We stay in Arnhem!!!!

Today, on the 18^th of December, we present you in our Adventskalender-Blog a special Interview with a special gentleman who is in very close connection to Wolfgang Grevesmühl, Franziska Grevesmühl von Marcard and the Norddeutsche Konzertdirektion: Mr. Ton Wiggers. For you and us he was telling us some important facts about his career and the founding of his company Introdans:

“I started on the age of 17 with ballet at the conservatoire in Arnhem under the direction of Winja Marova.

At the age of 22, I was graduated as a ballet teacher and dancer. During my education I was already teaching and after my school I started my own private ballet school in 1970.

After one year I decided with my partner to start a ballet company because in the east of the country (Netherlands) where I live was no ballet tradition, only in the west of the country. 10 years later, the province of Gelderland and Overijssel started with a small budget for the company so that I could develop dancers, repertory and invest in quality.

And this succeeded so that after years and years of performing and traveling abroad I met Grevesmuehl / The Norddeutsche Konzertdirektion, who are still offering and negotiating especially German theatres to perform.

In all those years, in which I am still working together with our artistic director, Roel Voorintholt, we produced a lot of works and for me the most interesting and touching one is In Memoriam from Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.

After 50 years in which I did everything in the company you can imagine I am going to retire in July 2022. I leave the company to the artistic director Roel Voorintholt and the managing director (since November 2020) Marieke van’t Hoff knowing that it will be in good hands.”

After this enriching story, we asked Ton what thought comes into his mind when he hears the word CULTURE? He answered, “Culture is healing”. With this in mind, we have ended this wonderful interview and wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a good start into the new year 2022!

Photo by Hans Withoos