SALON
PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH THE ROYAL DANISH BALLET
SILVIA SELVINI
Some experiences unfold quietly, yet stay with you long after. Time spent with Silvia is one of them. There is an ease in the way she moves—an artistic presence that feels intuitive and deeply felt, unfolding with a quiet, natural beauty that draws you in without insistence.
Away from the studio, she carries the same warmth. Open, attentive, and present, she has a way of being with others that feels both gentle and genuine. There is an inherent beauty in Silvia—inside and out—that lingers, softly, like something you carry with you rather than simply remember.
In conversation with Silvia, we explored beauty, her artistic vision, and the subtle ways ballet has informed her aesthetic sensibility and the way she perceives the world.
M: Beyond the studio and the performances, in what ways does your artistic vision continue to influence how you experience life, space, and the everyday?
SILVIA: I think ballet has deepened my emotional awareness, shaping how I express myself in everyday life. In some ways, I’d say the self critical nature of the work can be helpful when brought into your daily life, as long as you can keep it at a healthy degree. It can also help you become more aware of your body and its limits, and how to work through them. Over time, and with guidance from the right people, I’ve realised that even though ballet has a rigid structure, it can become a space for freedom and that sense of freedom can carry into everyday life, helping me live with more intention and awareness.
M: Sometimes the smallest gestures hold the greatest meaning. Are there subtle movements or choices in your dancing that feel almost invisible, yet carry the essence of the work?
SILVIA: Absolutely. It’s often in the transitions, the way you approach a gesture or a step. I think the fine details are how you communicate with the audience on a subconscious level. That’s what makes them so special. It’s about intention, honesty, and allowing stillness to speak as much as any movement. These details are easy to overlook but they carry a lot of meaning. That’s also where it’s easy to overdo them. I have to tell myself that sometimes it’s ok to not say much with a gesture, and that not every second carries weight. This is something I’m always working on, finding the balance between control and authenticity. It’s honestly what I enjoy the most about my job. Exploring the little details that can elevate a performance and thinking about how to create a genuine connection with the audience.
M: Where do you turn for inspiration now — within ballet, beyond the stage, or even in everyday life — and how do these sources shape the way you create and interpret?
SILVIA: I find inspiration in many places, but mostly in people who are deeply committed to their craft: dancers, designers, creators, or anyone who pursues excellence with care and attention to detail. I love hearing about their inner world, their tips and tricks, and the way they choose to hone their craft. The diversity of creative processes and inner dialogues really fascinates me. I also draw inspiration from experiences outside of ballet. I enjoy drawing and designing, particularly fashion and costumes, and listening to music and old records. I’m drawn to simplicity and calm aesthetics, soft textures and fabrics, light, colors, clean lines, and subtle details. I’ve also found that exploring different creative processes gives me insight into new ways of thinking and problem-solving, which influences how I approach obstacles in ballet."
M: Ballet transforms movement into expression and presence. What has it taught you about beauty, aesthetics, and the subtle ways art can shape the way we perceive the world?
SILVIA: Ballet has taught me that beauty isn’t just what we see, it’s what we feel. It has shown me that the smallest details can completely change perception and evoke emotion. I’ve learned to notice small details, those that create a sense of calm, peace, and freedom, yet can also inspire me to create in return. It has also taught me that beauty is never loud and forced but lives in the quiet details.
Ballet has also shaped the way I approach aesthetics more broadly. I’m drawn to what feels human, and intentional, where small details tell a story. It has taught me that art doesn’t just exist to be admired but it shapes the way we perceive the world, influencing how we see, feel, and respond to everything around us.
M: Bournonville spoke of ballet as a balance between light movement and expressive depth, a serious artform conveyed with ease and subtlety. How do you experience this duality in your dancing, and how has it shaped your own artistic vision?
SILVIA: Bournonville coined a very particular style of dancing that is very distinct within the ballet world and still praised to this day. The fast footwork and petit allegro (small, quick jumps) combined with a harmonious and clean upper body that portrayed a very joyful way of dancing is very characteristic of his style. Learning the coordination was quite difficult at first, especially coming from a mix of Italian and Russian training, and definitely took time and practice to master. Still to this day after so many years I find myself having to practice the style a lot and ask a lot of question about the execution, but one thing I’m really glad the Bournonville style taught me is exactly that duality of the movement and the separation from the upper to the lower part of the body. It’s very hard to be both that precise and free in your movements, but when dancing Bournonville it almost comes naturally because of the nature of the style and choreography.
M: What has it been like to grow into the role of principal dancer — to inhabit the stage in this way, and to explore the artistry, nuance, and presence that come with it?
SILVIA: It’s been incredibly humbling and I feel very grateful to be in this position. It’s a real privilege to have the opportunity to dance so many of the roles I dreamed about as a little girl and it makes me feel proud of the work I’ve done through all these years. At the same time, it comes with a huge sense of responsibility, which can sometimes feel quite heavy. There are a lot of moments of doubt and even impostor syndrome, especially being surrounded by so much talent in the ballet world. I think you have to learn to balance these emotions and understand that it’s a never ending process but these feelings can also help you push over you limits and help you grow and explore new ways to better yourself.
M: Has a particular role, choreography, or performance revealed something new not only about your artistry, but also about life itself — a theme, a feeling, or a way of seeing the world that has stayed with you?
SILVIA: Every new role you encounter brings something new to your dancing, whether it’s technical or artistic. When portraying a character you learn the way that person sees the world and you learn their values and their stands on life, society, politics and so on. It can be very challenging at times because you might not agree with those views but ultimately you learn to put yourself into someone else’s shoes and that can teach you a lot about empathy. You learn that every person comes from different backgrounds and different walks of life and there’s a lot behind their action, either bad or good you still learn to understand people and have sympathy with their situation. That’s something you take can take with you in the real world, try not too judge people too harshly because we don’t know where they came from and we don’t know what they’ve been through.
M: Repetition is central to ballet — hours of the same step, the same line, until it feels effortless. What does this devotion to craft teach you about patience, nuance, and the artistry behind every gesture?
SILVIA: There’s a double edged nature to repetition’s role in any creative pursuit. It’s necessary in order to attain a degree of technical mastery, however during the actual creative process it can start to drain you of spontaneity or flexibility. We often talk of being both under rehearsed and over rehearsed depending on the production. It can be difficult to learn how to allow the required repetition to wash over you without letting it wash anything away. I guess one of the things I have learned from repetition is how to accept the unglamorous or rote components as just as vital as the things that drive you forward.
M: How do you know when a movement, a line, or a gesture feels right? Is it instinct, training, or something else entirely?
SILVIA: It’s definitely a body based thing. When it feels right, it feels natural, not forced. Then the music aligns, and the emotion follows. When it’s wrong, it feels performed or unnatural. I always question myself, perfectionism is part of how I grow, but on stage, that questioning disappears. At that point, I trust my body because I know I’ve already done the work.
M: How does dedicating your life to ballet open doors to new dimensions of creativity, expression, or understanding?
SILVIA: I think ballet teaches you a set of skills that extend far beyond the stage. The discipline, focus, and patience required to learn a movement or perfect a step can carry over into other areas of life. It trains you to be very precise, notice subtle details, and think creatively about how to approach challenges. The constant practice also encourages experimentation and resilience, you learn to try, fail, and try again, which naturally feeds into creative expression in any field that go well beyond dance.
