on stage

On learning group choreographies and performing as an adult dancer.

Performing has been one of my biggest goals and dreams since returning to the barre in my 20s. After years away from ballet, I longed for the experience of preparing for a performance, stepping into a costume, and sharing something with an audience.

While performance opportunities aren’t always a given in the adult ballet world, after much searching, I finally found my chance and had the pleasure of joining a beautiful choreography workshop organized by Inkorpora Dance Project in Helsinki, led by ballet teacher and choreographer Silvia Verges. We’re currently preparing a Chopin-themed performance, and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

So far I have experienced only a solo performance in pole dance, so this officially marks my first time learning and performing a group choreography - most importantly in ballet!

While solo performances definitely give space to explore personal expression and creativity (not to mention, it’s easier to mask mistakes when you’re the only one on stage), I have always preferred group performances.

There’s something incredibly fascinating about dancing in unison with others, sharing rhythm and space and creating a bond around a shared choreography. I’ve always loved corps de ballet scenes for this reason.

At the same time, group work brings a whole new level of challenge and reward. Beyond technique, it requires a deep sense of musicality, spatial awareness, and importantly synchronicity with the group. As my teacher said, you need to learn to move as one. 

I find the entire process of learning together, making mistakes, and practicing each move over and over again to be incredibly fulfilling.  

Learning a group choreography has been one of the most exciting — and demanding  chapters of my ballet journey so far. I’m so grateful for this opportunity to perform in a group for the first time and to explore a whole new side of my ballet journey. I hope this will be the first of many performances to come.

Stay tuned for more updates on my performance experiences. 🩰