Igone de Jongh trained at the Dutch National Ballet Academy and The Royal Ballet School in London. She joined Dutch National Ballet shortly after and rose through every rank within seven years, becoming a Principal Dancer at the age of just 24. In 2003, she received the Alexandra Radius Prize for the most outstanding dancer of Dutch National Ballet, followed in 2016 by the prestigious Golden Swan for her remarkable contribution to Dutch dance. That same year, she was appointed Knight of the Order of the Dutch Lion.

Renowned for her exceptional interpretations of the classical repertoire and as muse to choreographer Hans van Manen, Igone is widely regarded as the most celebrated Dutch ballerina of her generation. Her repertoire includes iconic roles such as Juliet (Romeo and Juliet), Odette/Odile (Swan Lake), Giselle (Giselle), and Aurora (The Sleeping Beauty). She bid farewell to Dutch National Ballet dancing her signature role of Juliet.

After 24 years of shining on the world’s leading ballet stages, Igone chose to bring ballet closer to audiences across the country with her first independent production, I. Following its success came Zin in Liefde, Beauty Persists, and Renaissance, intimate, poetic performances that bridge the classical and contemporary worlds. In 2022 and 2023, she also curated and headlined her own ballet gala at the Royal Theatre Carré, featuring special guest appearances by Chantal Janzen, Wende Snijders, Alex Klaasen, and Frederique Spigt.

In 2015, the wider Dutch public came to know Igone as a jury member on the hit television show Dance Dance Dance, which ran for five seasons, concluding in 2019.

In May 2022, together with Senf Theaterpartners, Igone co-founded The United Ukrainian Ballet Foundation: an initiative dedicated to supporting displaced Ukrainian dancers and preserving the nation’s ballet and dance culture, which came under severe threat following the Russian invasion.

Her life and career were immortalized in Igone – De Biografie by Marcel Langedijk, published by Spectrum in 2020.