The Johannes Vermeer Award 2025 goes to choreographer and dance theatre director Marco Gerris. The jury, chaired by Marise Voskens, have unanimously nominated him. Gerris receives the award for his groundbreaking work, uniquely combining urban sports, dance, theatre, as well as other disciplines. For decades, his productions have reached a large audience of often new dance enthusiasts and generations, making him, according to the jury, a major inspiration and innovator for dance theatre in the Netherlands. The prestigious Dutch State Award for the Arts, brought into existence in 2008 by the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, will be presented on Monday, 17 November 2025, at the Nieuwe Kerk in The Hague by Gouke Moes, Minister of Education, Culture and Science.
Boundless
Marco Gerris is a versatile and authentic dance theatre maker. At the intersection of dance, movement, theatre, and music, he is considered a true innovator. Drawing on his experience and ambitions as a dancer, skater, and actor, Gerris founded ISH Dance Collective (ISH), which over the past twenty-five years has grown into a nationally and internationally renowned company. As (artistic) director, he has been the driving force behind ISH throughout these years, realising his artistic dreams. In his work, he unrelentingly draws inspiration from and builds upon the vibrant movement language of the street. He brings contemporary art forms like hip-hop dance, freestyle, and urban sports to the theatre. He also collaborates with established artists and companies from the worlds of classical music and ballet, breaking down established codes and collectively achieving exceptional artistic achievements.
With boundless energy and curiosity, Marco Gerris has built an impressive oeuvre for which he received the Prince Bernhard Culture Fund Award in 2020. With ISH, he has created dozens of successful productions, including ISH (2000), Elements of Freestyle (2017), Hiphop Circus (2025), and Rhythm & Flow, which was awarded the Zwaan (VSCD Dance Award) for the most impressive dance production of the year in 2024. His co-productions with Amsterdam Sinfonietta (The Barren Land, 2022), the Dutch National Ballet (Narnia, 2015; GRIMM, 2018 and 2026; Dorian, 2023), and recently the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra’s season opener have also been widely acclaimed.
Gerris’ work attracts sold-out audiences from Australia (Sydney Opera House, Townsville Civic Theatre, Brisbane Festival) to Finland (Tampere Theatre Festival), and from Taiwan (National Taichung Theatre) to New York. He reaches a diverse audience of all generations and backgrounds, who enthusiastically identify with his performances. “Marco Gerris captures the spirit of the times and incorporates it into theatrical forms. With his experimental, multidisciplinary collaborations, he fuses the universal artistic language and energy of dance and movement into unexpected combinations, transforming the stage into a journey for everything and everyone,” according to the jury of the Johannes Vermeer Award.
Together
As a creative artist and driving force, Marco Gerris brings oxygen and positive energy to the Dutch cultural landscape. In his drive for artistic adventure and multidisciplinary interaction, he pushes boundaries, brings worlds together, and is considered an icon and source of inspiration. He is constantly inspired by everything that surrounds him. In his artistic work, he also invites others to explore and deepen the idiom of their own art form. In this collective journey of discovery, new artistic forms and achievements emerge, both in the theatre and beyond. “Marco puts his artistic vision at the service of others, seeking to inspire and bridge differences. He integrates everything and everyone, fusing it into something new, with a social impact that transcends conventional movement arts. And he just keeps going,” according to the jury.
Young
With the ISH Academy, rooted in youth culture and driven by the expressive power of movement, Gerris, together with ISH, passionately inspires and guides children and young adults in discovering and developing their creativity, talents, and personality. Through the associated talent programme, he continuously supports and encourages new creators and performers in their professional growth.
Dance
The Johannes Vermeer Award is presented to an artist in the dance field for the very first time. For decades, the Netherlands has had a thriving and broad dance culture with internationally acclaimed companies, important, unique choreographers, and a passionate amateur community. Moreover, dance knows no language barrier and is an ideal performing art form for international exchange. The jury’s choice implies recognition of the position of this art form in the Dutch arts field.
On View
On the occasion of the presentation of the Johannes Vermeer Award, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science presents a selection of the award winner’s work in the MEC window display. The exhibition space is located directly next to the entrance of the Ministry on Rijnstraat 50 in The Hague and is freely accessible. The exhibition is designed by set designer Ascon de Nijs and is on view from 17 November 2025 until late April 2026.