Mea Venema joined Netherlands Dans Theatre at 17 and danced in much of the company’s repertory created by its Directors Benjamin Harkarvy and Hans van Manen, and others who created for the company including Jerome Robbins and Glen Tetley. She has also danced with the Geneva Ballet Company and Dutch National Ballet, and has worked with Kurt Jooss and danced with Rudolf Nureyev. In 1982, after working with Hans van Manen for over 20 years (having danced 23 of his ballets of which most were created on her), Venema started teaching his choreography all over the world and in 1984 became his assistant. She teaches his works all over the world and is a board member of the Hans van Manen Foundation.