Ed Wubbe / CV

Ed Wubbe has won acclaim for an art of dance that is a virtuoso combination of classical technique and the bold freedom of contemporary dance. His expressive choreographies fuse emotion with theatrical finesse, his versatility and productivity are unequalled. Over more than a decade, Wubbe has ranked among Europe’s finest choreographers.

His career as choreographer began with a residence at Introdans followed by the same position at Scapino Ballet. On the strength of his seminal piece, the ballet Rameau (1990), he was appointed artistic director of the company (1992) – a position, he has held since. After Wubbe’s appointment the company developed and established a bold new repertoire under his guidance. Besides the audacious use of the classical technique (e. g. Rosary, 2000, Sister Fury, 2004), over the years Wubbe increasingly incorporated theatrical elements into his work (e. g. The Great Bean, 2013). Furthermore he has a particular interest in looking for synaesthetic effects through the inclusion of other art forms. Always evolving, experimenting and seeking new adventures, over the years he collaborated with architects, DJs and VJs (Manyfacts, 2001), film directors (e. g. Embracing Time, director Willem van de Sande Bakhuyzen, 2005), urban-style dancers (Leading Edge, 2008, Beeswing, 2011), circus artists (Ting!, 2016) and many other genres.

In 2015 Ed Wubbe was invited by the famous Canadian opera director Robert Carson to collaborate with him on the opera production Les Fêtes Vénitiennes by the composer André Campra. The premiere at Théâtre national de L'Opéra Comique, Paris, was followed by highly successful tours to Caen, Toulous and New York.

From 2004 until 2016 Ed Wubbe was artistic director of the „Internationaler Wettbewerb für Choreographen“ in Hannover, Germany. In 2006 he established the bestowel of the „Scapino Production Price“, which provides the winner with the possibility to create a short piece for the Scapino Ballet as part of the program Twools.

In 2013 Ed Wubbe won the “Prijs van Verdienste“ from the Dutch organisation Dansersfonds '79 for his work as choreographer and artistic director. The performance TING! was recently chosen to receive the Dutch Live Entertainment Production Award: “Production of the Year 2016“.

In October 2017 Ed Wubbe has received the prestigious Dutch art award Gouden Zwaan at the Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht for his achievements as choreographer and artistic director of Scapino Ballet Rotterdam and his valuable contributions to the dance world in general. Following the premier of Ed Wubbe's latest work Scala on December, 7th, 2017, he was admitted into the Order of the Netherlands Lions / De Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw  by the Dutch King Willem-Alexander for his contribution to the modern dance in the Netherlands and his successful efforts to stimulate a great public interest for dance .