A 25 minute group work for 22 dancers of Dutch National Ballet, premiered in September 2022. The choreography featured in a season opening triple bill with Kurt Jooss (The Green Table) and Wayne McGregor.

“Brave, outspoken, playful, twinkling, unforgettable” (Trouw)
“Sidorova is particularly talented in bringing large groups of dancers onto the stage in swinging rows to Mozart’s Symphony No 25” (Volkskrant)
“A light-footed choreography, classical and clear in line, full of accents of fluttering arms, cheeky swaying hips, spunky trots and with a touch of humor” (NRC)

Dance Europe:

“Milena Sidorova’s Regnum (Latin for reign) is a truly delightful work inspired by Mozart’s dramatic Symphony No. 25. Ever championing the sunny side of dance, and ever the craftswoman, her witty use of the music with infectious tripping figures, jazzy hips and exhilarating motifs full of surprise made me think of Mozart’s wacky laughter from the film Amadeus. Interwoven through the work’s fabric are themes of power, all represented in a playful way, with chains often used not only to subjugate but also to bind in friendship.

But it is not all fun and games. Game designer Anna Dory’s imposing black semicircular set, like a hall of kings, breaks asunder with much effect at the climax of a tug of war, between two nations maybe, to then afford us a fiery vision of hell as war breaks out. It’s worth noting here, perhaps, that Sidorova is of Ukrainian descent…”

Trailer:

Widely praised group work (20 minutes) for the Junior Company of Dutch National Ballet, performed across The Netherlands. Also performed in Budapest and London (Royal Opera House).

Dance Europe:

“[Dutch National Ballet] gave Bloom by Milena Sidorova, an interesting choreographer whose work I have previously admired on several occasions. Here she made an entirely appropriate piece for the young dancers’ personalities and skills; it showed them off perfectly and gave them plenty of chances to put their own stamp on the work.”

Culture Whisper:

“Just like in the previous such programme in 2019, the choreographer Milena Sidorova made the strongest statement. Sidorova said her piece was about the dancers themselves, the current stage in their young lives (ages 17–21) and the decade ahead in which they would discover who they really are. Her work Bloom was exactly that: a lively, carefree work for four men and five women, who lark around with each other but always with a smile or a meaningful look involving us in the action.

They are all superb dancers, with a solid, at times almost show-off-ish classical technique; each is given an opportunity to shine. Wearing the universal youth uniform of jeans and loose tops (costumes by Sidorova), they brought a rousing youthful feel to the evening.”

Het Parool:

“Milena Sidorova kicks off with the longest and strongest premiere of the evening. […] The transitions are seamless and the variation in combinations is overwhelming. Sidorova, who has been dancing with Dutch National Ballet for seventeen years, has distinguished herself in recent years as an original choreography talent. With Bloom she delivers her most complete ballet to date.“

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Ballet film for Dutch National Ballet, both directed and choreographed by Milena Sidorova. Music by Brent Lewis, Doris Day, CAN and Free the Robots. Praised by major Dutch newspapers NRC Handelsblad, Volkskrant and Trouw, as well as Dance Europe magazine.

Dance Europe magazine:

“Very cinematic”, “deliciously sensual”

Trouw:

“Sidorova makes Rose sparkle with a zest for life in a choreographic language that won’t leave you unmoved for a second.”

Movement Exposed:

“The nicest surprise of the evening was a short dance film Rose. […] Sidorova is heavily influenced by Latin ballroom dancing, making optimal use of the sharp lines of Latin and the dancers’ long, long legs.”

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Group work for Dutch National Ballet, part of the new programme ‘Dancing Apart Together’. Premiered at September 2020. Music by Vivian Fung.

Dance Europe magazine:

“Milena Sidorova has created a refreshingly original piece with a musical and interesting movement idiom and creative stage patterns. Jessica Xuan and Jared Wright were wrapped deliciously around one another and the light-hearted interpretation of Vivian Fung’s music for pizzicato strings with little bobs and mouse-like runs was delightful. Sidorova has proved more than capable of choreographing for the big stage and hopefully we will see much more of her in the future.”

NRC Handelsblad:

“Milena Sidorova brings some spice to the evening with hand, arm and leg details flashing boldly, flapping, shooting out, scissors. In Reset for a moment she turns the clock back to the ‘old normal’, with all the freedom of movement that that entails.”

De Volkskrant:

“Where composer Vivian Fung lets the two violins converse with orchestra, Milena Sidorova creates a playful ‘conversation’ in her new choreography Reset between couples and group. She enriches her strong intuition for aligning high legs with a twist in hand and arm gestures. She also plays with asymmetry in balance, which is also wittily expressed in the sporty suits.”

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Group work for Dutch National Ballet, inspired by the global lockdown due to the corona virus. Music from the Dutch band Di-rect. This choreography immediately went viral with 100.000+ views on YouTube and more than a million views on Facebook.

Rick Astley:

“Absolutely incredible, it brought a tear to my eye. It shows everything that we’re going though perfectly. […] It made me have a little cry this morning.”

