Didy Veldman
Teacher choreography
Dutch choreographer Didy Veldman was trained in numerous techniques at the Scapino Academy in Amsterdam. Following her training she went on to dance with Scapino Ballet, Ballet du Grand Theatre de Geneve and Britain's Rambert Dance Company. She worked with international choreographers such as Jiri Kylian, Mats Ek, Ohad Naharin, Christopher Bruce and many others. She began choreographing in 1987, creating work for the repertoires of all three companies, as well as independently.
In 1992, Didy started her own small dance company called 'Alias' with Guilherme Botelho. The first work En Manqué was performed to great acclaim in London, Glasgow, Zurich and Lausanne. The production also won two major choreographic awards: the Dance Exchange International 1993 and the Prix Romand des Spectacle Independent 1994. Didy left Alias after an invitation by Christopher Bruce to join Rambert Dance Company in 1994.
Whilst being a dancer with Rambert Dance Company, Didy created three works for the repertory. She received a grant from the Choo-San Goh & Robert Magee Foundation for her third production with Rambert called 7 DS this production also won the Lindbury Prize for Stage Design.
Her first story telling full-length work Carmen created for Northern Ballet Theatre was premiered in Leeds Grand Theatre on 22 February 1999 and has subsequently gone on tour throughout Britain. It had its London premiere in March 2000 to great critical acclaim and has been re-staged for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal and The Royal New Zealand Ballet.
Didy left Rambert Dance Company in the summer of 2000 to concentrate on her choreographic career. She has created and re-staged works for Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montréal, Ballet Gulbenkian, Rambert Dance Company, Cullberg Ballet, Northern Ballet Theatre, New Zealand Ballet, the Komische Oper Berlin, Scottish Dance Theatre, Phoenix Dance Theatre, Company Loaded in Australia, Gothenburg Ballet Sweden, Cedarlake, N-Y and Introdans, Holland. During 10/11 Didy will create a new full evening work for Ballet Bern, Carmen will be re-staged with the Royal New Zealand Ballet, she's been invited as a guest artist choreographer at Jacob's Pillow and she will create a work for North West Dance Project, she is currently also teaching part-time at the Nova College in Haarlem.
ARTE a French/German television channel has made a documentary on Didy while she created i remember red for Cullberg Ballet in 2002. See Blue Through, created for Ballet Gulbenkian in 2001 has been filmed live for Spanish television at the Gran Teatre del Liceu in Barcelona and was presented at the British Dance Edition 2006 where the UK's finest choreographers are selected to present their work. Kol Simcha Didy's first creation for Rambert Dance Company was televised in Denmark.
www.didyveldman.com
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