The Story of Ismanien
This story has been written from a girl’s experiences and observations. To this day, it is said that she is the only person ever to have seen this place. But her story lives on, year after year. She once named this place Ismanien.
A Story Within a Story
Every world has a beginning, and Ismanien was born in the heart of a little girl in Enköping, Sweden. When the Real World could not provide what she needed, her imagination did. She turned inward and created Ismanien.
In this secret world, unspoken emotions slowly began to take shape. They manifested as colours, figures and unique characters. These beings were not merely fictional creations; they were created with a specific purpose: to act as her guardians, defenders and guides. Beings such as Igur, Manik, Blue Rabbit and The Guardian.
This universe later took shape as a lifelong book project. In the original story, the main character, Vera, disappears beneath the ice into the realm of Ismanien. There, she is given a mission: to save the Real World from emotional numbness and the control imposed by the Authority Figure.
Through the artistic process, it became clear that Vera was, in fact, Ida’s own subconscious blueprint for healing.
When Ismanien was adapted for the contemporary ballet stage, the core characters remained, including Vera’s parents, Ada and Sten, and the oppressive Authority Figure.
Ismanien guides Vera towards profound self-discovery. Ultimately, this artistic evolution reveals that Ismanien was never merely a story. It was a beautiful work created by a child to guide her own soul out of darkness and back into the Real World.
Ismanien will be officially published as a book in 2027.