‘There’s so much happening in the world. How do you express that on the ballet stage?’
Interview with Ernst Meisner
Ernst Meisner has been appointed director of Dutch National Ballet, as Ted Brandsen’s successor, as of August 2026. Out of all the candidates for the position, his vision was the most convincing. “Of course Dutch National Ballet will always lovingly cherish its past and its heritage, but it’s also important to shape a new future, on the basis of a challenging, energetic and questioning viewpoint.”
Determined. That’s always been a personality trait of Ernst Meisner (Emmeloord, 1982). “If I want something, I go for it. And when I go for it, then I’ll do it well too.” This was already the case when, following a few years of ballet classes, he was accepted for the Dutch National Ballet Academy at the age of ten. “My parents, both pianists, taught at the music school in Lelystad, and as I was a very shy little boy they thought it was a good idea for me to do ballet, alongside my violin lessons. So that I could be among other kids and express myself in a different way.”
He was also determined when he decided, at the tender age of fourteen, that he wanted to continue his education at the Royal Ballet School, in England. After just two weeks there, when he was seventeen, he was moved up to the second year, and a few weeks later to the third year. And after three months, he was already offered a contract with Birmingham Royal Ballet. He said no. “I just wanted to finish that year at school, despite the risks involved.” But it turned out okay. After that, he could choose between joining The Royal Ballet or Dutch National Ballet. He chose, determinedly once again, for The Royal Ballet. “Because I figured I could always go back home later on.”
First seed
He danced in London for ten years and thought it was fantastic to be ‘immersed in the company’s history and rich repertoire’, although he was soon taking other initiatives as well. “I choreographed pieces for the annual workshop programme, and in my third year I already organised a gala with stars from The Royal Ballet and the Mariinsky Ballet.”
When at the age of twenty-seven he wanted to take part in the Rural Retreat for aspiring leaders, by the British organisation DanceEast, the former director of The Royal Ballet, Monica Mason, fully understood. “Although she did say ‘make sure you dance another couple of years first, to gain even more knowledge of the profession from the inside’.” So the first seed for his current appointment was already planted back then. “Lots of people who were on the course with me went into the profession, like Tamara Rojo (now artistic director of San Francisco Ballet – ed.) and Tamas Detrich (Stuttgarter Ballett – ed.).”
‘Radiate and be daring’
One part of the retreat was a work placement, and the organisers had the idea that Ernst would do his with Dutch National Ballet. “I got the opportunity to accompany Ted (Brandsen – ed.) for six weeks and right from the start I got my own projects to do.” It clicked so well in Amsterdam that Ernst stayed on, dancing with the company in the rank of grand sujet for three years. “After ten years with The Royal Ballet, I also needed a change, and I was introduced to a whole new repertoire: Hans van Manen, Alexei Ratmansky, Krzysztof Pastor and Ted himself. But at the same time Ted knew that I had another passion and ambition.”
That led to Ernst’s appointment in 2013 as artistic coordinator of the Junior Company, which was founded that year. That involved quite a bit of pioneering initially. “I had to scout dancers for a group that didn’t exist as yet, and in the beginning I was doing nearly everything myself: giving classes, taking rehearsals, being in the studio all day long and touring around the country on the bus. But I’m really grateful for all the scope I was given, and I learnt a great deal, also through the close contact with other theatre departments, ranging from production to stagecraft.” The same applies to his collaboration with Marco Gerris from ISH Dance Collective, with whom he has now presented four productions. “My view of what dance and theatre can be has been broadened enormously by Marco and his dancers. The daring of those hiphoppers – we need more of that in ballet too. It doesn’t always need to be so proper. Of course technique is important, but you should just show yourself, just radiate and be daring on that stage.”
Even more responsibility
In 2018, a new challenge came his way that seemed logical to him. Besides leading the Junior Company, Ernst became the artistic director of the Dutch National Ballet Academy. “That link made the continuous learning line of school-junior group-main company even stronger.”
It also meant that he had to navigate within two sizeable, totally different organisations: the Amsterdam University of the Arts and its division the Academy of Theatre and Dance. On top of that, he was given responsibility for more than two hundred pupils, students, teachers and other staff. It all came naturally to him, and in recent years he’s made some important, radical changes, for which he had to deal with ministries, project developers and architects, among others. “I’m really happy that we’ve succeeded in transforming the existing three-year Bachelor’s course into a two-year Associate Degree, initiating the Bachelor’s course Teacher of Classical Ballet and moving into our own new premises that are completely tailored to our wishes.” But he’s probably learnt the most through his contact with so many young people. “Dance students nowadays take a very different view of life and the world to the one we used to take. They’re critical and questioning, they want to contribute their ideas and they’re hugely creative. If you provide scope for that, it can lead to fantastic things.”
Nerve-racking, intensive and tough
The fact that in January 2024 he took a step back from the Dutch National Ballet Academy (which now has a three-strong artistic team, with Ernst still holding final responsibility for the time being) and took up the position of associate director of Talent Development with Dutch National Ballet was, he says, absolutely not a forerunner of his present appointment as artistic director. “That was completely separate. Someone was needed to take responsibility for the programming of the new small stage, Studio Boekman. Moreover, talent development has always been very important to Ted and to Rachel Beaujean, with regard to young dancers as well as dancers who’ve been with the company for around ten years, so I’m paying extra attention to that now. In addition, we want to focus more on the development of ballet as an art form, also in connection with other disciplines.”
So no, he says laughingly, he was absolutely not the ‘heir apparent’, who already had it made. “I had to simply apply for the job, like everyone else. And that was inspiring, but nerve-racking, intensive and tough as well. The fact that I knew the company well had its advantages, but also its disadvantages. People know me in a particular role, but now I had to show that this other role is also a good fit. That requires a vulnerable attitude: you have to be able to convince people of your skills and vision, and of your plans for the company. “Of course we’ll always lovingly cherish our past and heritage at Dutch National Ballet, but it’s also important to shape a new future, on the basis of a challenging, energetic and questioning viewpoint.”
Ballet of the future
It’s still too early – more than a year and half until he officially takes up the position – to make his plans public, but he says, “You can bet that wherever possible – because many things are already set for the coming years – I’ll be putting my mark on the programming from the 2026/2027 season onwards. Dutch National Ballet’s standard is very high indeed, and I can’t wait to build further on all that there is, and has been, along with new generations of dancers and choreographers. So much is happening in the world around us, as well as within the dance world. So how do you express that, and how do you shape the ballet of the future? It’s important for us to take the next steps in that process.”
What’s more, after six ‘really great years’ with the Dutch National Ballet Academy, he can’t believe his luck that soon he’ll be ‘back in the theatre’ full-time. “At the end of the day, that’s where my heart is. Being able to experience that magic night after night, every time the curtain goes up.”
Text: Astrid van Leeuwen