Ballet and Dance Companies in Finland
Find out everything about dance in Finland, from information on some of the best Finnish companies to dance auditions in Finland.
“To live is to be musical, starting with the blood dancing in your veins. Everything living has a rhythm. Do you feel your music?”
Michael Jackson
Finland & Dance
The history of ballet in Finland can be traced back to the early 18th century, when the first ballet school was founded in Turku. The art form quickly gained popularity, and by the early 19th century, Finnish ballet companies were performing regularly in Helsinki and other cities. The first professional Finnish ballet company was founded in 1918, and over the next few decades,
The Finnish National Ballet is a classical ballet company based in Helsinki, Finland. It was founded in 1931 as the Finnish Opera Ballet, becoming the Finnish National Ballet in 1939. It gave its first performance in 1940. The company was founded by the Finnish National Opera and ballet school graduates Aino Ackté and Eino Ruuttunen. Its first artistic directors were Swedish-born Nils-Aslak Valkeapää and Russian-born Borisoglebsky-Khristianov. Ackté and Ruuttunen continued to lead the company until the early 1950s. The company has since been led by several internationally known ballet directors, including British-born Peter Schaufuss, Russian-born Konstantin Sergeyev, French-born Patrick Armand and Finnish-born Tero Saarinen. The Finnish National Ballet has toured extensively both in Finland and abroad. It has also played an important role in the development of Finnish contemporary dance, commissioning works from choreographers such as Jorma Uotinen, Eeva Muilu and Tero Saarinen. The company currently comprises 46 dancers and is based at the Opera House in Helsinki.
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Did you know that…?
Finnish folk dancing is a popular form of recreation and exercise in Finland, and many clubs and groups exist throughout the country. The dances are often performed in pairs or small groups, and are usually danced to folk music.
Finnish folk dances include the Juhannus, the Kaustinen, the Lappish, and the Kantele.
