Jan Martens

Born in Belgium, Jan Martens studied at the Fontys Dance Academy in Tilburg, the Netherlands, and completed his dance training in 2006 at the Royal Conservatoire of Antwerp.

Since 2010, he has been creating his own choreographic work, driven by the conviction that every body is capable of communicating and has a story to tell.

In 2014, the choreographer chose the jump as a central movement in the group piece THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER, a production selected by Het Theaterfestival Vlaanderen which would bring him international acclaim. Under the title THE DOG DAYS ARE OVER 2.0, he restaged the piece in 2025 with a new cast.

In 2014, he won the Prince Bernard Prize from the North Brabant Dutch Cultural Fund and, in 2015, the prestigious Charlotte Köhler Prize. In 2023, he was appointed a Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters.

Since 2022, Jan Martens has been a co-founder of GRIP and its co-artistic director. He is also an associate artist with Opera Ballet Vlaanderen, DE SINGEL in Antwerp, La Comédie de Clermont-Ferrand SN, Maison de la danse in Lyon and the Lyon Dance Biennale.