Following our chat with the wonderful Grace Lyell last week, Dance Consortium caught up with one of NDT2’s few Dutch dancers, Guido Dutilh. Guido joined Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in August 2014 and will be embarking on his first trip to the UK in just two weeks…
What are your first memories of dance?
My very first memories of dance are from watching the Nutcracker when I was around 4 years old, and making my own little dances to the music!
How did you get into dance (maybe a teacher or a certain performance inspired you)?
Girls in my class were going to ballet class and I wanted to join them because I thought they were really cool.
Was your journey into dance an easy one, or did you face challenges along the way?
My journey into dance is not a journey that has ended yet. So far I’ve faced challenges like every dancer and I’ve worked and worked, and I’m still working hard to get where I want to be as a dancer. Every challenge teaches you something and shapes you into the person and dancer that you are. Overall I consider myself very lucky with the opportunities that I have been offered and considering how hard the dance world is I think my journey so far has been quite smooth!
Please tell us a little more about your early years training and professional dance training…
I’ve been attending dance classes since I was six, mostly ballet and modern. I joined the Dutch National Ballet Academy when I was fifteen, which is quite late. After four years of training there I got an apprenticeship at NDT2. This is my first year as a company member.
Please tell us about a day in the life of NDT2…
We have a ballet class every morning, usually at 9:30am, but it depends on whether we had a show the day before or not. After ballet class we have rehearsals for the repertoire or new creations. What we rehearse will depend on what shows or tours are coming up. Some days we’ll have rehearsals for six different pieces!
What dance work/s are you looking forward to dancing in the UK, and why?
I’m very excited to perform Johan Inger’s I New Then. I will be premiering in a new part which is one of my favourites! The piece feels very human and honest and it’s such a pleasure to perform. It also really challenges me to explore and trigger parts of my personality that I’ve never had chance to explore before.
What excites you about performing in the UK?
I’ve never been to the UK so I’m just excited to broaden my horizon and experience new places and cultures.
What city in the UK are you looking forward to visiting and why?
I’ve heard great things about Edinburgh so I look forward to exploring the city and drinking some great scotch!
What do you enjoy doing when you are not dancing?
I really enjoy the small things, especially after a busy week it’s nice to have some time for yourself to get your household back on track. Or to hang out with a small group of close friends and either do some nice crafty things or go out to a club and… dance!
Guido Dutilh was born in Amsterdam in 1995 and joined Nederlands Dans Theater 2 in August 2014.
