Martin ten Kortenaar

Martin ten Kortenaar

A native of Toronto, Canada, he graduated from the National Ballet Academy in Toronto. From 2013, he danced with the National Ballet of Canada, and from 2014, he was a soloist with the Dutch National Ballet. Since 2023, he has been the principal dancer of the Berlin State Ballet, where he performs leading roles in classical and contemporary repertoire by world-renowned choreographers such as Christian Spuck, Sol León, Marcia Haydée, Patrice Bart, William Forsythe, Crystal Pite, Alexander Gsovsky, Frederick Ashton, Edward Clug, Jiří Kylián, and others. Its repertoire encompasses nearly all the major figures of the classical repertoire, as well as contemporary works from across the globe. He is a frequent guest at international ballet galas and performs at leading venues around the world. In 2013, he received the Hnatyshyn Developing Artist Grant.
 
He loves playing romantic, dramatic roles, such as Onegin in the ballet of the same name or Romeo in Romeo and Juliet. "I think it's amazing to lose yourself in a character completely. For me, dancing is more about the heart than the moves, and I'm curious to see where dancing will take me," says the renowned ballet artist.