‘I aim to bring out the best in the dancers’

“I’ve always been interested in what drives people and how relationships between people work. Power and the resources used to obtain it are an important part of this, both in personal relationships and in society as a whole. I think there’s still a lot to discover about these power games. For example, which resources hold the greatest value for someone: money, knowledge, time, beauty or a combination? Do you use these resources to acquire power? And at what cost? These questions form the basis for my new work Regnum. My inspiration for the concept comes from Mozart's Symphony No. 25. This timeless classic is so powerful and I wanted the subject I chose to match that power. For the choreographic movements, however, I am mainly inspired by the unique, individual qualities of the dancers. In the studio we experiment a lot and are in constant dialogue with one another, in order to shape the choreography into a form that everyone feels comfortable with, without compromising the integrity of the work. This approach helps me achieve one of my main goals as a choreographer: to bring out the best in the dancers and make sure they surprise the audience, and sometimes even themselves, with their performance and chemistry on stage. I also find it very important to choreograph works that intrigue ballet lovers while making ballet accessible for everyone - even those who never or rarely go to the theatre. Identification is an important tool in achieving this purpose: I want the audience to be able to relate in some way to my works. So in addition to a narrative, Regnum offers plenty of room for the audience's own interpretation. I hope that people identify with the movements, each of which expresses a specific thought, feeling, intention or relationship, and that the work inspires them to relive and reconsider their own experiences.”

‘Mozart's Symphony No. 25 is so powerful and I wanted the subject I chose to match that power’

Milena Sidorova

Choreographer and dancer Milena Sidorova was only 13 when she created the hit solo The Spider, which has been viewed more than 15 million times on YouTube. She has now choreographed over 25 works and at the beginning of 2021, she was appointed a Young Creative Associate with Dutch National Ballet.