Ester Natzijl Projects
Ester Natzijl projects focus on multi-disciplinary theatre, combining dance, drama and puppetry. They express universal, timeless, psychological concepts such as inner struggles, the search for meaning, illusions and identity. All subjects focus mainly on visualizing hope, strength and perseverance through the use of these popular forms.
Ester Natzijl
Ester Natzijl is a multi-disciplinary performer, contemporary dancer, choreographer, puppeteer and theatre-maker.
She is also active as a dramaturge and teacher of ballet, physical theatre, contemporary dance and puppetry.
Ester followed her training in Classical Ballet and Contemporary Dance at the Royal Conservatoire of Music and Dance in The Hague in The Netherlands, she worked with several contemporary companies, including the Netherlands Dance Theatre and Introdance, touring internationally. She received additional training in theatre and mime, got her MA in Theatre Science from the University of Amsterdam and simultaneously created different multi-disciplinary acts and dance-theatre performances.
In recent years she developed her practice to combine puppetry and dance and worked with leading figures in visual theatre such as Duda Paiva and Ulrike Quade. In 2015 she established Ester Natzijl Projects to be able to produce her own work, including the internationally acclaimed ‘WATCHING, ceci n’est pas de deux’ , a solo-duet which has been performed at festivals worldwide.
Throughout her career she has been active as a ballet, contemporary dance, physical theatre and puppetry teacher.
Since 2018 she has settled in Brighton, UK with her partner and son. Here she has worked as a teacher for Stagecoach, South East Dance & Sussex Dance Network and as a dancer/puppeteer with Vincent Dance Theatre. In 2020 and 2021 she received R&D funding from the Embassy of the Netherlands in the UK to create her newest show ‘Finding Grace’. In 2021 she received an Arts Council England lottery grant to further develop the show, which will premiere in 2022.
Collaborators
Present:
Julian Caddy – Strategic Consultant
Matt Rudkin – Producer, Writer
Gary Shepherd – Composer
Rachel Blackman – Artistic support/end-direction
Jim Hendtlass – Lightdesign and technician
Ronnie Le Drew – Puppetry Advice
Bart Dykstra – Creative Consultant
Rosie Powell – Photography & Film
Past:
Eva Marie de Waal – Other half in EGOS, EGOS HOPE & EGOS REMIX
Babiche Ronday – Other half in PROPS!
Mike van Alfen – Mentor, co-director
Duda Paiva – Puppetry advisor
