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Mitja Popovski: It's time to create something of my own
- Katja Dance Company
- Sep 8
- 7 min read
Hello Mitja,
In our interviews, we feature the special and important individuals we collaborate with at Katja Dance Company. You’ve left a significant and lasting mark on both the Slovenian and international dance scenes. This time, it’s time for our readers to meet the person behind the name Mitja Popovski.
You are a remarkable individual—most people probably associate you with “Kazina,” once the most renowned dance school in Slovenia. Your love for dance seems unconditional and genuine. In fact, your dedication has kept you in the dance world your entire life, despite the many challenges faced by both artists and athletes. Dance is your life.
To begin, choose three words that best describe you as a person. The three words I would use to describe myself are: curious, persistent, and creative.
Your entire family is involved in dance. Dance surrounds you—at home, on the road, in studios... Tell us, how did you yourself step onto the path of dance and performance? How did your dance journey begin, where has it taken you? What styles do you dance and teach, and who shared their knowledge and experience with you during your education? Which dance events and adventures will stay with you the most?
My whole family is immersed in dance. My life partner, Mojca Uršič, is a top choreographer with 35 years of experience as a lecturer, coach, and choreographer. Both of our daughters, Tia and Naja, are now adults and still dancing—and they’re beginning to teach as well. On Mojca’s side, the entire family consists of accomplished artists—directors, actors. At home, everything has always been intertwined with ideas and creativity.
My dance journey began back in primary school in Polzela, where I danced under my first teacher, Savina Vibihal. She focused primarily on contemporary dance, so I was introduced to it early on. Of course, I was also fascinated by new trends that emerged. I remember the film Flashdance and jazz dance, especially the segment with breakdance, which inspired me so much that I decided I had to learn it myself. So I went to Kazina in Ljubljana for breakdance classes and trained with great dedication.
While training in breakdance at Kazina, I was also deeply involved in contemporary dance and jazz. I attended annual seminars organized by the Public Fund for Cultural Activities, which were led at the time by Neja Kos. At the same time, I trained in ballet as an amateur with teacher Jelena Marković at the secondary ballet school. Later, I joined the jazz group at the Kazina dance school under the leadership of Mojca Horvat, where I stayed for a while and really delved into that style.
Because I wanted to explore as many dance styles as possible and develop as a dancer in a well-rounded way, I’ve always sought out new directions. I also trained extensively in tap dance—initially with Jadran Živković, and later primarily in New York, where I discovered schools and teachers who truly understand the roots of tap.
A large part of my journey has been shared with Mojca Uršič. Together, we often attended summer workshops in New York, where we had affordable accommodation. The city quickly became like a second home to me—full of energy, performances, events, and dancers from all over the world. Each summer filled us with motivation for the new season.
In New York, I had the opportunity to attend numerous performances, events, and tap jam sessions, where top dancers from around the globe gather. Among the unforgettable moments was our first world championship title, which gave me further confirmation that I was on the right path and that hard work truly pays off.
You’ve long been recognized as a trainer, choreographer, and judge on both the Slovenian and international dance scenes. After all these decades, you’re finally embarking on an independent journey. Dance Art is born! Why Dance Art, and how does your approach to teaching dance differ from others? What kind of path do you offer to members of the Dance Art family, and what is your vision? Who is Dance Art intended for—what ages, and where can they dance what you’ve taught them? How can people invite you to collaborate? Those who dance with you often praise you as a person. Is the key perhaps in the relationship between instructor and dancer?
After all these experiences, I decided to take my journey to the next level and create something of my own—and that’s how DanceArt.Si was born. My goal isn’t just to teach dance steps, but to create a space where each individual can express themselves, develop their creativity, and build a relationship with dance. My approach differs in that I see dancers as whole individuals, not just students who need to master certain techniques. I want what they learn to connect with their energy, story, and expression, so they can use that knowledge in competitions, on stage, or simply in life.
DanceArt is open to all generations—from children just discovering the world of dance, to teens and adults who want to deepen their practice or rediscover it. The emphasis is on the process, on the relationship between instructor and dancer, on trust, respect, and genuine connection—elements that make dance truly come alive.
Why is Dance Art so special, and where can dance lovers join you? Who do you collaborate with, and why?
