Echoes in the Dark is less about questioning how I became a choreographer and more about recognizing that, in many ways, it was always there. From a very young age, I felt a pull toward choreography. Small impulses, visions, experiences, and impressions that kept resurfacing, quietly guiding me along an invisible path. It never felt accidental. It felt like a calling.

Created for the Staatsballett Karlsruhe, the work lives within a classical language while allowing space to stretch and challenge it. Set to an original score by Johannes Goldbach, the ballet unfolds in three parts—Awakening, March, and Renaissance, each reflecting both a stage in my personal journey and the choreographic process itself.

Awakening exists in an instinctual, almost subconscious space. Movement ideas emerge and dissolve—duets and fleeting solos that feel more like impressions than fully formed statements. There’s no fixed structure yet, just fragments searching for clarity. This mirrors the earliest stage of creation for me, where material appears without force, guided more by intuition than intention.

With March, there is a clear shift into action. This is where impulse meets decision. The choreography begins to organize itself. Patterns develop, relationships between dancers become more defined, and the work gains a stronger sense of direction. It reflects both the discipline of the studio process and the commitment required to shape raw ideas into something tangible. This section is about doing the work.

Renaissance is not about arrival, but about stepping fully into the role and owning it. The choreography expands with a sense of confidence and clarity, no longer searching in the same way but moving forward with intention. It reflects a point in both life and process where something has shifted. You’re still evolving, still creating, but from a more grounded place of understanding.

Throughout the ballet, there is a recurring presence that I see as an extension of myself within the work. A figure navigating the unknown, gradually finding direction, and ultimately stepping into authorship.

At its core, Echoes in the Dark traces an ongoing evolution. It’s about the space between instinct and action, uncertainty and clarity—and the continuous act of becoming, both in life and in the studio.