In August 2025,  Scottish Ballet’s Youth Exchange spent an exciting week at ImPulsTanz, Vienna International Dance Festival – the largest festival for contemporary dance and performance. Every summer, it presents a uniquely diverse program with performances, workshops, networking events and research projects.

The Scottish young dancers had the opportunity to take a range of workshops classes with professional dance artists and choreographers as well as seeing brand new contemporary dance works performed across Vienna. They had the chance to perform themselves in a sharing at the culmination of the week to an audience of festival organisers and fellow dance artists.

Gabriella Báglio, one of our Youth Exchange dancers took the time to share her experience of the programme and her time at ImPulsTanz. Find out how Youth Exchange has prepared her for a career in the dance industry whilst meeting dancers from all over the world.

Getting Into Youth Exchange

I did a workshop with the Scottish Ballet team and it was really fun and so I wanted to audition. In the audition we did creative exercises, improvisation, and tasks with the other auditionees. It was a refreshing change from the usual audition atmosphere. The team made me feel so comfortable, and it was lovely to be offered a place on the programme.

The Most Enjoyable Part

The thought of trying to pick one part of Youth Exchange as the most enjoyable would be impossible! I’ve had some of the best experiences in my training with the team and made lifelong connections with people. Our trip to Vienna was definitely a highlight, the opportunity to network and try new styles was amazing. I also loved working with choreographers like Daniel Davidson and creating new work which was such a cool experience! The experiences were definitely made even more enjoyable by the group of inspiring people I was surrounded by.

Learning from Diverse Choreographers

The amount of collaborative opportunities I experienced during YEx were amazing. From the beginning, I was in awe of the way my peers moved and danced so just getting to work with each one of them is something I look back on and really appreciate. Working with such a range of artists was also so inspiring. Each person I found myself working with had different perspectives and ideas surrounding choreography which really helped me develop and advance my skills.  

Challenges and Difficulties

I think initially for me the most challenging aspect was trying to create work in different ways to what I’m used to. I’ve always had a passion for choreography but found myself stuck in a rut. Youth Exchange has expanded my knowledge and working. with different dancers, each with a unique set of skills and creative approach, has given me a whole new outlook on choreographing.

Balancing School and Youth Exchange

I thrive when I’m busy so I really enjoyed the full schedule! I will admit I had moments when I felt tired, but the environment was so inspiring that I was  easily able to keep going. Balancing things could be tough, but I got into a good routine and still felt excited to go to Scottish Ballet after my full day in training. It was definitely worth it!  

Learning and Growing

I’ve learnt so much during this experience from choreographic devices to teamwork skills. When I first began, I was nervous and didn’t know anyone in the group but quickly connected with everyone and now find I’m not apprehensive when going into new working environments, it has undoubtedly built my confidence! I’ve found different ways of moving my body through the collaboration with my peers and learnt how to push myself outside my comfort zone and explore new and exciting ideas.  

ImPulsTanz Vienna

ImPulsTanz was such a motivating trip in terms of my career. I got to dance alongside both professionals and recreational dancers and both were inspiring. Dancing with professionals helped me push myself that extra mile and seeing the work and dedication of others was extremely motivating. The choreographers and artists I worked with were incredible – It’s given me a huge kickstart in my career.

Leadership, Communication and Teamwork skills

I feel I’ve grown as both a member of a team and a leader. I think a lot of this came from learning about the dance industry and how to be independent as a dancer. My confidence in my ability to take the lead continued to grow throughout the year in all areas from creative tasks in the studio to fundraising events. We built a really strong Youth Exchange company bond and truly supported each other because the Scottish Ballet team made us feel confident and comfortable to be ourselves.

Advice for Future Participants

Every class and every piece of feedback is so valuable so take it and put your all into everything you do even if it feels new and weird. The way you grow as a dancer and as a person is by pushing yourself to go outside your comfort zone so take every opportunity you can and allow yourself to go for it!

Youth Exchange greatly improved my ability to create and communicate ideas in dance. It’s one thing to have a movement in mind, but articulating it clearly to others is a different skill altogether. The experience taught me how to collaborate effectively with other dancers and choreographers in a healthy and cohesive way.