Mehis Saaber

(choreographer)

EDUCATION AND WORK
Mehis Saaber is a dancer, ballet teacher, and choreographer from Rakvere. He started his ballet studies at Kauri School ballet studio under the guidance of Jānis Grancis and graduated from the Tallinn Ballet School in 2014 (Viesturs Jansons class) and has continued to develop his skills through ballet and dance masterclasses and workshops in Estonia, Sweden, Ukraine, and Japan. In 2017, he earned a degree in Japanese Language and Culture from Tallinn University.

He works at the Tallinn School of Music and Ballet (MUBA) as a teacher of classical ballet and pas de deux and has instructed dancers in various ballet and dance studios. Previously, he has taught ballet in the choreography department at Tallinn University (2015–2017) and served as a stage practice teacher at the former Tallinn Ballet School. He has also been a guest teacher at the Prague Private Dance Conservatory in the Czech Republic.
Since 2015, Mehis Saaber has performed as a non-resident dancer at the Estonian National Opera, appearing in musicals, operettas, and operas. Since 2018, he has worked on multiple productions at the opera as an assistant to choreographer and repetiteur, and as of 2024 he serves as movement director and dance repetiteur for music theatre while continuing to perform on stage himself.
Mehis Saaber is the founder and artistic director of the professional project-based Rakvere Dance Theatre and the initiator and frontman behind the “Autumn Ballet Evening,” an event series held annually since 2018, where he has invited both domestic and international artists to perform. As a freelance artist, he has taken part in numerous dance and theatre productions from classical dance to contemporary and performs as a soloist in Goltsman Ballet. Besides Estonia he has also performed in Finland, Latvia, the Czech Republic, and Japan. Mehis Saaber is a member of Estonian Ballet Union and Theater Union and also serves as board member of Estonian Ballet Union.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
His creative work and professional development have been acknowledged with the Rain Lõhmus Scholarship of the Estonian National Culture Foundation (2025), the Cultural Endowment of Estonia’s Lääne-Virumaa Expert Group Award for contributions to regional dance life (2022), and a nomination for Rakvere Cultural Centre’s “Rising Star” award (2024). In addition, he has received the Japan Special Prize at the Tallinn International Ballet Competition (2016) and the Vest-Agder Art Scholarship (2015). He was also awarded the Estonia–Jönköping Scholarship (2021).

REPERTOIRE AND STAGINGS
Works as a choreographer at the Estonian National Opera:
Ullmann’s “The Emperor of Atlantis” (2024, in cooperation with Von Krahl Theatre)
Verdi’s “Joan of Arc” (2023)
Mozart’s “Idomeneo” (2021)

Roles at the Estonian National Opera:
Dancer (Loewe’s “My Fair Lady”)
Kit-Kat Club dancer (Kander’s “Cabaret”)
Ball Guest (Strauss “Die Fledermaus”)
Dancer, Morpheus (Offenbach’s “Orpheus in the Underworld”)
Dancer (Lehár’s “The Merry Widow”)
Cat, The Rat Weirdo, Cat Albert (Keller/Kaumann’s “The Three Jolly Fellows”)
Shadow, Frog (Ravel’s “Ravel: Ravel”)
Chino (Bernstein’s “West Side Story”)
Dancer, Photographer, Servant, Officer (Jõekallas’ “King of Operetta – Imre Kálmán” to the music of Kálmán)
Dancing Puppet, Frog (Ehala’s “Buratino”)
Goat, Lust (Wagner’s “The Flying Dutchman”)
Dancer, Soldier (Bock’s “Fiddler on the Roof”)
Dancer (Ábrahám’s “Ball im Savoy”)
Policeman (Hindemith’s “Cardillac”)

Other Productions as choreographer:
Saint-Exupéry/Goltsman “The Little Prince” (2025, co-choreographer at Goltsman Ballet Studio)
“MUBA Brings a Warm Christmas” (2024, MUBA Grand Hall)
“Iron Man’s Gingerbreads” (2025, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
“Old Pictures” (2022, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
“The Lost Princess” (2022, MUBA)
Artistic Director and Director of Rakvere Dance Theatre’s “Autumn Ballet Evening” series

Roles elsewhere:
Musician (Peremees’ “A Little About Love”, 2025, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Gingerbread (Saaber’s “Iron Man’s Gingerbreads”, 2025, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Dancer (Leškin’s “Past the Mirror”, 2024, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Mowgli (Maria Goltsman’s “Child of Nature – Mowgli in the Neon Jungle”, 2024, Goltsman Ballet)
Dancer (Maria Goltsman’s “Figura Suprema”, 2023, Goltsman Ballet)
Dancer (Peremees’ “Pearl Drops”, 2023, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Adam (Kaymash’s “Son of Man”, 2022, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Dancer (Leškin’s “A Night @ The Café”, 2022, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Officer (Saaber’s “Old Pictures”, 2022, Rakvere Dance Theatre)
Prince (Maria Goltsman’s “Rock-a-Rella”, 2021, Goltsman Ballet)
Dancer (Harchenko’s “Lux Lucis” 2019, “Autumn Ballet Evening”)
Mad Hatter, Jack of Hearts (Maria Goltsman’s “Alice in Wonderland”, 2018, Goltsman Ballet)
Nikolai von Tusenbach (Kesler’s “Three Sisters”, 2018, Tallinn Ballet School)
Soloist (Otani’s “Brilliant”, 2017, Cerri Ballet Theater, Japan)
King (Maria Goltsman’s “Adventure in the World of Chess”, 2017, Goltsman Ballet)