Media mentions: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Dutch National Ballet Junior Company stole the show, and just like in the previous such programme in 2019, the choreographer Milena Sidorova, herself a company young creative associate, 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, set to music by Caroline Shaw and Bobby Ferrin, 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.”

Culture Whisper about Bloom (2022)

“Milena Sidorova kicks off with the longest and strongest premiere of the evening. Bloom is all about forming your identity as a young adult. To the optimistic a cappella of voice artist Bobby McFerrin, three men – casually dressed in long trousers and loose shirts – are allowed to embrace the life to come. Then it’s the turn of four women to show off their youthfulness, swinging just as loosely. Effortlessly they soar on pointe shoes – and how cool does that classical technique look on dancers in street clothes.

The ensemble grows organically to nine dancers, and then shrinks just as organically. 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.”

Het Parool about Bloom (2022)

“In Reset Milena Sidorova’s take on the pandemic is to give the audience a brief taste of the the ‘old normal’ again — enjoying dance for dance’s sake. She 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.”

Dance Europe magazine about Reset (2020)

“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.”

NRC Handelsblad about Reset (2020)

“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.”

Volkskrant about Reset (2020)

“Very high level. […] Many nice ideas and great movements. It is just amazing how sometimes a performance becomes something more. Here it happens. The artists are so skillful in all areas, movements, navigating the stage and communicating. Playing their instruments and singing. 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.”

YAM awards jury about winner Kriebel (2020)

“The standout choreographer of the evening is Milena Sidorova. […] It could be dancers Khayla Fitzpatrick and Giovanni Princic who win me over in Sidorova’s Sand to Groove Armada’s jazzy beat “At the River”. A happy couple, casual, long-legged, they can’t get enough of each other. Their contact work is fabulous. Sidorova’s other work A.I., a solo for Aya Okumura to electronic music, closes the evening with McGregor-ish robotics.”

British Theatre Guide about Sand and A.I. (2019)

“Best of all were two pieces of Milena Sidorova of Dutch National Ballet. A.I., a robotic solo danced by Aya Okomura, and SAND, a truly lovely duet for Kayla Fitzpatrick and Giovanni Princic. 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.”

Dance Europe magazine about SAND and A.I. (2019)

“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 in a white leotard and metallic blouson. It was a fast moving work, where robotic gestures regularly broke the dazzling flow of movement. Earlier Sidorova had presented Sand, a rapturous, playful pas de deux of young love, performed by the partnership (surely made in heaven!) of Khayla Fitzpatrick and Giovanni Princic.”

Culture Whisper about Sand and A.I. (2019)

“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. […] Sand, for Dutch National Ballet, is a top contender from an excellent field.”

Bachtrack about Sand and A.I. (2019)

“Sand by Milena Sidorova is a sexy and likeable duet with affecting romantic overtones danced with great panache”

The Times about Sand (2019)

“The romance is sexy, charismatic, and the choreography makes excellent use of negative space, the pair winding their torsos around each other’s outstretched limbs. […] Skin-tingling.”

Dance Tabs about Sand (2019)

Critic’s Choice: New Name to Watch & Best Premiere

Two Critic’s Choice awards by leading dance magazine Dance Europe: New Name to Watch in choreography (2018) and Best Premiere (2019) for SAND, which was selected for International Draft Works 2019 and performed at the Royal Opera House in London.

“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.”

SeeingDance.com about Withdrawn (2017)

“Instead of just taking some easy shots at the lack of human interaction, Sidorova genuinely explores how looking at a luminous hand influences the movements of dancers. Charming, funny and moving.”

Het Parool about Withdrawn (2019)

“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.”

Bachtrack about NUMBER 9, Waltz-ish (2016)