Milena Sidorova
{{short description|Choreographer and former ballet dancer}}{{Infobox dancer
| honorific_prefix =
| name = Milena Sidorova
| honorific_suffix =
| image = The Spider choreography by Milena Sidorova.jpg
| alt = The Spider choreography by Milena Sidorova
| caption = The Spider by Milena Sidorova (2004)
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1986|12|13}}
| death_date =
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| nationality =
| citizenship = Dutch{{Cite web|url=https://www.operaballet.nl/en/dansers/milena-sidorova|title=Milena Sidorova|date=May 16, 2021|website=Dutch National Ballet}}
| education = Royal Ballet School
| occupation = Ballet dancer and choreographer
| years_active = 2005-present
| home_town =
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| current_group = Dutch National Ballet
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}}
Milena Sidorova (born December 13, 1986) is a Ukrainian-Dutch choreographer, mostly known for her choreography The Spider and a role as human spider in the 2021 science fiction film Dune.
{{cite news
| last = Van der Beek
| first = Mairin
| date = March 29, 2022
| title = Amsterdamse Milena Sidorova speelde de spin in zesvoudig Oscarwinnaar Dune
| url = https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/amsterdamse-milena-sidorova-speelde-de-spin-in-zesvoudig-oscarwinnaar-dune~b57447c5
| work = Het Parool
| location =
| access-date = February 15, 2023
}}
She is a former{{Cite web|url=https://www.operaballet.nl/en/articles/regnum-has-become-darker-piece-i-originally-had-mind|title='Regnum has become a darker piece than I originally had in mind'|date=February 15, 2023|website=Dutch National Opera & Ballet}} ballet dancer and currently creates choreographies as a Young Creative Associate with the Dutch National Ballet.
Education and dance career
Born in Kyiv, Sidorova started dancing at the age of three.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mediamatic.net/en/page/83693/milena-sidorova|title=Milena Sidorova|date=May 16, 2021|website=Mediamatic}} She received her early training at the Kyiv State Ballet School and graduated with honours from the Royal Ballet School, where she was trained in dance and choreography.
Competing in international dance competitions with her own choreographies, Sidorova won third prize at the Moscow International Ballet competition and first prize at the International Youth Ballet Festival in Kyiv. In 2002, she won the prestigious Prix de Lausanne and the Audience Favourite Award at the same competition.{{Cite web|url=https://www.prixdelausanne.org/winners/milena-sidorova/|title=Milena Sidorova|date=May 16, 2021|website=Prix de Lausanne}} For her contribution to the arts and culture of Ukraine, she received the Ukrainian ‘Person of the Year’ award.{{Cite web|url=https://www.ludinaroku.com.ua/ru/award/milena-sydorova|title=Milena Sydorova|date=May 16, 2021|website=Ludinaroku.com.ua}}
In 2005, Sidorova joined the Dutch National Ballet, where she danced as a grand sujet (soloist) since 2013. She has worked with many prominent choreographers, including David Dawson, Christopher Wheeldon, Alexei Ratmansky, Hans van Manen, William Forsythe, Krzysztof Pastor, Shen Wei and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui.
