Born in 1958, Bert studied at the Academy of Photography and Phototechnics in The Hague, graduating in 1978. He then went on to freelance in photography and theatre lighting before becoming managing director of the Arinde Visualdesign photography and design studios in Amsterdam in 1982.

In 1986, he joined the lighting department of Amsterdam’s Het Muziektheatre, eventually becoming deputy chief of the department in 2001. During this time, he also took on the roles of artistic supervisor and residential light designer for The Dutch National Ballet.

He continues to work as a freelance light designer for ballet, opera and theatre, after the succesfull production of Giselle by David Dawson March, Romeo en Juliet was his second full length ballet.