photo: Sacha Grootjans Fay van Baar is a Dutch/British freelance creator and performer, based in The Netherlands. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Dance from the Royal Conservatory of The Hague and began her professional journey with Nederlands Dans Theater 2 (NDT 2) before advancing to Nederlands Dans Theater 1 (NDT 1). Over her nine-year tenure with NDT, Fay contributed to the creation of more than 20 new works in collaboration with celebrated choreographers, including Marne and Imre van Opstal, Damien Jalet, Sharon Eyal, Marco Goecke, Paul Lightfoot and Sol León, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Yoann Bourgeois, Simon McBurney and others.
In addition to her career as a dancer, Fay has choreographed works for stage and film within and outside NDT, for programs such as Switch and Young Talent Project. She was honored with the Dansersfonds prize for her "mature, unforced presentation, subtle musicality, and clear affinity with the atmosphere and energy that a choreography seeks to evoke."
Bio
As a child, I would lose myself in shoebox dioramas—tiny, imagined worlds in my hands. I’d shape the light, arrange the interiors, and decide where the viewer’s eye might wander. In those small, contained spaces, entire universes came alive. What I create now feels much the same. I build spaces for others to step into, places where imagination can take flight and connection can unfold.
I believe that art lives in the in-between: the exchange of ideas, the spark of recognition, the space where suggestion transforms into individual meaning. We are all seeking connection, understanding, and a sense of belonging. Imagination fascinates me because it is never the same for anyone. It is deeply personal, yet it binds us, offering glimpses of shared humanity in its infinite variations.
To me, collaboration is key. Whether with dancers, musicians, writers, or visual artists, I thrive in the interplay of minds.