Choreographic career
Milena Sidorova is mostly known for The Spider, a short choreography she created at the age of 13.{{Cite web|url=https://milenasidorova.com/spider/|title=The Spider|date=May 16, 2021|website=Milena Sidorova (official website)}} Set to Antira’s Dance by Edvard Grieg, the work mimics the movement of a spider and requires an exceptional flexibility of the hips. The choreography has been widely shared on social media and received more than 15 million views on YouTube alone.{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JItkRLVlf-c|title="THE SPIDER" amazing dance by Milena Sidorova (OFFICIAL VIDEO)|date=May 16, 2021|website=YouTube}}
More recently, her choreographies A.I. and SAND (2018) premiered at Dutch National Ballet and were selected for International Draft Works 2019 at the Royal Opera House. She received two Critics' Choice awards by Dance Europe magazine: New Name to Watch (2018) and Best Premiere (2019).{{cite journal
| author =
| date =
| title = Critics' Choice
| url =
| journal = Dance Europe
| volume = October 2019
| issue = 243
| pages = 37
| doi =
| accessdate =
}} In New York, she created a new duet as part of a fellowship for women leaders in dance at The Center for Ballet and the Arts (NYU).{{Cite web|url=https://balletcenter.nyu.edu/fellows/milena-sidorova/|title=Milena Sidorova|date=May 16, 2021|website=The Center for Ballet and the Arts}}
In 2019, she also created a choreography for Tickle (Dutch: Kriebel), a production for young children by theater group Oorkaan, Dutch National Opera and Philharmonie Luxembourg. In 2020, the work received the international YAM Award{{Cite web|url=https://yamawards.org/winners|title=YAM Award winners|date=May 16, 2021|website=YAM Awards}} with specific praise for the "many nice ideas and great movements" while the artists "are so skillful in all areas, movements, navigating the stage and communicating".{{Cite web|url=https://www.operaballet.nl/en/news/kriebel-wins-international-yamaward-best-small-ensemble|title=Kriebel wins international YAMaward for Best Small Ensemble|date=May 17, 2021|website=Dutch National Opera}}
During the first Dutch corona lockdown of 2020, Sidorova created Hold On, set to a number of the same name by Dutch rock band Di-rect. The video, created using Zoom and filmed by dancers of the Dutch National Ballet in their homes, went viral and has now more than 100,000 views on YouTube. In September, she created the widely praised{{cite news
| last = Van der Wiel
| first = Francine
| date = September 20, 2020
| title = Van Manens watervlugge 'Solo' is een verademing
| url = https://www.nrc.nl/nieuws/2020/09/20/van-manens-watervlugge-solo-is-een-verademing-a4012814
| work = NRC Handelsblad
| location =
| access-date = May 16, 2021
}}
| author = Susan Pond
| date =
| title = Dancing Apart Together
| url =
| journal = Dance Europe
| volume = October/november 2020
| issue = 251
| pages = 26
| doi =
| accessdate =
}} group work Reset. Shortly after, Dutch National Ballet appointed her as a Young Creative Associate. It is the first time in the history of the company that an active dancer receives an official appointment as a choreographer.{{Cite web|url=https://www.operaballet.nl/en/news/three-choreoraphers-appointed-young-creative-associates|title=Three choreoraphers appointed as Young Creative Associates|date=May 16, 2021|website=Dutch National Ballet}}
Works
Sidorova has created 25+ choreographies, mostly for Dutch National Ballet and its Junior Company.{{Cite web|url=https://milenasidorova.com/choreography/|title=Choreographies|date=February 15, 2023|website=Milena Sidorova (official website)}}
{{Div col}}
- Regnum (2022)
- Bloom (2022)
- Rose (2021)
- Reset (2020)
- Hold On (2020)
- Tickle (Dutch: Kriebel, 2019)
- A.I. (2018)
- SAND (2018)
- Withdrawn (2017)
- Number 9, Waltz-ish (2016)
- Number 8, Waltz-ish (2015)
- 3D Tango (2015)
- Number 6, Waltz-ish (2015)
- Sinners' ball (2014)
- Duet for her... (2014)
- Number 10, Waltz-ish (2014)
- Subvocal (2011)
- Maria y Angela Malagueña (2011)
- Without and with out (2010)
- Etude for the left leg (2009)
- Kostadinka (2008)
- The Naked Truth (2006, adapted for duo)
- Reality conundrum (2004)
- The Naked Truth (2001)
- Full Moon (2001)
- The Spider (2000)
{{Div col end}}
=Film=
| class="wikitable" |
| Year
! Title ! Role ! Notes |
|---|
| 2021
| Dune | Human Spider Proxy |
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|id=JItkRLVlf-c|title=The Spider choreography}}
- {{YouTube|id=FuvXG4As80c|title=Hold On choreography}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sidorova, Milena}}
Category:Ballet choreographers
Category:Prix de Lausanne winners
Category:Dutch women choreographers