confidence and self-awareness than someone who has mainly focused on technique.
Dance training in the Haarlem region and North Holland
For more than thirty years, Danshuis Haarlem has offered a professional extracurricular dance programme for dancers from Haarlem, the Haarlemmermeer, Amsterdam and the rest of North Holland. Many children take their first dance steps here, whether in the regular classes or in the children's dance groups. As soon as their talent and motivation become visible, they can move on to the pre-professional programme at their own pace.
It is precisely this natural growth – from enthusiastic beginner to talented dancer, all within the same familiar environment – that makes Danshuis Haarlem unique. Here you are not selected early on and excluded when things get difficult; instead, you are given the space to develop yourself.
Students of Danshuis Haarlem have gone on to renowned programmes such as Codarts, the AHK, ArtEZ, Fontys, the Royal Conservatoire, Lucia Marthas and international academies in Paris and Barcelona. Curious about all our alumni? Take a look at the full overview of our alumni.
Frequently asked questions about dance training in the Netherlands
From what age can you start a pre-professional dance programme?
Most extracurricular pre-professional programmes start from the age of 8. Starting dance lessons earlier is certainly valuable, but a serious pre-professional programme requires both physical and mental maturity. At Danshuis Haarlem, the intensity in the first years is deliberately kept low, so that young children can calmly discover whether dance is truly right for them.
What is the difference between a pre-professional programme and recreational classes?
Recreational classes are mainly about fun, movement and learning basic technique. A pre-professional programme, on the other hand, is a professional track with a fixed curriculum, regular evaluations, stage experience and targeted preparation for further training. The intensity, the demands and the investment of time and money are considerably greater.
How can I prepare for an audition at Codarts or the AHK?
For an audition at Codarts or the AHK you need a solid technical foundation in classical ballet and/or modern dance, demonstrable stage experience, your own artistic style and the mental strength to open yourself up completely to a professional jury. Most successful candidates have trained intensively for years, taken part in multiple productions and received specific guidance in preparing for auditions.
Is it still possible to go to a HBO dance programme as a late starter?
This depends strongly on the dance style and your own commitment. For classical ballet, an early start is essential. In modern and contemporary dance there are more opportunities for late entrants, provided you are prepared to work extremely hard and learn a lot quickly.
Find out more or get started
Explore the full dance academy programme at Danshuis Haarlem, or get in touch via info@danshuishaarlem.nl for a personal conversation.