From its world premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1945 to the present day, Cinderella has remained one of the most frequently performed ballets in the repertoire of the great stages. In Bulgaria, it was first produced precisely in Ruse - in 1967, with choreography by Margarita Arnaudova and under the baton of Alexander Vladigerov.
At the beginning of the final and most festive month of the year, audiences in Ruse will have the opportunity to experience it in full through two premiere performances on 6 and 7 December at the Dohodno Zdanie.
The idea of bringing Cinderella back to the Ruse stage, as well as the choreography of the new production, belong to Natalia Osipova.
After several remarkably successful ballet productions that you staged in Ruse over the past three years, the premiere of Sergei Prokofiev’s Cinderella now awaits us. Why did you decide to work specifically on this piece?
This ballet has been part of me for a long time. After three major productions in Ruse, I wanted to explore a story that is at once classical and remarkably modern. Prokofiev’s Cinderella possesses dramatic depth, irony, and brilliant musical material—the perfect foundation for a new interpretation.
Given your affinity for innovation and contemporary approaches to dance, what can we expect from Cinderella this time?
I do not modernize a classic merely for the sake of modernizing it. For me, what matters is a vivid dialogue with today’s audience. Our Cinderella will offer a rich play of contrasts: fairytale brilliance and human depth, lightness and irony. The visual language — lighting, costumes, and set design — is very contemporary and expressive. And, of course, none of the characters will be a conventional archetype, but a living individual. I am not trying to “update” the story for effect — honesty is essential. But the audience will experience a refreshed visual language — lighting, costumes, and staging — enhanced through video scenery and 3D projection. And, naturally, each character will not be a typical figure, but someone whose personality is revealed through movement rather than through clichés.
Do you like fairy tales, and which was your favourite as a child?
Yes, very much. I have always believed that fairy tales articulate truths adults are not always able to express. As a child I especially loved The Snow Queen because of Gerda’s immense inner journey, because of the idea of loyalty that can pass through ice and darkness and melt a frozen heart with its love.
In my opinion, every fairy tale carries a deeper meaning. Would you say the same applies to Cinderella? What lesson would you draw from this work?
All of us strive to find our counterpart in this world — the one who completes our hearts. For me, the two slippers in the ballet symbolize that search. They are two halves of a whole, meaningful only when they meet. There is both simplicity and profound symbolism in that. For me this symbol encapsulates the poetry of Cinderella.
In almost all fairy tales good triumphs over evil. Does this apply to real life, and do you believe that God always has the final word?
Unfortunately, in real life evil can sometimes prove stronger. But kindness — persistent, quiet, consistent — creates a space in which one can live honestly and fully. Yes, I believe in a higher order, in a meaning that surpasses chaos, and that the final word does not ultimately belong to chance.
Which ballet artists of the State Opera Ruse will perform the principal roles in the forthcoming premiere?
The cast is as follows:
Cinderella – Nanami (a beautiful Japanese ballerina with refined, filigree technique) and Paula (a Spanish dancer distinguished for her performance in the ballet Fire, now demonstrating the versatility of her talent in both classical and neoclassical choreography).
The Prince – Sora (an exceptional Japanese dancer of boundless energy) and Oliver (a superb Canadian dancer, already remembered by audiences as the double of Zorro; he now appears for the first time as the Prince).
The Fairy – Samuel (who previously performed the role of Drosselmeyer in The Nutcracker, continuing the line of the “enchanted” dancer).
The Stepmother – Tsveti and Detelina (two distinctive Bulgarian ballerinas who express their characters boldly and inventively; unafraid to appear unattractive on stage, they fill the role with grotesque colours that make us both laugh and sympathise).
Zlobina and Krivolina (the stepsisters) – Irena (an exceptional Ruse ballerina with an extraordinary sense of grotesque humour and outstanding stage presence, once again surprising us with her mastery of transformation). And three Japanese dancers—Sayaka, Reina and Tauoka—will amaze you with their imaginative transformations and extraordinary technique.
I notice that you tend to choose foreign ballet artists rather than Bulgarian performers. What stands behind this?
