Tars Vandebeek
Tars Vandebeek
 Freelance dancer, choreographer, actor, and model
I am a freelance dancer, choreographer, and director, with a career deeply rooted in exploring the evolution of movement and connection. From a young age, I was part of Kopergietery in Ghent, Belgium, where I had the opportunity to perform and tour with various theatre and dance theatre productions by renowned artists like Eva Bal, Ives Thuwis, and Gregory Caers. My journey continued at the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, where I honed my craft and, in 2011, won the gold medal and the Biarritz City Award at the International Competition for Contemporary Dance in Biarritz.

My professional career took me to esteemed companies such as Cannes Jeune Ballet in France and Gauthier Dance in Stuttgart, Germany. From 2013 to 2018, I danced with Ballett Zürich, performing numerous soloist and principal roles. In 2014, I was featured in TANZ magazine for my performance as Lewin in Christian Spuck's *Anna Karenina*. Throughout my career, I’ve performed on stages around the world and collaborated with top choreographers such as Jirí Kylián, William Forsythe, Hans Van Manen, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Marco Goecke, and many others.

From 2018 to 2019, I worked as a freelance dancer and performed as a guest with the Hong Kong Ballet. In June 2019, I joined the Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company under the direction of Jacopo Godani, where I continued to perform until August 2022. Afterward, I co-founded a Belgian-based collective focused on creating original performances and dance films. Currently, I work independently as a freelance artist, balancing roles as a choreographer, dancer, actor, and model.

At the core of my artistic practice is the belief that ballet is more than just a set of formal movements—it is a living, evolving language, defined by its lightness, complexity, speed, and dynamic nature. For me, ballet transcends traditional forms, becoming not only a method of expression but a shared experience between performers and audiences. It is a dialogue, constantly evolving, yet rooted in the powerful tools that trained dancers possess. I am passionate about exploring how dancers, as moving bodies, can create and evolve together, fostering a deep connection where one movement cannot exist without the other.

I emphasize the importance of vulnerability and authenticity, creating an environment where dancers are free to respond in real-time and make decisions in the moment. This approach allows dancers to use their tools not just to execute steps but to express something profound. For me, this raw, immediate connection is essential in today’s world—a connection without distractions or artifice, just truth, presence, and shared experience.

Through my work, I continue to push the boundaries of dance, embracing its fluid evolution and exploring new ways for movement to communicate beyond form. My journey is one of continuous discovery—both as a dancer and as an artist dedicated to the profound connection between body, movement, and audience.



Experience

Compagnie Pilolabo | 2022 - Present
Co-Founder and Performer

Dresden Frankfurt Dance Company | 2019-2022
Artistic Director: Jacopo Godani

Freelance | 2018-2019

Ballet Zürich | 2013-2018
Artistic Director: Christian Spuck
Gauthier Dance Stuttgart | 2012-2013
Artistic Director: Eric Gauthier

Cannes Jeune Ballet | 2011-2012
Artistic Director: Paula Cantalupo

Youth Theatre Kopergietery Gent | 2005-2009
Artistic Director: Eva Bal
Own Creations
  • Tarrion, Musical Theatre Basel
  • Muttermal, Les Hommes Andersom, rust (film) for and with Compagnie Pilolabo
  • Shape Attached - the torn dresses , Another day of life, Who Knows Where The Time Goes
  • I Am Done , Imminence in Motion - film projects with Joseph Cavanaugh

Collaborations  
  • IFIF by Emily Mast for M-museum Leuven
  • At Rise of Curtain, for the art movie made by Brecht Vanhoutte
  • Creation of “Empty Room” by Opinion Public, Brussel

Film
  • Philip Bruedele for Lanilees
  • Studio Alfons Meyer for Maslee official
  • Olifantje In Het Bos - full length - Meikeminne Clinckspoor
Repetoire: Main Roles
  • “Moto Perpetuo”, “Al dila”, “High Breed”, “Metamorphoses”, from Jacopo Godani
  • Title role in Woyzeck, “Wronski” in Anna Karenina, “Paris” in Romeo and Julia,
    Leading couple in Siebte Blau & Solitude from Christian Spuck
  • “Leading couple” in Cantata from Mauro Bigonzetti
  • Emergence Crystal Pite · Minus16 (opening solo); Ohad Naharin
  • Quintett, Work Within Work; William Forsythe
  • Wings of Wax, Gods and Dogs, Lieder eines Fahrenden Gesellen,Sex Tanze; Jiri Kylian
  • Sacre du Printemps, Chamber Minds; Edward Clug 
  • Opus 40; Jean Christophe Maillot
  • Kammerballet from Hans Van Manen · Kairos from Wayne Mcgregor
  • Lickety Split; Alejandro Cerrudo · Bellulus; Stephan Toss
Created Roles
  • Alter Ego, Sateliting, Bach Off, Hollow Bones, When The Dust Settles, Premonitions of a larger plan from Jacopo Godani
  • “Lewin” in Anna Karenina, “Recordare” in Messa di Requiem Verdi; Christian Spuck
  • Deer Vision, I found a fox, Good old Moone from Marco Goecke
  • Burning Bridges from Jiri Bubenicek, Malasangre from Cayetano Soto
  • Lady With The Fan, A-life, Iris from Douglas Lee
  • “Spanish Dance” in Swanlake from Aleksej Ratmansky
  • “God” in Faust from Edward Clug, Main couple in disTanz from Filipe Portugal
  • Onegin; John Cranko, Giselle; Patrice Bart, Sleeping Beauty; Marcia Haydee Four Temperaments; George Balanchine, Sleeping Beauty; Mats Ek
  • Forellenquintett; Martin Schläpfer, Ryu; Kinsun Shan, ...
Guest Performance
  • March 2019, “Le Corsaire”, with Hongkong Ballet
  • Kapitein Winokio, AB Brussel December 2023 with Compagnie Pilolabo
 Theater
  • Satijn en Witte Wijn by Eva Bal en Yves Thuwis Kopergietery Gent
  • RENNEN and RENNEN XL by Yves Thuwis en Gregory Caers Kopergietery Gent
 Awards
  • TANZmagazine, november 2014. Featured as “shooting star” for “Lewin”, in Anna Karenina from Christian Spuck
  • International Competition of Contemporary Dance Biarritz 2011 under the direction of Thierry Malandain  Gold medal and Biarritz City Award
  • Selection of own creation “rust” for the “Moovy Festival” Köln 2024
 Residencies
  • PlayPractice International Residency Program, Bangalore India, December 2018. Focus on improvisation, contact improvisation and movement connected to martial arts
  • Les Ballets C de La B Gent, Belgium, Research residency Compagnie Pilolabo
  • Oude Badhuis Antwerpen, Belgium for the creation of Muttermal by Compagnie Pilolabo
  • Miramiro and PERPLX creation residency for Les Hommes Andersom by Cie. Pilolabo
 Movement Director
  • “I could almost be invisible in my vulnerability” by Mathias Goethals
 Festivals
 Dance Festival Budapest 2022, Belgrade Dance Festival 2021, Dance Open Sint-Petersburg 2021, Festival Madrid 2019 , Tanz Festival Karlsruhe 2018, International Arts Festival Hongkong 2018, International Contemporary dance Festival DanceInversion Moscow 2018, Edinburgh International Festival 2015 Steps Festival Switzerland 2014, Kunst im Club Stuttgart 2013, Le Coup de Theatre Montreal 2010 Szene Bunte Wähne Vienna 2010


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