Last curtain call for Ruben Ameling
17 April 2026
After many years on stage, Ruben Ameling will be saying farewell to Introdans this season. The decision evolved step by step. For two seasons now, he had been sensing that this moment was approaching, and when this year’s programming was announced, everything came together. “It felt like the right moment.”
The farewell carries a dual feeling. The idea of no longer walking through the studios and corridors every day feels unreal, but there is also calm and curiosity about what lies ahead. “There is also a lot of curiosity about the future,” he says.
His love for dance began early, after seeing a performance of Swan Lake at the Royal Theatre Carré. Later, at the Royal Ballet School, this grew into a deep dedication to the craft and to continuously exploring what the body can express. His career has been filled with highlights. When asked about a moment that stayed with him, he finds it hard to choose:
“It starts with the leading role in a Jip and Janneke production when I was eleven. My first major duet at Introdans, which was an incredible opportunity. Working with choreographers whose work I never imagined I would get to dance. And travelling all over the world, to cultural places, with colleagues who feel like family. But what keeps coming back is that one moment on stage: the silence just after a piece, when you can feel the audience’s response. In those few seconds, so much happens. That remains special.”
Dance is a high-performance profession; it demands far more than what the audience sees. Stepping away now does not mean his love for dance has diminished, but the body sets its limits. “Of course it is physically demanding, but the real work often continues outside the studio. I take my work home with me. It can always be better, and I keep looking for ways to grow. Sometimes that is through self-reflection and visualisation, sometimes by diving deeper into the music, or by further developing a character. That process never really stops.”
That next phase is already taking shape. In September he will start studying interior architecture and styling, and he will remain active as a teacher and coach. And perhaps he will occasionally return to the stage, “just to feel at home again for a moment.”
We wish Ruben every success in this new chapter and look forward to his final performances in End of Season, where he will appear in SH-BOOM!, Susto and the new duet Mano a Mano.