First of all, the ballet company of the State Opera Ruse has become highly international. Ten years ago, when I first began working here, the company consisted entirely of Bulgarian dancers. Since then, it has changed dramatically. For me, nationality does not exist; there is professionalism, discipline and creative courage. An international ensemble always enriches the process—different schools, habits and artistic horizons generate a creative tension that propels us forward. But the Bulgarian dancers are represented superbly within the troupe and with remarkable distinction. This is my third year working with the ballet of the State Opera Ruse, and during this time many foreign dancers have come and gone. But our Bulgarian dancers, born in Ruse, remain and continue to serve the theatre faithfully. I have truly fallen in love with this company and deeply respect the individuality of every artist. That is why I believe each of them enjoys and feels fulfilled in their work today. The production process was extremely intensive: within 20 working days we created a large three-act production, working six to seven hours a day in the ballet studio. I sensed genuine commitment and unity from the entire team throughout the rehearsals. I am endlessly grateful to the company and to every dancer who responded to my ideas and carried my choreography into such a beautiful performance.
In conclusion, I would like to ask you to say a few words about the creative team behind this production.
I am extraordinarily fortunate with my team. This is already the third ballet production that I have created with the orchestra of the State Opera Ruse and its principal conductor, Maestro Dimitar Kosev. After Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, after Fire, set to music from Shostakovich’s symphonies, and now Cinderella, with Prokofiev’s intricate, almost jewelled score, I have realised something: when music and dance merge, a special kind of magic is born. This is not simply work; it is a living, vibrating process in which sound inspires movement and movement reveals the depth of music. And it is in this union that the exceptional effect arises — when the ideas of the creators begin to breathe, come alive and transform into something wondrous on stage. The costume designer is Yana Dvoretska — a refined, remarkable artist who creates not merely costumes, but images: living, poetic and meaningful. In her work the costume becomes both metaphor and an essential part of the choreographic fabric; it breathes with the movement, highlights the characters, evokes mood, and allows the dance to resonate even more profoundly. I am now working for the first time with Petko Tanchev — a true magician of the video-space. His projections, masterful video décor and mapping turn the stage into a living, breathing world. Petko considers each of my requests attentively, constructing detailed visual environments that not only accompany but also illuminate the movement, adding new shades, emotion and depth. Thanks to him, the production lives within its own unique visual enchantment. And the lighting designer, Boyan, is our “invisible co-author”, turning light into an autonomous storyteller. It is a rare and rewarding collaboration. What I lack today is a scenographer in our team — someone with refined, almost intuitive sensitivity to space, drama and the hidden poetry of the stage. Someone who can hear the silence between the notes, see a gesture before it is born, and feel the breath of a performance as strongly as we do. I am searching for such an artist and sincerely believe that one day fate will bring us together — someone who can join our circle of collaborators, share our ambitions and together create a theatre that is vibrant and inspiring. I always expect mutual understanding, unity of purpose and creativity from the technical team. And each time we create a production together, we seem to tune to the same wavelength — supporting, complementing, suggesting, experimenting. That mutual complementarity, that quiet but powerful collaboration, ultimately gives birth to something genuinely magical — something that cannot be created alone, but only together.
Have you ever danced in this ballet yourself?
Yes. In one production I danced the role of the Stepmother. My grandmother, however, performed one of the stepsisters, as well as the role of Cinderella.
Where does Prokofiev’s music stand among your personal artistic preferences?
Prokofiev is one of those composers whose music has its own pulse even before you translate it into physical movement. It is sharp, sincere, ironic and simultaneously vulnerable. For a choreographer this is always a challenge, yet an immense pleasure. His music invites you to search deeper and think boldly. His works are striking for their dynamics, contrasts and emotional intensity, for their ability to convey the psychological complexity of characters and scenes. Prokofiev’s ballets, including Cinderella, reveal his mastery in uniting drama, movement and musical imagery. His scores require not only high technical proficiency from the dancers, but also an empathetic immersion into character psychology and an ability to highlight the contrasts shaping the emotional rhythm of every scene.
