Jens van der Pijl

Who are you as a performer/artist?

Oof, still discovering that myself but I am striving to be a curious and authentic person in the studio and on stage. I enjoy doing a lot of different things and I feel as I’m growing/learning as a person, that makes who I am as an artist, something that is always changing. 
Although, I do always love a bit of activism in my dancing ;)
 
 

What are your ambitions?

My ambitions are to keep being in places that inspire me, with lovely, creative, open minded people to surround me. Wherever that may be. 
 

 
Where do you find inspiration?

Ahhh in everything!! In music, my friends, books, animals, the lgbt community, the ballroom scene, activists, kids, new shoes.
 
 

What did you do at your internship & what did you learn?

I did my internship at Ballet National de Marseille/ La Horde. We did a lot of different things! In the beginning I spend a lot of time learning the repertoire but after I went on tour with the company where I performed 3 super different pieces in one evening. I was part of a short film and started working on a new project of La Horde.
What I learned is hard to describe in a short phrase but I would say, I learned so much about life in a company and how fast paced it can be sometimes. I also learned I can put so many versions of myself in a piece and that I can discover new things/play on stage and not only in the studio. And to have fun with it!!! Dance doesn’t have to be so serious all the time, it can be so fun :))
 

If it doesn’t open, it’s not your door.