Living
Irene Kiefte
Raised in Tegelen, but flew out to Amsterdam, Essen, Rome, and Rotterdam. She had to leave for her dance career. Yet, just like in the famous song, she came back 'truuk, truuk, truuk nao Venlo'. In conversation with Irene Kiefte (26), dancer, dance teacher, and Matthew in the Passion Plays that can be admired in Tegelen until August 30, 2026.
“I had a really nice childhood, mostly playing outside with neighborhood friends, and as a family, we were involved in the vastelaovend. My parents and their group of friends built a carnival float together every year, and we enthusiastically helped. My mother taught the local dance marietjes, so dance was in my life from a young age. When I was five years old, I started dancing myself.”
Soon it became clear that it was more than a hobby for Irene. She was scouted and through the preliminary course of ArtEZ at Valuascollege, where she now also teaches, Irene rolled into the dance profession. “At that time, I wasn't consciously thinking that this would become my future, but you do develop a certain discipline. You're good at something, and you keep going; it felt natural, and I also found it very enjoyable to do.”
"I have seen much of the world at a young age, which gives a certain peace."
From carnival to faraway places
After high school, she moved to Amsterdam for a gap year and later to Essen for a program at the renowned Folkwang Universität der Künste. During her internship, she lived in Rome for a while. “That was truly a wonderful time. Of course, I had to do a lot for my internship, but the city itself exuded freedom. On my way to school, I walked past the Colosseum daily, and during outdoor classes, I looked out over the city. Magical! It gave me the feeling that I could do whatever I wanted there.”
Those years outside Venlo brought her a lot. “Independence, above all. I can be alone well, manage things on my own. I have also found a certain peace. I've seen, done, and experienced a lot at a young age, and because of that, I can now think: it's good like this, I don't need to do everything so urgently anymore. Also, due to my experiences, I'm grateful for everything I have.” After her studies, she danced with Scapino Ballet Rotterdam, one of the most well-known dance companies in the Netherlands. “That was truly fantastic. Everything there is so professionally organized. You create a performance, go on tour throughout the country, and every evening is different.”
Finding love in Venlo
Yet there came a moment when everything shifted. Not only because of her career but also due to something unexpected. “Wherever I was in the world, I always came back for Zomerparkfeest, carnival, and my family. Three years ago, during the Vastelaovend, I met my boyfriend, who, like me, is from Tegelen. I didn't see that coming, and neither did my family and friends expect me to come home with someone from Tegelen!”
What started spontaneously grew into something serious. “With him, I could suddenly speak my own dialect again. That might sound like something small, but for me, it truly felt like coming home. You share a background, a way of life.” When a year later her contract with Scapino ended and the future was uncertain, she had to make a choice. “I could try to work elsewhere. Maybe with another dance company abroad. When you're young, that's a big adventure, but by then I had built a relationship, friendships, and a life in the Netherlands. I would have to leave all that behind. It wasn't worth it to me to give up everything and start all over completely alone.”
“With my friend, I could suddenly speak my own dialect again. That might sound like something small, but for me, it really felt like coming home.”
She returned to Venlo and started over. First with freelance assignments for dance projects, photographers, and theaters, then as a dance teacher. She now teaches in Venlo, Venray, and Maastricht. "I never thought I would teach, but I really enjoy it. Seeing how people grow, or how they dare to do something they didn't dare to do before, gives so much satisfaction."
In addition to her work as a dance teacher, she works on an estate, where she is involved in marketing and hospitality, among other things. "I actually like that variety. Not the same thing every day, which keeps both enjoyable!"
With passion
For Irene, dance has always been of special significance, and that remained the case when she made it her profession. “For me, dance is in everything I see, feel, do, and experience. It's not something you shut down at five o'clock, like an office job. It's a part of me. I express myself with it, learn about my body through it, and grow as a person because of it. It's not something I do, it's who I am.” She is now trying to pass on that passion. To children, teenagers, and adults. “You really see people change. Especially with young people: they look up to you, they want to learn. It's really beautiful to be able to ignite that same passion in others.”
"Others go to play soccer, I go to the Passion Plays. It is always a great celebration during rehearsals and behind the scenes. I wouldn't want to miss it for anything in the world!
"Irene never really wanted to leave Venlo, but it was simply part of her career choice. "I knew that if I continued dancing, at some point I would have to leave Venlo. It was just part of it, that's how I saw it." However, being back in Venlo after years felt immediately familiar to Irene. "You don't have to find your place again here. You already have that place. People know you, you know the surroundings. That makes it easier to build something again. In the big cities, it's also very cool, but there you're more quickly just a number. Here, the sense of community is much greater, and there's more connection among people, which I really appreciate."
What makes Venlo extra special for her are the traditions. Like the Passion Plays in Tegelen, which are performed every five years and in which Irene first participated when she was three months old. "That's really something that binds people here. My whole family has been involved for years, and many of my friends too. Everyone comes together to create something beautiful. The atmosphere, rehearsing together, the performances... it's unique." This year, she's part of it again. "On May 17, the performances start again, and we perform all summer long every Sunday in the Open Air Theater De Doolhof. Others go play football, I go to the Passion Plays. It's really part of it for me. It's always a big celebration during rehearsals, behind the scenes, and after every performance. I wouldn't want to miss it for the world!"
