Jefta van Dinther Special Photo: Jubal Battisti
Jefta van Dinther is one of the most recognised Swedish choreographers and dancers of recent years. He was born in 1980 and works in Stockholm and Berlin.
Jefta van Dinther (1980) is a choreographer and dancer. His work is characterised by a clear physical approach and almost always stages an exploration of movement. The body is at the centre of the works, which interact with light, sound and different materials to form a whole.
Central to his work is the question of what it means to be human, explored through its relationship to society, community and environment, but also to other forms of life such as animals and other non-human entities.
Van Dinther's works include REMACHINE (2023), Unearth (2022), the diptych On Earth I'm Done: Islands (2022) and Mountains (2021), The Quiet (2019), Plateau Effect for Staatsballett Berlin (2019), Dark Field Analysis (2017), Protagonist (2016), As It Empties Out (2014), Plateau Effect (2013), THIS IS CONCRETE (2012), The Blanket Dance (2011), GRIND (2011), Kneeding (2010), The Way Things Go (2009) and IT'S IN THE AIR (2008). Jefta van Dinther has also choreographed and dances in the music video Monument (2015) by Robyn & Röyksopp. Jefta was an associate choreographer with Cullberg between 2019-2022.
In 2012, van Dinther was awarded the Birgit Cullberg grant from the Swedish Arts Grants Committee. Van Dinther also received the Swedish Theatre Critics' Dance Award 2013 for Plateau Effect, which was also selected for the Swedish Performing Arts Biennale 2015. GRIND was awarded the Säde Prize in Finland for best lighting design and received three awards at the Favoriten Festival in Dortmund, 2012.
Van Dinther graduated from the Amsterdam School of the Arts (MTD) in 2003 and was subsequently engaged as a dancer, working with several choreographers such as Mette Ingvartsen, Frederic Gies, Kristine Slettevold, Keren Levi, Ivana Muller, Leine&Roebana and Xavier le Roy. Van Dinther teaches choreography at various international centres and training programmes. He was appointed artistic director of the master's programme in choreography at DOCH (Stockholm School of Dance and Circus) between 2012-2014.
Jefta van Dinther at Dansens Hus
Unearth13-14 April 2024
In Unearth, Jefta van Dinther brings together ten dancers in a stripped-down and powerful choreography of body and voice.
On Earth I'm Done: Islands18-21 May 2022
The first part "Mountains" was a creation story on an evocative dystopian planet. In May, Jefta van Dinther presents part two: "Islands".
Who is Jefta van Dinther?
Read an interview with Jefta van Dinther about himself and his art.
Unearth | Trailer
On Earth I'm Done | Mountains | Teaser
On Earth I'm Done: Islands
As It Empties Out (2014)
A game with scales, dimensions and time. Length suddenly becomes height and depth becomes age.
Monument
In addition to dance performances, Jefta van Dinther has both choreographed and danced in Röyksopp and Robyn's 'Monument' music video.
This is Concrete (2012)
The work is a collaboration between choreographers and dancers Jefta van Dinther and Thiago Granato. It is a meditative and intimate dance work that takes us to a dance floor landscape where time is suspended. A choreographic slow motion turns into high speed as Jefta van Dinther and Thiago Granato meet in a sweaty, pulsating duet. Body, music and distorted voices result in an erotic clash that offers the audience a handful of surprises. The work toured in Dansnät Sweden in 2016.