Nienke Wind

Born: 1991, Amersfoort (the Netherlands)
Education: National Ballet Academy, Amsterdam
Experience: Introdans (since August 2012)
Accolades: Dancers’ Fund ’79 Incentive Prize (2015)

“Dance is completely natural for me. That was already true when I was a child. It’s a way of forgetting everything around me and getting in touch with my emotions. When I dance, I can transform.”

Nienke caught the dance bug when she was just five. “It didn’t matter what I danced – classical, jazz or street dance, just as long as I could dance.” Then from Class 7 onward she attended the National Ballet Academy. “It was a fantastic time, but difficult as well. I got home from school at around 8pm and then I still had to do my homework. But if you like doing something, then you just do it.” During her dance education Nienke was offered an internship at Introdans. Her immediate thought was: “Yes, that’s what I want”. Introdans was the only dance company she knew with such variation in its repertoire. “Even more so because besides classical ballet I also like to dance all other genres, so I was very happy with this opportunity.”

One big highlight

Following her internship she was offered a job. And now she’s been dancing with great pleasure at Introdans since 2012. “At Introdans we’re always being challenged to develop ourselves further in a different style. This means you discover aspects of yourself that you didn’t even know you had. As I gain more experience over the years, I sense what suits me best. To give one example, I love dancing work by Cayetano Soto. His movement language is complicated, complex, but I really enjoy this challenge. I also like working with the choreographers Regina van Berkel and Nils Christe”. Nienke has experienced many highlights during her years dancing with Introdans, such as the tours abroad. In 2015 Nienke won the Incentive Prize of the Dancers’ Fund, which she saw as confirmation that she was on the right path. “It might sound like a cliché, but actually my entire dance career feels like one big highlight. Sometimes I stand on the stage and think: Wow, I just like doing this so much. It’s an indescribable feeling, like falling in love.”

Dance first

Nienke has a reputation as someone who is positive, enterprising and eager to learn. She often takes on a motherly role in the group – she has a truly caring attitude. For the time being, dance is still number one in her life. Nonetheless, Nienke feels it’s important to develop herself in various areas. “I have lots of different interests. At the moment I’m writing a lot, for instance, especially about sustainable fashion and lifestyle.” Nienke’s blogs and interviews are published at soulstores.com. In addition she is community manager at WEARNHEM. She keeps close track of developments on social media. “One day I’ll do something different to dancing, when I’m ‘old and worn out’. I really like the thought that I have lots of other options after this time. There are so many great things to do.”

“…with a passionate Nienke Wind as the desperate Maiden “

de Volkskrant on De dood en het meisje 2015