Timothy van Poucke promoted to principal dancer

Last night, Ted Brandsen, director of Dutch National Ballet, appointed Timothy van Poucke as principal dancer. He announced this promotion immediately after Van Poucke’s convincing performance of the role of Sheikh Abd al-Rahman in Raymonda. With this promotion, Van Poucke is the first Dutch male principal dancer with Dutch National Ballet since 2018.

Van Poucke was born in Woerden and received his education at the Dutch National Ballet Academy. In 2016, he joined the Junior Company, and got into the main company in 2017. He then promoted each successive year, until he was appointed soloist in 2021. 

This year Van Poucke danced many male leading roles, including in the full-length ballets Swan Lake and Giselle, and in Hans van Manen’s 5 Tangos. The role of Abd al-Rahman in Raymonda completed this list and created a perfect moment for Van Poucke’s promotion to principal dancer.

During his career, Van Poucke has already received the Incentive Award of Dansersfonds ‘79 and the Alexandra Radius Prize. In 2021, he was nominated for the ‘Dancer of the Year Award’ by the renowned magazine Dance Europe.

You can read Van Poucke’s complete biography here.

We would like to congratulate Timothy van Poucke warmly on his well-earned promotion and wish him every success in his further career with Dutch National Ballet!