Amber Veltman

Jury about the nomination

''In the multidisciplinary performance Terecht, tensions run high and moral questions are raised about the impact of a criminal trial. Amber Veltman excels in effortlessly switching between and integrating dance, text and performance, as well as in her interaction with the set and her fellow actors. Veltman's stage presence brings both emotion and oppression, strength and playfulness to the intense theme. She knows how to convey deep emotions in a moving way and confuses the audience about what is right and wrong. The intensity of her dance ensures that you keep watching her."

About Amber Veltman

Amber Veltman (1998) works as a dancer and physical actor across various disciplines: from modern dance to mime, from acrobatic partnering to text-based theatre. She graduated from the Amsterdam School of the Arts (Modern Theatre Dance) in 2020 and has since worked with companies such as Wabi Sabi Theater, Het Houten Huis, Collectief MAMM, Faizah Grootens and Deronde/Deroo. She also tours as a dancer with rapper Elmer, embracing her own diversity and queerness. At festivals such as Buitenkunst, she can express her versatile creativity by creating and experimenting — from dance raves to tranquil forest performances, from raw to tender. 
 
Her work is always in motion, fuelled by a curiosity about the layers within herself and the world around her. In 2024, she travelled to Indonesia to explore her Javanese-Surinamese roots. There, she took classes in Balinese dance, Javanese court dance and Jaipong — these experiences brought a new layer to her physical vocabulary. 
 
On stage, Amber constantly seeks authenticity and connection: she considers performing to be a moment of stillness in time — a point of intensity where everything comes together, yet is always changing.

Fotography: Isabelle la Poutré