Who is this ballerina on the picture? It is our teacher for classical ballet and Pas de Deux, Katarina Wester. She is already with us for 8 wonderful years. For this year’s Eindvoorstelling, Katarina took over the choreography for the final showcase and highlight of the evening: Le Stagioni: inspired by Antonio Vivaldi’s Four Seasons but then with a twist.

Making a choreography, designing costumes and rehearsing with 110 dancers sounds quite impossible. But for someone with Katarina´s know-how, ambition and eye for detail, this is more pleasure than work. ‘I draw inspiration for my choreographies from my students’. The work of a choreographer is comparable to that of a composer or a painter. I close my eyes and I immediately see movements or a pose and I begin to see the first sketches of my painting. And just like in an oil painting, I start with the basics and I add layer after layer until it is almost done. Then, for me, one of the nicest parts begins: adding details. It’s all about the details if you really want to stand out and create something unique. In my choreographies, I want to create emotions and tell stories. I want to give the audience something that they can take home. This is why I encourage my students to dive deeper and not just learn the steps. They should always be passionate about their work as a dancer and stay open-minded.

Katarina comes from Stockholm and basically grew up at the Royal Swedish Opera. At the age of 8 she started dancing at The Royal Swedish Ballet School and continued her career there after graduation. Then, she moved to the US, where she lived in New York and San Francisco. She encourages her students to go out and see the world as well. There are so many nice opportunities for young dancers internationally, especially when you had an excellent and diverse education such as the Koninklijk Conservatorium offers. Thank you, Katarina, for all your inspiration, your creativity and your hard work as a teacher for our students.