"I got my first pointe shoes two years ago. It was wonderful to experience being a real ballerina for the very first time. Pointework gives me a sense of freedom and power." Alice Pastel, student at the Ballet School tells about her experiences with pointe shoes.
For daydreaming
"When I was at ballet school, I had one pair of shoes to wear for several months. Those shoes were totally destroyed. When I became a professional, I came to understand the importance of the shoes, which are a principal tool for me." Principal dancer Jun Xia tells about his thoughts on the importance of ballet shoes.
Pointe shoes lift the dancer above the ground, both literally and metaphorically. They are a symbol of the ballerina’s weightlessness and years of intense training. A young dance student is unlikely to forget the moment when she gets her first pair of pointe shoes. It’s a rite of passage that takes her to the next level as a dancer, on her way to a professional career.
Cavalleria rusticana & Pagliacci provides an amazing start to Hannu Lintu's first season as the Principal Conductor of the Opera and Ballet. Read Hannu's thoughts about the two operas.
In Finland, you have only one head coach at a time. Head Coach and Conductor Kurt Kopecky tells about his unique job at the Finnish National Opera and Ballet.
Are they worn out? Are they worn out enough or are they too new? Watch a touching mini document where our Lead Principal Dancer Tiina Myllymäki tells about the complex relationship between ballerina and pointe shoes.
"The world of opera in itself is unique, you just get carried away with it." Helinä Siltanen, opera singer in the chorus of the FNO tells about her job. Read more!
"Anyone coming in for make-up just sits in the first available chair, so I never know what character I will be creating next." Make-up Artist Daniela Echkart tells about her job at the FNOB.
Natália Horečná’s take on an ancient story “Francinka, Milushka, Serioshka, Anyushka...” We are at a rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet in the ballet hall at the Opera House, and Slovakian-born choreographer Natália Horečná addresses the dancers affectionately by the diminutive forms of their first names – very typical for this