Masterclasses
Dancers have the opportunity to take masterclasses from well-known teachers from important institutions who share their knowledge and experience. Price is €18,50 per class
They will take place in either:
Podium Mozaïek (Stage or Studio 1): Bos en Lommerweg 191
Belcampo Loft Studio: Hannie Dankbaarpassage 33
2026 Edition's Masterclass Teachers
Ballet - Junior (12-15)
J Ryan Carroll
J Ryan has been a regular guest teacher at the Dutch National Ballet Academy since 2021, as well as Conny Janssen Danst, De Dutch Don’t Dance Division, Amsterdam University of the Arts Expanded Contemporary Division, ArtEZ Enschede, ICK, De Stilte and Henny Jurriens Studio, among others. In 2023, J Ryan represented Ernst Meisner and the Dutch National Ballet Academy as an adjudicator and teacher at both the Italian Dance Awards and YGP Semi Finals in Barcelona. Before moving to the Netherlands, Ryan was a regular guest teacher at Broadway Dance Center, Peridance, and Ballet Arts in NYC. He was also on the faculty at American Ballet Theatre Summer Program. In January of 2024, J Ryan taught a teachers training program at ArtEZ Enschede.
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J Ryan teaches ballet based on the Harkness Ballet Method - developed further by his mentor David Howard - and Yoga Narada®, developed by his mentor Hilary Cartwright.
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For a full bio please visit www.jryancarroll.com
Ballet Junior
Date: Saturday 14th March 2026
Time: 09:30 - 11:00
Location: Podium Mozaïek - On Stage
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Ballet Young Adult
Date: Sunday 15th March 2026
Time: 09:30 - 11:00
Location: Podium Mozaïek - Studio 1
Ballet - Young Adult (16-26)
Esther Protzman
Esther studied at the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague and at the Royal Ballet School Antwerp, Belgium. After a dancing career at Royal Ballet of Flanders, Antwerp and as a soloist at Dutch National Ballet, Amsterdam she did an Intensive Teachers Training at the Hungarian Ballet Academy. She deepened her knowledge by doing teachers courses at National Balletschool Toronto, Canada and with David Howard (NYC), Kalina Bogoeva (Bulgaria) en Frank Anderson (Bournonville style ~ Denmark). Esther has taught at the Royal Conservatory in The Hague since 2001, and has taught ballet at many ballet schools and companies around the world.
In 1989 she received the Dancersfund Prize by Alexandra Radius and Han Ebbelaar, for her excellent performance of Princess Aurora in “The Sleeping Beauty” at Dutch National Ballet Amsterdam.
In 2022 She was awarded the Special Prize at the Dutch Balletgala 2022, for all adaptions of the great classical ballets for children, for her 'knowledge, style and understanding' working with young kids at the Royal Conservatoire for more than 21 years.
Contemporary -
Faizah Grootens
Grootens' work is characterized by the vulnerability, temperament, infinite, flowing circular movements and polyrhythms that emerge through her Creole body language in Contemporary choreographies.
Born and raised in Curaçao, Faizah graduated from the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten and the Instituto Superior de Arte in Havana, Cuba. As a choreographer, she has worked with Conny Janssen Danst, Battery Dance Company (NY), KIP Republic, Korzo, Holland Dance Festival, Laleget Danza (Mex), Taller Coreográfico Unam (Mex), Herman van Veen Arts Center, ARTEZ school of the arts and the Amsterdamse Hogeschool voor de Kunsten, among others. Her work has been presented both nationally and internationally at Julidans, CaDance Festival, Kalamata Dance Festival, Oriente Occidente, Chorea International Dance Festival, Amsterdam Museum, Tropenmuseum and in various theaters in Europe, Colombia, Cuba, Mexico, New York, Curaçao and Aruba, among others. In 2022 she presented her duet While you're here - Tanten bo t'aki during the Here we live and Now program of Korzo and Nederlands Dans Theater and in 2023 her first full-length production Corpus Criolla premiered in collaboration with KIP Republic. Since the 2024 season she has been a Resident Maker at Korzo.
Grootens is the winner of the Leo Spreksel Award 2023.
​Contemporary Juniors & Young Adults (combined class)
Date: Sunday 15th March 2026
Time: 09:30 - 11:00
Location: Podium Mozaïek - On Stage
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Combined Juniors & Young Adults (12-26)
Contemporary Junior
Date: Saturday 14th March 2026
Time: 11:00-12:15
Location: Podium Mozaïek - Studio 1 ​​
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Contemporary - Junior (12-15)
Niek Wagenaar
Since graduating from the Urban Contemporary Dancedepartment in Amsterdam, Niek has worked with Hofesh Shechter Company for several years. Currently, Niek also creates his own works as a freelance choreographer in The Netherlands and he teaches at institutions like Codarts Rotterdam and the Amsterdam Academy of Theatre and Dance.
Contemporary Class and Workshop (Countertechnique) -
Young Adult (16-26)
Nina Funk
After graduating from the ArtEZ School of Dance in Arnhem (The Netherlands), Nina studied Countertechnique intensively for several years and became an accredited teacher in 2018.
Dancing, choreographing, and teaching are three elements of equal importance for Nina. In each element, she finds inspiration to develop herself further and share her passion with others.
As a dancer, Nina has performed in the work of choreographers such as Wies Bloemen, Fleur Darkin, Lorenzo Borella, Adriaan Luteijn, Marc Brew.
Currently, she holds a teaching and rehearsal asisting position at the ArtEZ School of Dance and works as a freelance teacher and choreographer in various other places in The Netherlands and abroad. For several years she has been part of the education department of the contemporary ballet company Introdans and worked for them as a freelance teacher and dancer, where she performed in the inclusion work of Adriaan Luteijn for the first time. Since then Nina’s interest in working, making, and dancing with different groups, all kinds of dancers, ages, and cultural backgrounds, with and without disabilities has grown, and is still a big interest in her work.
Contemporary Class + Workshop
Young Adult
Date: Saturday 14th March 2026
Time: 10:00 - 12:00
Location: Belcampo Loft Studio
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*Because this class includes a workshop, it will be €25
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Ballet - Children (8-11)
Mirella Simoncini
Ballet Children
Date: Saturday 14th March 2026
Time: 9:30-10:45
Location: Podium Mozaïek - Studio 1​​​​
Mirella Simoncini is a ballet teacher, coach, and artistic director based in The Hague, Netherlands. She is the founder of Studio Simoncini and Summerschool Den Haag, the first international ballet summer school in the city, where she collaborates with dancers and choreographers from major companies and well-known vocational schools.
She received her professional dance education at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp, Codarts Rotterdam, and the Young Talent Class of the Nederlands Dans Theater, where she studied under Ivan Kramar.
Since 2002, Simoncini has focused entirely on teaching classical ballet and coaching dancers of various levels, from beginners to professionals. Her work includes guest teaching for international companies such as Rambert (UK).
At Studio Simoncini, she provides structured ballet training that emphasizes strong technique, musicality, and individual attention. Her approach combines traditional ballet foundations with a clear, analytical teaching method aimed at developing dancers’ understanding of movement and body awareness.