Pompea Santoro: The Artistry Behind Mats Ek’s Iconic Roles | Artist Talks 13

Welcome to Deep Dive Dance — a space where dancers, creators, and artistic thinkers share the stories that shaped their lives.
Today I’m honored to welcome Pompea Santoro, one of the most influential dancers in contemporary dance history. For more than 20 years she was a central figure at Cullberg Ballet, working hand in hand with Mats Ek on many of his iconic creations.
In this conversation, Pompea opens up about:
discovering dance through her mother,
losing her father at the age of nine and how dance became a refuge,
joining Cullberg Ballet at only 16,
working intensely with Mats Ek and Jiří Kylián,
creating unforgettable roles like Adela, Giselle, and M in Carmen,
and her life mission today: inspiring young dancers through Eko Dance.
Pompea was one of my earliest artistic inspirations. Watching her perform “M” in Carmen changed the way I understood dance forever. Sitting with her for this conversation is a true privilege.
If you love dance, creativity and hearing authentic voices from the art world, this episode is for you.
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00:00 – Intro
02:10 – Discovering dance as a child
05:13 – The invitation to Cullberg Ballet at 16
07:50 – First impressions arriving in Sweden
09:35 – 24 years with Cullberg Ballet
11:35–The most challenging aspects of working intensely with Mats Ek
13:05 – Unforgettable roles: Adela & Giselle
18:15 – The inner story behind the role of M in Carmen
21:40 – Working with Jiří Kylián & other choreographers
24:00 – On young choreographers today
26:15 – Eko Dance Project
31:00 – Guiding values for young dancers
32:50 – Pompea’s biggest wish for the future
34:19 – Why dance matters

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