Intimate duet, made possible by a fellowship of The Center for Ballet and the Arts of NYU. To premiere in New York City. Temporarily suspended due to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

International production for a young audience (2+) in partnership with Dutch National Opera, Oorkaan and Philharmonie Luxembourg. Premiered on October 19, 2019 in Amsterdam and scheduled to tour internationally for the next years.

Winner of the YAM awards 2020. From the jury:

“Very high level. The artists are excellent. Many nice ideas and great movements. It is just amazing how sometimes a performance becomes something more. Here it happens. […] The preciseness of all the artistic intensions is a delight. To make art for children from 2 till 5 years and still make it interesting for all ages, also parents is extremely difficult, but in this production they have nailed it.”

Premiered at the Dutch National Ballet and featured at Lowlands Festival. Performed at Ballet Royal Gala 2018 in Tallinn and selected for International Draft Works 2019 (Royal Opera House).

Bachtrack:

“It’s rare for contestants to have two bites of the cherry, as Dutch National Ballet’s Milena Sidorova did with her gorgeous duet in the first half and a sparkling, ebullient solo, A.I., for Aya Okumura that closed the show.”

Culture Whisperer:

“Easiest to love were Milena Sidorova’s two short pieces for Dutch National Ballet. AI, which closed the programme, was a riff on Artificial Intelligence, danced with verve and humour by Aya Okumura. It was a fast moving work, where robotic gestures regularly broke the dazzling flow of movement.“

Premiered at the Dutch National Ballet and featured at Lowlands Festival. Selected for International Draft Works 2019 (Royal Opera House). Awards: Critic’s Choice Best Premiere in leading dance magazine Dance Europe.

British Theatre Guide:

“The standout choreographer of the evening is Milena Sidorova.”

Dance Europe Magazine:

“Best of all were two pieces of Milena Sidorova of Dutch National Ballet. […] Danced to the Groove Armada track At the river, one could almost see the sand dunes and inhale the salty air referred to in the lyrics as the dancers swayed and swooped through Sidorova’s musical, expressive movement; her obvious choreographic skill and talent mark her out as one to watch.”

A choreography that highlights people’s relationship with technology, obsession over social media, addiction to ‘likes’ and its influence on existing and newly formed human relationships. Also performed by the Dutch National Ballet Junior Company in 30+ theaters (2018/2019).

Bachtrack:

“Milena Sidorova’s inventive Withdrawn looks deceptively simple. The most telling tale of the evening, it elicits the most laughs and sparks tangible discomfort from the audience. It starts the most beautiful pas de deux of the evening. […] The beautiful choreography cleverly manages to increase their emotional distance while keeping them physically close. No matter the inversion or pose, the couple returns to stare at their screens. This piece, with its measured use of silence and music combined with complex lifts is a demonstration of Sidorova’s seemingly endless dance vocabulary. She rarely repeats herself.”

SeeingDance.com:

“Milena Sidorova has a proven talent for comedy and so often finds an interesting angle. She applies this skill to Withdrawn, focusing on the modern preoccupation with technology and our addiction to smart phone screens. The duets, based on clever moves as dancers stay glued to social media rather than gazing into their partners’ eyes, were fun and inventive.”

Private link available for international ballet directors. Please contact me.

Fresh love (duet)

Bachtrack:

“It’s quintessential Sidorova: playful, ingenious, funny. Her work is consistent in quality, conceptually coherent and shows off her successful search for an ever expanding dance vocabulary that remains her own. This piece presents very different moves from her previous work, but there is a connection nonetheless… a sign of a mature choreographer.”

Bride finds the groom

Two tangos, three dancers

Bachtrack:

“Choreographer Milena Sidorova is not afraid to experiment, and, with an expanding dance vocabulary, takes on different styles in her continuing series of ‘Waltz-Ish’ pieces, mixed here with a 3D Tango. Combined with a great choice of musical accompaniment, fluid, conscientious innovative movements, her work shows she can both enthral an audience and tell a story.“

Drunk groom (solo)

The ball scene based on Bulgakov’s Master and Margarita

The guiding power of the great unseen

Theaterkrant.nl:

“Once again, her movement language really looks her own – here she combines fluid with angular, passionate with soft. When the dance becomes more intense, this is carefully constructed. With dancers Hannah Grennell and Skyler Martin, she chose the perfect combination to portray her idea of angels guiding us on our life path. The movements are so tailored to them that they are able to interpret the choreography in an honest, convincing and moving way.”

First dance from the Waltz-ish series

A choreography about contradicting moods and thoughts.

A choreography inspired by Mexican female wrestlers

Dancers seeking their true self.

Virtuous solo for a female dancer

Playful choreography based on Bulgarian folklore music

A choreography about different phases of life

Won two awards at the Royal Ballet School competition in London

Received a special recognition at the Serge Lifar IBC Choreography Division

Performed by Dutch National Ballet on numerous occasions

My first choreography, which helped me to win many awards; still very popular on YouTube