My story
Wim Vanlessen, former Principal Dancer with Royal Ballet Flanders and founder and artistic director of Time To Dance, was born in Belgium and trained at the Royal Ballet School of Antwerp.
Wim is a celebrated star dancer with a career spanning twenty-five years. After winning the "Prix Professionnel" at the prestigious contest Prix de Lausanne, he joined The Royal Ballet Flanders in 1994. It was at this prestigious ballet company where he was quickly appointed as principal dancer. Throughout the years, Vanlessen received media attention for his outstanding performances in classical and neoclassical repertoire. For example, William Forsythe's and George Balanchine's works were some of the masters included in his outstanding repertoire. Wim also maintained a wide and versatile range of performing possibilities. Having worked closely with world-renowned choreographers, such as Christian Spuck, Jean-Christophe Maillot, Annabelle Lopez, David Dawson, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Vanlessen developed and created principal roles in many great ballets, resulting in a large and broad network within the ballet world and beyond. He was chosen to dance the lead role in Béjart's masterpiece Bolero, Spartacus from the legendary Grigorovich, Giselle by Akram Khan and many more.
In 2016 Wim Vanlessen was knighted “Chevalier in the order of Leopold” in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to the cultural arts in Belgium. In this regard, he is a well-known representative on and off the stage in the world of ballet.
Dance Europe Magazine named Wim Vanlessen “Dancer of the year” multiple times, including the designation in 2019 for his outstanding interpretation of Béjart's Bolero.
Wim is also the author of his autobiography "Dancer". Part memoir, part visual history, this acclaimed publication traces the arc of his life and career, developing his aesthetic brand and documenting his passion for movement, fashion and photography. His children’s book “Een heel bijzondere jongen”, is a narrative about a boy that wants to dance and follows his dreams.
Wim’s passion for fashion and dance led him to pursue movement direction with beautiful collaborations for Dries Van Noten, Carolina Herrera, and Delvaux as well as commercial campaigns and editorials for Vogue, L’Officiel, and Numéro.
A well-respected judge at dance competitions world-wide, Vanlessen has been awarded numerous prestigious honors. He is a frequently invited teacher and coach for master classes around the world. Besides his artistic talent, Vanlessen is a well-respected public figure who is often seen on national television, for example, he was a selected judge on the panel of “Dancing With The Stars”, Belgium. His strong communication skills and natural ability to connect with an audience have made him a popular public speaker. Wim has spoken to groups, large and small, who want to learn from his remarkable discipline, work ethic and leadership. Wim is keen to apply these qualities to future projects, in the arts, media, business and beyond.