Toer van Schayk

Toer van Schayk (Amsterdam, 1936) received his first ballet lessons from Irall Gadeskov and continued his training with Sonia Gaskell. From 1955 to 1959 he was a member of Gaskell’s Nederlands Ballet, but he interrupted his dancing career to complete his studies in sculpture at the Royal Academy of Art in The Hague.

In 1965, Toer van Schayk returned to the dance world to take on the role of the Young Man in Rudi van Dantzig’s Monument voor een gestorven jongen for Dutch National Ballet. Van Schayk was subsequently engaged by the company, where he became a beloved soloist thanks to his expressive and compelling interpretations. In 1971, encouraged by Van Dantzig, he made his debut as a choreographer with Onvoltooid verleden tijd. In total, he created more than fifty works, several of which have also been performed by international companies. Among his best-known choreographies are Voor, tijdens en na het feest, Life (in collaboration with Van Dantzig), Landschap, 7e Symfonie, Requiem and Notenkraker & Muizenkoning (in collaboration with Wayne Eagling). In 1999, he also created the choreography for the musical Elisabeth, produced by Joop van den Ende.

Van Schayk is also widely recognised as a visual artist. His independent work includes sculptures and paintings, which have been shown in solo exhibitions in Amsterdam, Athens, London and New York. In addition, he is one of the most remarkable Dutch set and costume designers. Alongside his own ballets, he designed the sets and costumes for nearly all of Van Dantzig’s works. In 2003, he also created the designs for a new production of Sir Frederick Ashton’s Cinderella for The Royal Ballet.

Van Schayk remains active in the dance world. In 2021, his most recent choreography, Lucifer Studies, premiered in the Dutch National Ballet programme TOER. He continues to restage his earlier ballets for Dutch National Ballet, oversees the supervision of his designs, and in 2009 created the sets and costumes for the company’s new production of Giselle. In 2016, Van Schayk was appointed Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. In 2012, he received both the Silver Medal of the City of Amsterdam and the Benois de la Danse Life Time Achievement Award. In 2021, he received the inaugural Dance Medal of the Nederlandse Dansdagen Maastricht.

Awards and honours:
2021 Dance Medal, Nederlandse Dansdagen (Maastricht)
2016 Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
2012 Silver Medal (Amsterdam)
2012 Life Time Achievement Award (Benois de la Danse)
1987 Choreography Prize (Amsterdam)
1979 Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau

Last update: 9-12-2025