Many people call themselves artists, but few deserve that honorary title as much as Ellen ten Damme. She is an artist par excellence, who lives with complete dedication for the stage, her art, and her audience. And only the name "artist" does her justice, because any other description would do her a disservice. She is a singer, actress, acrobat, dancer, musician, writer, and composer—all of these at once. Her astonishing versatility stems from the fact that she believes so deeply in her art and enjoys it with such vibrant energy that she would never allow herself to take it easy.
On September 17th, she'll be on stage at Bridge to Liberation. And we're proud of her!
ARTIST
Ellen ten Damme (born 1967) grew up far from the spotlight, smoke machines, and television cameras in Roden, Drenthe. But the world would hear about her, that much was clear even then. She was a musical and athletic prodigy. As a gymnast, she was among the top in the Netherlands. She played classical violin and had her own pop band. She attended the Atheneum, studied Dutch literature for a few years in Groningen, completed preparatory training at the conservatory, and finally graduated from the Academie voor Kleinkunst (Academy of Cabaret) in Amsterdam. She was just twenty when she released her first single.
Ellen ten Damme achieved national fame as a singer and actress. She appeared in a variety of feature films, including De Kleine Blonde Dood (The Little Blonde Death), No Trains No Planes (No Trains No Planes), and De Tranen van Maria Marchita (The Tears of Maria Marchita). For the latter, she was nominated for a Golden Calf. On television, she played roles in the series Pleidooi (Pleasure) and in Jiskefet (The Song of Jiskefet). Her role in the commercial for Zwitserleven Gevoel (Sensation of Zwitserleven), made her a sex symbol of a generation. In Germany, she achieved success with films and soundtracks for Conamara, Tatort, and Die Musterknaben (The Musternaben), and in America with soundtracks for Caspar the Friendly Ghost, Sweet Valley High, and Power Rangers. She also appeared in theater and wrote columns for De Volkskrant.
MUSICIAN ABOVE ALL
But at heart, she has always remained a musician above all. She writes her own songs, plays violin, piano, and guitar, and is arguably one of the finest singers of her generation, with her supple and intense voice seemingly capable of any genre, from rock 'n' roll to opera, and capable of any hue, from raw energy to tranquil lyricism. She has performed at Noorderslag, Pinkpop, and Lowlands, as well as with the Jazz Orchestra of the Concertgebouw, the Konrad Kosselleck Big Band, and the Metropole Orchestra.
One of her greatest qualities as a singer is her theatricality. Few are able to deliver music and lyrics as compellingly as she. Another aspect of her theatricality is her ability to command the stage. She is a stage animal of incredible intensity. Sensitive, daring, funny, and boundless. She loves the audience so intensely that she devours them. She employs an endless arsenal of theatrical devices, including masquerades and fancy dress, handstands and cartwheels, wigs and provocative dresses, cabaret, variety, and acrobatics. She therefore has a predilection for unconventional artists like Marlène Dietrich, Nina Hagen, and Kate Bush.
