Paul Lightfoot is a renowned choreographer and artistic director. He was born on February 3, 1966, in Kingsbury, London. Lightfoot is best known for his work with the Nederlands Dans Theater (NDT), where he spent most of his career.
Lightfoot joined NDT in 1985 as a dancer and quickly impressed with his choreographic skills. He began creating his own works in the late 1990s and soon became one of the company’s principal choreographers. Lightfoot’s choreography is known for its unique blend of athleticism, emotion, and conceptual depth.
During his tenure at NDT, Lightfoot collaborated closely with Sol León, a fellow choreographer and his life partner. Together, they created numerous critically acclaimed works that have been performed by NDT and other prestigious dance companies worldwide.
Some of Paul Lightfoot‘s notable choreographic works include “Sehnsucht,” “Shoot the Moon,” “Sad Case,” “Stop-Motion,” and “Safe as Houses,” among many others. His creations often explore themes of love, relationships, and the human condition, leaving a lasting impact on both performers and audiences.
In addition to his choreographic endeavors, Lightfoot served as the artistic director of NDT from 2011 until 2020. Under his leadership, NDT continued to push artistic boundaries and maintain its reputation as one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies.
Paul Lightfoot’s contributions to the field of dance have been recognized with numerous awards and honors. His innovative choreography has gained international acclaim, and his works continue to inspire and captivate audiences around the world.
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Nederlands Dans Theater, under the Artistic Direction of Paul Lightfoot, is one of the world’s leading contemporary dance companies. In 1978, NDT 2 was founded to develop young talent for the main company. Since then, NDT 2 has developed into an independent company with its very own repertory, now under the artistic direction of Nancy…
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Never before has The Australian Ballet presented contemporary dance of this scale and ambition. Commissioned for the 60th anniversary of Nederlands Dans Theater, the world’s most celebrated contemporary company, and now presented for the first time outside of the Netherlands by The Australian Ballet, Kunstkamer is the joint creation of four choreographers: frequent collaborators Paul…
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Same Difference (2007) is a theatrical piece by Sol León and Paul Lightfoot, in which dance communicates in both a symbolical and literal way. Same Difference is inspired by the chaotic influence of the ego on the individual. It shows how easily one can distance oneself from it, how malleable our identities are and how…
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Self-Portrait is a 20-minute work danced by Sebastian Haynes, Maria Kochetkova and Toon Lobach. Originally inspired by an art exhibition in Vienna and as an extension of the works Standby and Unspoken – respectively Lightfoot’s farewell performance for NDT and a Tribeca-nominated short film dedicated to his late father. Selvportræt, an intimate and personal work…
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The dream of reason produces monsters. Imagination deserted by reason creates impossible, useless thoughts. United with reason imagination is the mother of all art and the source of all its beauty. – Francisco Goya Sol León and Paul Lightfoot created SH-BOOM! in 1994 for the annual Dancers Choreography Workshop, now called Switch. The piece marks…
