site.btaFounder of Bulgaria's Professional Ballet Anastas Petrov Born September 1, 1899

Anastas Petrov, ballet dancer, teacher and choreographer, was born in Dobrich on September 1, 1899.

He grew up in Varna, where his family moved, and graduated from the Varna State Male High School in 1918. At the beginning of 1922 he went to Berlin, where he entered the classical ballet school of the famous Russian ballerina Evgenia Eduardova and not long after became her assistant. At the same time he was recruited to the Berlin State Opera company. There he was influenced by the Swiss representative of modernism Max Terpis and perfected free dance. 

He was a soloist and balletmaster at the Sofia Opera and Ballet (1927-1961) and founder of the first professional ballet school in Bulgaria (1927). He performed the first complete ballet production in Bulgaria - Coppelia by Leo Delibes, premiered on February 22, 1928, which is considered the beginning of Bulgarian professional ballet. 

Until 1935 he was the only male dancer in the ballet troupe of the opera. Winner of the Dimitrov Prize (1950), Recipient of the Herder Prize (1977), the Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, second class (1959), the Order of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, first class (1969).

Anastas Petrov died in Sofia on December 27, 1978.