Finnish National Ballet 100 Years

This is our coming of age story. We were born 100 years ago, and ever since then we’ve been unstoppable.

We are fuelled by movement, its power and beauty. Its natural beauty, to be exact. We love to perform but not to pretend. Authenticity is our passion. In our family, everyone can be who they are – onstage and in the audience.

Though our dancers come from around the world and we work on international classics, our roots are right here, in this country and this city. It feels beautiful to be at home.

We’ll be celebrating our birthday throughout the year, and you’re invited to the party. Let’s make this a centenary to remember.

Discover our story

In a hundred years of history there’s time for many stories. Read about the twists and turns of the Finnish National Ballet and peek behind the scenes. You can browse the articles by clicking the arrows on the photos. You’ll also find them all at the bottom of the page. Click here to go straight to the articles.

Read all our ballet themed stories in the Offstage section.

Twists and turns of the Finnish National Ballet

The Finnish Opera establishes a ballet company

Gé, Saxelin, and Gé again

Tours for soldiers and sad news from the front

Summer tours and films bring ballet to the entire nation

International stars from the east and west

Ballet masters change, Sylvestersson remains

The Finnish National Ballet as an ambassador for Finland

From a private ballet academy to professional education

To the new Opera House with Laine and Uotinen

The international National Ballet

Arena tours and school visits

From dancers to choreographers

Ballet gains equal status under Nordic directors

The Youth Company offers career opportunities

Ballet on television and at the cinema

Years of exceptional circumstances

Peek behind the scenes

The story of pointe shoes

”I love dancing en pointe”

Soloist dancer Antti Keinänen

”Pointework gives me a sense of freedom and power”

”Ballet shoes are a principal tool for me”

”I wish that one day someone would develop a ballet shoe that felt just like a sock”

”It’s amazing how a ballerina balances her entire body on just the toes”

Make-up Artist Daniela Echkart

Our 2022 repertoire

Spring 2022

Swan Lake

Sibelius

Clique

Triple Bill: Made in Finland

Finnish National Ballet’s Centenary Gala

Autumn 2022

Pippi Longstocking

Triple Bill: World Wide Dance

Romeo and Juliet

The Nutcracker and the Mouse King

Celebrate ballet in the comfort of your home

You can also take part in our centenary celebrations via our Stage24 service. You’ll find all upcoming live broadcasts in the Live section of Stage24.

Besides the live broadcasts, our Stage24 service offers recordings of past performances, trailers, as well as discussions and introductory talks to get you in the mood for opera.

Watch recordings

#Ballet100

”I can’t think of anywhere I could be happier than at the Finnish National Ballet. I can do work that I love in my home country with the best colleagues. It’s wonderful to have so many ballet lovers in Finland that our company can have thrived for a full century.”

– SARI IKONEN, DANCER

Dancers

Dancers of the Finnish National Ballet

Established in 1922, the Finnish National Ballet is Finland’s only full-sized professional ballet company. Today, it is a highly international crowd of 77 dancers, representing 21 nationalities between them. There is also a youth group at the FNB, comprising 12 fresh graduates.

Get to know our dancers

Centenary merchandise makes superb souvenirs

Here’s some of the Ballet100 products you can buy at our Opera Shop, located in the foyer on the Töölönlahti bay side.

The new Ballet100 booklet is a comprehensive look at the past and present of the Finnish National Ballet through articles and photos.

Ballet100 postcards €1.50 each
Ballet100 booklet €10
Ballet100 hoodie €60, available in sizes S to XXL

The Opera Shop shares opening hours with the customer service point.

Check the current opening hours

Centenary stamps

The centenary of the Finnish National Ballet and the 150th anniversary of the National Theatre are also marked with the launch of new stamps. Posti has curated some of the most beautiful photos from the archives of the two arts institutions for its selection of ten stamps.

The five stamps of the Finnish National Ballet feature pictorial memories of Swan Lake, The Little Mermaid, COW, The Nutcracker and the Mouse King, and The Sleeping Beauty.

The sheet of stamps called Juhlavuosia näyttämöllä (“Anniversaries on stage”) will be available to buy from 7 September.

The Ballet100 exhibition invites you to marvel at craftsmanship

Welcome to the foyer exhibition

In celebration of the centenary of the Finnish National Ballet, our Main Foyer showcases the fascinating treasures of its costume, set and props workshops. The exhibition is open to everyone two hours before each performance – you don’t need to be a ticket holder to visit. Welcome to the Opera House!

An appeal from our dancers

Donate ballet shoes to a dancer

Our ballerinas dance through approximately 2,160 pairs of ballet shoes in every season. In the same period of time, male dancers require approximately 1,600 pairs of soft ballet shoes. By donating towards ballet shoes, you’ll make a significant contribution to our dancers’ ability to practice their unique profession.

Time to celebrate!