Roger Van der Poel (1983) received the Encouragement Award 2007. He is dancer of Nederlands Dans Theater II and attracts notice because of his technical virtuosity and stage presence, which he demonstrated, for instance, in ballets by Ji?í Kylián and Lightfoot León. And also during the Hans van Manen Festival in September 2007, when he excelled in Simple Things, the energetic ballet by the great master himself. "Celia Amade, Roger Van der Poel, Nina Botkay and Javier Monzon belong to the ideal Van Manen dancers: sharp, focussed, with a hint of mystery and tangible energy the dancers lift the dance beyond the movement itself" (NRC Handelsblad, 12 September 2007).See www.nederlandsdanstheater.nl
