Nadiia Korzhova
Year of birth: 1988
City of birth: Korosten, Zhytomyr Oblast, Ukraine
Origin: Ukrainian
Education: Higher education (folk choreography), Mykolaiv branch of the Institute of Culture.
Main areas of activity: stage art (dance), choreography and pedagogical activity, preservation and popularization of Roma dance culture.
Key contribution: soloist and choreographer of the Korzhov ensemble “Carmen,” a representative of the new generation in the artistic dynasty; a professional choreographer who integrated academic knowledge into authentic Roma art; founder of her own dance school.
Impact: as a non-Roma dancer who became part of a Roma artistic family, she is a unique example of intercultural integration; she contributes to the transmission of the dance heritage of the Korzhov dynasty; through her teaching activities, she popularizes Roma dance among the general public, breaking stereotypes.
“I saw them and I said, my God, this is my dream. I have to be on stage, I have to dance… I visualized my dream that I want to get on the big stage and dance specifically Roma dances.”
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Biographical Information
Nadiia Korzhova is a professional choreographer, dancer, soloist, and choreographer of the Roma ensemble “Carmen.” Her story is a unique example of intercultural integration and a conscious choice of Roma art as a life path.
Early Years and Upbringing
Nadiia was born in the city of Korosten, Zhytomyr Oblast, and grew up in the Mykolaiv region. She began dancing at the age of six, and after school, she was admitted on a state-funded basis to the Mykolaiv branch of the Institute of Culture, majoring in “folk choreography.” While still a student, after seeing a performance by a Roma collective, she became inspired by the dream of dancing Roma dances on the big stage. Interestingly, since childhood, due to her dark skin and dark curly hair, she was often called “the little gypsy girl,” which became prophetic for her destiny.
After graduating from the institute, Nadiia worked abroad for about seven years — in Turkey, Egypt, and India, where she studied various dance cultures.
Coming to Roma Art
The 2020 pandemic forced her to return to Ukraine. She decided to move to Kyiv, where she accidentally learned about an audition for Valentyna Korzhova’s ensemble. After successfully passing the selection, she became a dancer in the “Carmen” collective, fulfilling her long-held dream.
For her, this was not only a professional but also a personally fateful step. In the ensemble, she met the artistic director, Roman Korzhov, whom she later married, becoming part of the prominent artistic dynasty. Nadiia warmly recounts that the family accepted her as their own daughter, not as a daughter-in-law, which helped her easily integrate into the new cultural environment.
Activities and Contributions
Today, Nadiia Korzhova is not only a soloist but also the choreographer of the ensemble, helping to preserve and develop its unique repertoire. Her academic choreographic education has merged with the authentic school of Roma dance, of which her mother-in-law, Valentyna Korzhova, is a bearer.
With the start of the full-scale invasion, when the number of performances decreased, Nadiia focused on her teaching activities. She opened her own school where she teaches women of all ages Eastern, Latin American, and Roma dances, using choreography as art therapy to unlock femininity and inner strength.
Together with her husband, she plans to continue the legacy of the Korzhov dynasty, preserving the classic heritage and adding modern elements to it, in order to pass on the love for Roma culture to future generations.
Korzhov family photo archive
