Over the course of four years, Maria developed Apollo Tanssii's pedagogical and artistic curriculum, which consisted of a series of workshops for teenage boys and girls. Additionally, a special interdisciplinary workshop was designed specifically for teenage girls.

 

The project aimed to increase interaction, community engagement, body awareness, and creativity among upper secondary and high school students through contemporary dance. Each year, the project had a theme, and for the four-year duration, the theme was "I am present." The workshops focused on individual strengths as well as group dynamics. As half of the participating students were immigrants, the project also aimed to enhance their integration into Finnish society and the school system.

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The workshop for both boys and girls was typically conducted over a six-week period during the autumn seasons from 2012 to 2016. Sessions were held approximately three times per week, lasting 3-4 hours each, either at Apollo High School or at Tero Saarinen Company's home studio at the Alexander Theatre. In 2012, Maria led the pilot project with Tero Saarinen Company's repetitor Henrikki Heikkilä. In 2013 and 2014, she collaborated with Tero Saarinen Company's dancer Mikko Lampinen, and in 2015, she collaborated with TSC dancer David Scarantino. Each year, the workshop participants had the unique opportunity to work with two musicians who improvised and created music for both the workshop sessions and the choreography developed in close collaboration with each participant throughout the six weeks. Esteemed Finnish jazz musicians, including composer-musicians Jarmo Saari, Olavi Louhivuori, and Mamba Assefa, were honored to collaborate with the project.

At the culmination of each year's workshop, the teenagers had the chance to perform their choreography on the main stage of the Alexander Theatre. The choreographic process was a collaborative endeavor throughout the six-week project.

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From 2013 to 2016, the Apollo tanssii! project included a special interdisciplinary workshop specifically designed for girls. This workshop was co-facilitated by Maria and visual artist Hanna Azevedo and lasted approximately two weeks. The aim was to provide girls with an opportunity to work intimately in an all-female group, exploring the awakening of womanhood and the physical changes that come with it through dance. The workshop incorporated movement, drawing, sculpture, and creative writing, resulting in an exhibition held annually in different gallery spaces in Helsinki. The exhibition visually documented the girls' journey into the realms of contemporary dance and visual art.

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Several choreographies performed at the Alexander Theatre were: "Tapestry of Dreams from Those who Throw Themselves into the Moment" (in collaboration with choreographer Mikko Lampinen, 2013), "Gravity Walk" (in collaboration with choreographer Mikko Lampinen, 2014), and "Dreams of Tomorrow" (in collaboration with choreographer David Sacarntino, 2015). Exhibitions showcasing the project's results were held at Akkuna & Tovi Galleries in April 2015, titled "Elämän askeleita," and at Kirjasto 10 from April to May 2016, titled "Sukellus mieleeni - tanssin oman reittini."

The project concluded when its funding ended.