The uniqueness of DanceArt lies in its blend of discipline, artistry, and freedom of expression. Anyone who feels that dance means something to them and wants to grow as a dancer and artist is welcome to join us. I collaborate with individuals I trust and respect, because I believe a strong team is key to success. They bring their energy, knowledge, and passion to dance—so Dance Art isn’t just my story, but a shared story created by all of us together.
What does a typical day or week look like for you? How do you maintain your physical and mental fitness?
My week is quite dynamic. I spend a lot of time training with dancers, in the studio where we work on technique and prepare choreography, and at competitions where I serve as a coach or judge. Every day is different, but always full of dance and creativity.
How do you see today’s society in relation to dance?
Many people dance—that’s true. But what concerns me more is that today’s societal mindset pushes everything to be done as quickly as possible. Because we’re constantly connected to fast browsing, short news clips, and various effects, I feel that people—especially the younger generation—want everything instantly.
To truly master something, time is essential. And not just for mastery—time is also needed to truly appreciate something. For example, if I create seven choreographies in ten days, or we develop one choreography over three months, we’ll value the one we worked on for three months much more. Simply because we invested more time, thought, and effort into it. The process matters—not just the result—because only through the process do we truly feel the outcome. And that’s exactly why I’m concerned about how society views things today.
How do you view competitive dance after all your experiences at home and abroad? What should be changed, and who should be addressed for those changes? Have you encountered any common misconceptions about competitive dance, and what would you like to say about them?
I think competitive dance is incredibly developed. Unfortunately, I’m bothered by the fact that it’s becoming increasingly athletic and gymnastic. If we look at it from a sports perspective—we have athletics, where people run fast and jump high and far. We have gymnastics, where extreme physical abilities, rotations, and jumps are showcased. So I don’t see why competitive dance should follow those same athletic elements.
In competitive dance, we should emphasize coordination and dance interpretation—elements that those sports don’t cover. Most importantly, the artistic aspect is key: dance isn’t just about physical ability, but also about interpretation, the ability to draw the audience into a story, to enchant them, so that for those few minutes they forget the world around them and fully surrender to the choreography.
In my view, one of the biggest misconceptions is that some artists who don’t engage in competition see competitive dance only as measurement and comparison. It’s true that it’s very difficult to measure which choreography is “more beautiful”—just like with two paintings on a wall, who can say which one is better?
Still, I want to emphasize that competitive dance contains many outstanding choreographic achievements and excellent artistic works. It motivates young dancers to train, develop their technique, and cultivate their artistic life energy. At a certain stage in a dancer’s development, competitive dance can be very important.
But the difference between competitive dance and other sports is that the pinnacle for a dancer isn’t winning a world championship—it’s becoming a professional dancer who can showcase their knowledge, experience, and artistic expression on stage in front of an audience. That’s a completely different experience from performing in front of judges who are scoring your result.
Being a dancer is likely one of the most demanding professions, as dancers publicly present a blend of extremely difficult physical movements while simultaneously portraying emotions, stories, and states in a rhythmic and unique way that aims to communicate something to the audience and touch them. What does choreographic expression on stage mean to you, and what does dance mean to you in terms of personal expression?
For me, it means that when I create a choreography, the audience remembers it—and that it stays with them for a long time. That means I’ve left something behind. That they remember it not just for months, but even years later—“ah yes, that choreography gave me something, that story moved me, I learned something from it,” and so on.
Your journey has also led you to Katja Dance Company. What drew you to collaborate? What has your experience been like working with the Katja Dance Company movement, and what would you say to dancers who might be interested in joining KDC’s productions?
I first came into contact with Katja Dance Company because I needed new spaces for creative work. Later, it became clear that we share similar views on dance as an art form—that is, DanceArt. Katja and Albert are sincere lovers of dance and have already gained a wealth of experience through their primarily charitable performances, which are deeply meaningful and technically refined.
The idea of collaboration between DanceArt.Si and Katja Dance Company attracted me because of their openness to working with others. This partnership gives me the opportunity to be part of productions that bring together talented dancers and strong artistic ideas.
To dancers considering joining, I would say: come prepared to work hard, but also open to an experience that will enrich you both artistically and personally. Here, you’ll learn how to merge technical excellence with creativity, and how dance becomes more than movement—it becomes a story, an energy, and an art that the audience can truly feel.
And so, Mitja Popovski and his team invite you to join his dance collective. All information available at
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