The Henny Jurriëns Studio (HJS) in Amsterdam was established in 1996 and is named after one of the Netherlands’ best and most-loved dancers. It is considered to be one of the most important training centers for professional dancers in the world and is open throughout the year.

In addition to the daily technique classes, a wide variety of workshops and masterclasses are given in different styles, including those of the most prominent choreographers working today. The yearly Amsterdam Summer Intensive attracts dancers from more than 40 countries. The studio serves as a network and center for freelance dance artists and periodically provides opportunities where they can show their own work onstage or work with choreographers and then perform. A new program ‘SPRINGPLANK’(Springboard) helps dancers who have recently graduated make contact with the work field. HJS receives structural subsidy from the Amsterdam Fund for the Arts (AFK).

The new HJS Springplank program offers recent alumni as well as students in their last year of dance education institutions the possibility of participating in a series of activities aimed at increasing their chances of finding work in the professional dance field. Springplank activities are free of charge to dancers/students from Amsterdam HBOs and MBOs as it is mostly funded by the Economic Affairs Department of the City of Amsterdam, but other young dancers are welcome to join for a soft price.

'Bridging the gap between dance academies and the professional work field'

The activities include classes and workshops focusing on both dance and entrepreneurial skills, as well audition training, network events, coaching, and presentations. These will aid young professionals in their careers in the (subsidized) arts sector, the commercial dance sector, and other sectors such as teaching and social health care, where paid dance opportunities are available.
Springplank is a result-oriented program in which HJS uses its more than 25 years of experience, knowledge, and connections in order to facilitate entry to the job market. This new program will be presented during the Nederlandse Dansdagen.

SPRINGPLANK coordinator Wouter Vergouwen will give a presentation about the program