Dorotea Saykaly is an acclaimed independent Canadian choreographer and dancer whose works have been presented internationally. Based in Copenhagen, she works on personal and commissioned projects between Denmark, Canada and everywhere else.
As an alumna of the Festival de Cannes, Venice International Film Festival and La Biennale di Venezia Danza College, she creates experiences that invite audiences to reconnect to instinct and explore the subconscious.
Originally from Montreal, Dorotea has enjoyed a rewarding career as a dancer at the Compagnie Marie Chouinard (2006-2014) where she received the Gemini Award for Best Performance along with the cast of bODY_rEMIX. She later danced at the GöteborgsOperans Danskompani (2014-2019) and has worked with renowned choreographers such as Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Sharon Eyal, Damien Jalet and Ohad Naharin.
Known for her rich, sensitive yet rigorous physical language, Dorotea was selected by Sir Wayne McGregor for La Biennale di Venezia's Danza College 2024, where she created and staged the immersive work Lethe - A search for the Waters of Oblivion. Earlier that year, her stage work BLACK MOON , was long-listed for the Sadler's Wells Inaugural Rose International Dance Prize.
Dorotea gained acclaim in 2021 when she received the inaugural Emily Molnar Emerging Choreographer Award, selected by Emily Molnar in collaboration with the jury. That same year she choreographed, produced and performed in the acclaimed short film, She, which premiered internationally at the Fotografiska Museum New York, garnered several awards and screened at over 40 film festivals worldwide. She has since gone on to create for companies such as Ballet BC, Ballet Edmonton and Danish Dance Theater, and La Biennale Danza College.
Dorotea also collaborates closely with her partner, film director Emil Dam Seidel. Their holographic, mixed reality experience, Telos I, premiered at the inaugural Compétition Immersive at the 77. Festival de Cannes, making history as the only holographic film ever selected for competition at the Festival. Telos I was later invited to the Best of Immersive Experiences at La Biennale di Venezia’s Venice Immersive programme 2024.
SELECTED AWARDS & NOMINATIONS
77. FESTIVAL DE CANNES - COMPÉTITION IMMERSIVE 2024
BEST DANCE FILM - ECHOES FILM FESTIVAL 2023
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM - STOCKHOLM INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL 2023
BEST CHOREOGRAPHY - DANCE ON SCREEN FESTIVAL 2022
BEST EXPERIMENTAL FILM - SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2022
INAUGURAL RECIPIENT EMILY MOLNAR EMERGING CHOREOGRAPHER AWARD 2021
DANCER OF THE YEAR - FRIENDS OF THE GOTEBORG OPERANS DANSKOMPANI 2019
AUDIENCE PRIZE - ZARIWORANIA CHOREOGRAPHIC COMPETITION 2017
BEST DANCE FILM - FASTNET FILM FESTIVAL 2012
GEMINI AWARD - BEST PERFORMANCE IN A PERFORMING ARTS - BODY_REMIX 2009
COLLABORATORS
ANDREAS WESTMARK (COMPOSER & SOUND DESIGNER)
ARIKA YAMADA (DANCER & COACH)
BETTY NANSEN (THEATRE COMPANY)
BONNIE BEECHER (LIGHTING DESIGNER)
CARLA ROMAGNOLI (COSTUME DESIGNER)
DANSCENTRUM VÄST (NFP)
EMIL DAM SEIDEL (FILM DIRECTOR & DRAMATURG)
KRISTOFFER ENGHOLM AABO (DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY)
LISA DAVIES (ARTISTIC DIRECTOR & ADVISOR)
LOUIS DUFORT (COMPOSER)
MATHIEU LEROUX (DRAMATURG)
RIKU MÄTINEN (COMPOSER)
STEFFEN JOHANSEN (COMPOSER & CONCEPT DEVELOPER)
SIDI LARBI CHERKAOUI / EASTMAN
COMMISSIONS
BIENNALE DI VENEZIA DANZA COLLEGE
BALLET BC
BALLET EDMONTON
COOPER & GORFER
DANISH DANCE THEATRE
SKANES DANSTEATER/GOTEBORGS OPERANS DANSKOMPANI - 3D NATIONAL PROJECT
ESTÚDIOS VICTOR CORDON
NUOVA X (2026)
PATRONS & CLIENTS
BIENNALE DI VENEZIA DANZA
BIENNALE DI VENEZIA CINEMA - VENICE IMMERSIVE
CANADA COUNCIL FOR THE ARTS
CONSEIL DES ARTS ET LETTRES DU QUÉBEC
DNB
DANISH AGENCY FOR CULTURE & PALACES
FESTIVAL DE CANNES - COMPETITION IMMERSIVE
KØBENHAVN DANSER
NORDIC CULTURE FUND
SWEDISH ARTS COUNCIL
SWEDISH ARTS GRANTS COMMITTEE
VOLVO
BOWER & WILKINS
KRONABY
VENUES
ARSENALE - BIENNALE DI VENEZIA (IT)
COPENHAGEN STAGE FESTIVAL (DK)
COPENHAGEN SUMMER DANCE (DK)
DANSMUSEET (SE)
FOTOGRAFISKA MUSEUM NEW YORK (US)
INTERNATIONALES SOLO TANZ THEATER FESTIVAL STUTTGART (GE)
KUNSTHAUS GRAZ (AT)
LINCOLN CENTER (US)
NATIONAL ARTS CENTER (CA)
QUEEN ELIZABETH THEATRE (CA)
TEATRO NACIONAL SAO JAO (PT)
CONTACT:
For further information for commissions and staging of the work of Dorotea Saykaly, please contact Assis Carreiro MBE Director, International Arts and Cultural Projects Ltd.
+44 7879415882
contact@assiscarreiro.com
www.assiscarreiro.com
For all other inquiries, please contact
doroteasaykaly@gmail.com
+45 31 39 54 05
Copenhagen
Dorotea Saykaly is a CHOREOGRAPHER + PERFORMER working on personal and commissioned projects between Denmark, Canada and everywhere else.