The 50^th anniversary season of Arabesque Ballet Company based in Sofia continues until the summer of 2018 with unique events featuring the top achievements of the ballet company.

Speaking about contemporary ballet and experimenting in choreography in Bulgaria, the first name that comes to mind is Arabesque Ballet Company. During the 50 years of its life it has emerged as a world-class ballet group. It is also a place that trains universal dancers.

„The idea for an open stage was laid out in the Arabesque Ballet concept 20 years ago”, explains Boryana Sechanova, CEO and artistic director and of the ballet company:

„On 16 Nov. we had the premiere of our favorite choreographers Asen Nakov and Philip Milanov, Urban Noise – Black Box. In it our dancers have teamed up with university and high school students. At the end of November we will present awarded shows in the Margarita Aranoudova Contest. Launched in 1995 by Kalina Bogoeva it is a key achievement of the ballet company because its regulations require choreographers to create shows on Bulgarian music. In the recent years the contest has grown into an international event and I am very happy that foreign choreographers too work based on Bulgarian music.”

For Arabesque December will be a month devoted to classics. The youngest spectators will have the chance to watch classical ballet shows such as Swan Lake, Cinderella, The Nutcracker and others.

In January an exhibition with photographs from Arabesque ballet shows will be on display at Sredets Hall in Sofia. At the exhibition the book with the working title 50 Moments from Arabesque will be presented – a story about the history of the ballet company in the poetic language of Mila Iskrenova, a longstanding choreographer at the troupe. „We wanted Mila to write the texts in this book, because apart from a choreographer, she is also a gifted writer”, Boryana Sechanova says. The anniversary season of Arabesque continues until the summer of 2018 with unique events featuring the top achievements of the ballet company. How has Arabesque been able to resist the challenges over time? „It has been a hard job”, Boryana Sechanovaadmits.

„This job requires confidence that what you do is what you are intended for. Arabesque Ballet is precisely this kind of ballet company. It is designed for innovation: always moving a few steps ahead. Thanks to the foreign choreographers we invite, our dancers perfect their techniques. At Arabesque, we regularly produce shows with Bulgarian music, written especially for the stage. We continue to pursue our goals with enthusiasm, knowledge and professionalism despite hardships. Since 2010, we have been part of the State Music and Ballet Center at the Stefan Makedonski State Music Theater. This sometimes creates barriers of administrative nature, but on the other hand, thanks to the operetta, we have a stage. I am happy that not only dancers show interest in the ballet company. Some of the most interesting actors come from the Dance Theater Program of the National Theater & Film Academy. They are very well trained and stand out with incredible intelligence.”

Some believe that freedom in contemporary ballet makes it more accessible. Others prefer the fairy-tale beauty of classical productions.

 "The problem of dance has always been in its abstract nature as a way of expression," says Boryana Sechanova. "In this respect, it is like music – many people avoid classical music because they see it as too distant. Dance is not always associated with a specific message: we’d better simply enjoy its emotional impact. It sensitizes the receptors for happiness. If you think about it, a person usually dances when he or she is very happy or in love. I would like to say to all those who are afraid to get to know this art - do not be afraid, because through dance you can express and share your feelings."

English Daniela Konstantinova