site.btaCroatian Choreographer and Director Leo Mujic to Stage "Anna Karenina" in Sofia Opera and Ballet

Ahead of the Anna Karenina ballet premiere on January 27, Sofia Opera Ballet artistic director Marta Petkova told a news conference Thursday: "It's a huge fight for roles at the moment, which is great - it proves the existence of a serious competitive environment." She will appear as Karenina in the ballet, staged by Croatian choreographer and director Leo Mujic.

"It was very important for the company to work with someone like Mujic. I was stunned and shocked by my first meeting with him. I have worked all over the world, in many prestigious theatres, but never have I encountered the kind of work he creates. I would say that the troupe truly fell in love with him. He is extremely patient when working with each of our artists and does not leave the room from 11:00 to 8:00 at night. Therefore, I think this was a very successful move - for the troupe to meet him and improve the quality of its work," said Petkova.

"I give my all to make the best version of Anna Karenina," Leo Mujic said. One must order one's priorities when telling the story in 1 hour 45 minutes. The inconvenience of the dance industry is that it does not talk, he added. He said he has created an interactive tale in which each character matters.

"We have to consider the time in which Anna Karenina was written, the late 19th century, a time of innovation. In the year the book was written, the first movie was made. A lot of other discoveries happened, Pompeii for instance. I was inspired by a room in the Winter Palace from the same period that Anna Karenina is set in," set designer Cvijeta Schwinn elaborated. Another source of inspiration was the fact that ancient monuments were not white, but colourful, which led to careful consideration as to what colours should be used to keep viewers' attention on the artists.

Opera director Plamen Kartalov stated that Anna Karenina is returning to the opera stage after an eight-year hiatus.

There will be six premiere performances of Anna Karenina at the Sofia Opera and Ballet, the first one being on January 27, followed by January 28 and 29, and February 2, 3 and 4. The ballet is based on the eponymous novel by Leo Tolstoy, the music is by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.

The main roles will be performed by prima ballerinas Marta Petkova and Katerina Petrova, premier soloists Nikola Hadjitanev, Tsetso Ivanov and Emil Yordanov. The performance will feature the violin of Stoimen Peev of the Sofia Quartet, the voices of Alexandrina Stoyanova Andreeva and Violeta Radomirska, and the Orchestra of the Sofia Opera and Ballet conducted by Andrey Galanov.