The Netherlands Dance Theatre artistic director has spent more than 30 years with the company. He tells us why.

“I’m a little bit hyperactive, a little bit mad, and I’m not the biggest fan of rigid structures,” choreographer and artistic director of the Netherlands Dance Theatre, Paul Lightfoot confesses. It’s telling then, that someone with such a restless spirit should choose to stay at one company for the majority of his adult life: 32 years and counting. Lightfoot’s career with NDT – the contemporary dance troupe that is widely regarded as the most accomplished and innovative in the world – began by chance after he received an eight-week work experience placement as a graduate of the Royal Ballet School in London. “It sounds cliched, but the moment I walked through the door I was like, God damn, I’ve been in the wrong environment all this time. This is the place I need to be,” Lightfoot recalls. “I was completely struck by how creativity was encouraged, and I suppose that really fitted with my personality. Once I started making work for the company, I was on a roll here, so why was I going to think about...