🇪🇺 TEEN European Digital Community: Oak Tree from Ankara, Turkey

Oak

Today, I am a second-year Ballet Master student and a contemporary dancer, working at the intersection of performance, choreography, and education. I have performed internationally and collaborated with different choreographers, while also staging my own works and exploring movement beyond the stage through short films and music videos. What grounds me most is teaching: working with young dancers reminds me daily that theatre is an ecosystem — we grow together, or not at all. For me, theatre is not just a profession, but a living language and a space for connection, craft, and deeper conversations.

The soil / the need

When I first approached theatre, I was looking for a language to express myself. I had many emotions and ideas inside, but I lacked the tools and technique to bring them to life. I was searching for discipline and a place where I could learn the craft from the ground up.

The first seed

A teacher / school.

Tell us about that first spark

I remember a moment during a ballet lesson when theatre suddenly became truly important to me. We were practicing a simple port de bras, and the teacher kept stopping us, insisting that we shouldn’t just move our hands, but direct our gaze and breath toward a specific point in the empty hall. Looking into that empty space, I stopped thinking about my tired body and imagined an audience beyond the footlights. In that instant, the movement was no longer just an exercise — it became a desire to communicate. I understood that technique is the foundation, but theatre is what gives technique life.

Roots (people & experiences that shaped your path)

The roots of my journey all taught me to see theatre as a language. My first ballet teacher planted the idea that technique is meaningless without intention. Another crucial root was an old rehearsal hall with creaky wooden floors and dusty windows — a place that felt like a sanctuary, where raw emotion slowly transformed into craft. And then there was the first time I performed in a real theatre under hot stage lights and felt the audience breathing with me: a moment when everything finally had a place to go.

The trunk (what keeps you in theatre)

What keeps me connected is what I call “the endless pursuit.” I stay because theatre can never be fully mastered. Every role, every combination, every rehearsal offers a new word in an infinite language. I also keep chasing that moment when technique falls away and truth remains — the same magic I first felt in ballet class. And I stay out of gratitude: for my teachers, my spaces, and the people who gave me this language. Continuing is my way of honoring them.

Branches (future / desire)

I believe theatre will continue to be my language — the way I understand myself and the world. In the coming years, I hope it gives me depth. I want it to challenge me to say something meaningful, to keep growing through new roles and artistic work, and to remain connected with people who feel theatre as a true conversation.

If you were a tree, what kind of tree would you be? Why?

An oak. Not because I am the oldest or strongest, but because of the ecosystem it creates. An oak supports many forms of life and creates conditions for others to grow. In theatre, I want to be reliable, grounded, and deeply rooted in the craft — someone who helps create shelter for collaboration and strength for a production to stand tall.

Contact

Instagram: @maria.barashko