site.btaUPDATED Prima Ballerina Marta Petkova: Ballet Is Not Race But Art Connecting Artist with Audience

Ballet is not a race but art that connect the artist with the audience, Prima Ballerina and Artistic Director of the Ballet of the National Opera and Ballet Marta Petkova said in an interview for BTA. Petkova is on the jury of the Sara-Nora Prima International Ballet Competition, taking place in Burgas from July 1 to 6. 

The Burgas State Opera is a partner and host of the competition, which is held under the auspices of Burgas Mayor Dimitar Nikolov. BTA is media partner of the event.

Participating in the second edition of the Sara-Nora Prima International Ballet Competition were over 120 ballet dancers from seven countries, divided into three age groups. Only 45 made it into the second round. A gala concert and award ceremony for the winners is scheduled for 6 pm on Saturday at the Burgas State Opera. 

On the jury are Sara-Nora Krysteva, Marta Petkova, premier soloist Nikola Hristov Khajitanev, as well as big names from the world ballet scene who have again been invited to be part of the jury, among which Prima Ballerina Ana Pavlovic, Artistic Director of the Belgrade National Theatre Ballet, Aysem Sunal Savaskurt, Administrative and Artistic Director of the Istanbul State Opera and Director of Ballet, Dr Seon Hee Jang, Board Member of the Korean National Ballet, and Leonard Jakovina, until recently Director of Ballet at the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb and current advisor to the Croatian Culture Minister. 

The prize fund of the competition is in the amount of BGN 40,000, and there are also additional honours in the form of tours and contracts with various ballet institutions from around the world

Parallel to the competition, the Sara-Nora Master Academy is held from July 1 to 9 featuring master classes and training in repertoire and modern techniques. Petkova is among the teachers at the Academy.

Following is the full text of the interview with Petkova.

How did you receive the invitation to be a member of the jury for the Sara-Nora Prima International Ballet Competition and what motivated you to accept it?

The invitation came from Sara-Nora Krysteva. I have worked with her for many years, back when she was the artistic director of the ballet company of the Sofia Opera and Ballet. Together we built a very good relationship, which started purely professionally and grew into a friendship. I think and I dare say that I could always count on her. We have a very honest relationship and are very responsible to each other. This is where her invitation to me to participate not only as a jury member but also as a teacher at the Sara-Nora Master Ballet Academy came from.

You mentioned that you are one of the teachers at the Sara-Nora Master Ballet Academy. Tell us about a day in the life of a ballet teacher and a member of the jury.

Sara-Nora entrusted me to teach ballet dancers of all age groups, from the youngest to the oldest. This is new for me because I am still very active in dance and travel frequently. Working with children is just coming into my life and I dare say it is a new challenge because these are very different children with different personalities, psyches and physiques.

In order to "touch" a child and succeed in motivating them, you need to have the right approach. Because every child is different, the approach is different. Most of the time I start from myself and the way my teachers have worked. Despite the difficulties, the classes are very enjoyable. The kids are very motivated, hardworking, smart and extremely dedicated. Working with such people is a real pleasure. We are able to speak the same language and have fun. They learn new things from the professionals and it's good for them. When I was younger, I didn't have much contact with the stars of ballet at the time and I missed exactly that: getting to experience them, seeing how they worked off and on stage.

The ballet workshop lasts nine days. Sarah-Nora made sure that each teacher could work with all the groups and get a feel for the children. I am currently working with Group B, which is the largest group. I give classes and we do repertoire together: we prepare different variations, work them out. I also give them tips and we tell each other about the shows. Next week I'll be with the youngest in Group A and the oldest in Group C.

Ballet classes start at 9 am each day. We do a mandatory warm up before the class starts. It is an absolute must and a daily part of a ballet dancer's day. Then we move on to the repertoire. We spend a couple of hours in the gym until lunchtime, after which we take a break and start preparing for the competition. Each colleague has a different programme before the start of the competition evening, which begins at 6pm. After the performances, the jury meets and we discuss the results.

The young ballet dancers have learned a lot from you during the master classes. And what have they taught you?

When I started working with the kids, I realized how long a way I had come and how long a way these kids have to go. It passes very imperceptibly. The hard daily discipline that is actually the key to success.

The sparkle in the children's eyes and that primal quality they have on stage made the strongest impression on me. What mature ballerinas at some point begin to lose from their years of experience on stage. Sometimes it's that primalness and naturalness that gets lost, but I realized that no matter how long you've been performing and no matter what roles you've had, when you go on stage, it's like it's the first time. You have to hide your experience, come out in the most pure and primal way. Tension also affects the performance, but that's inevitable. I also feel tension myself before I get on stage. But if a ballerina loses that inner excitement before she steps on stage, then she has lost everything.

It is normal for children to get excited and nervous. But I can say that the environment here is positive. They're goofing off, outdoing each other, not competing. Who will spin more, who will jump higher - and in the most constructive and positive way. They help each other and build on their skills. It is a pleasure to see this motivation and desire in them.

According to Prima Ballerina Sara-Nora Krysteva, young ballet dancers find it increasingly difficult to accept criticism and often have no real judgment of their abilities. Do you support these words?

I observe that young people carry a certain confidence and self-esteem. I want to show them how we are taught - to never be satisfied with ourselves, to always doubt, to always want more. This is on the one hand. On the other, I dare say that in our art we must keep this discipline. Always being dissatisfied and always wanting a better performance - that's the key. This is how our teachers taught us, and this is how we want to teach young ballet dancers. I think every dancer should think like that. That's the idea of the ballet competition: for young people to perform at their best, to see the results of their work and how they can improve. For me the most important thing here is to see the improvement in their performances and work process.

The competition gives participants the opportunity to meet peers from other countries and see how their training is going. This way they can compare work, get advice from them, and exchange experiences. This is the right way.

How does the discussion go with the other members of the international jury about the evaluations of the participants' performances after the competition evening? 

After the end of each competition night, a jury meeting is held to discuss the performances, and everyone presents their individual evaluations. We then give an overall average score. The discussion is easy, no long discussion is required. It is absolutely objective and when the scores come out, everyone says that this is the right score. Although the jury is large, the voting is always objective and easy.

Do you have criteria that you stick to when evaluating participants?

Yes, of course. With the younger ones, I definitely look for clarity of execution and discipline in the hands and feet. It's important to see that the child knows what they are doing and that they have been taught correctly. To show us on stage what is required of them. I look for the same in older participants. We all strive for the ideal. What matters to me is the ballet line as well as the positions of the feet and hands. I might compromise on a technical element, but I wouldn't if I noticed that the ballet dancer didn't have stage presence, couldn't tell us the dance. A ballerina is not all technique and beautiful line. She has to be able to move the audience. In a pas de deux [dance in pairs], the partners must communicate not only with technique but also with radiance  - they must convey the dialogue to the audience and they must be able to understand it. This is our art - stage presence, soulfulness and emotionality. The depth is not in the technique of the performance alone.

The competition has a cash prize fund that is twice as large as last year's. You also have a host of additional awards such as tours, contracts, training and competition entries. Which of these would you say are more valuable?

I think every award is important. I have the pleasure of presenting two awards at the gala. The first is a tour to the Sofia Opera and Ballet. It's a great chance for some of the participants to have the opportunity to play a whole show on the big stage. The second prize is a one-year contract with the Sofia Opera and Ballet, which is also a great opportunity as there is a hunger for artists to work with and good venues are being sought. I have a difficult task because I want to make the best choice. I dare say that ballet is not a competition, it is an art. Work is important in this competition. For me the prizes are not as valuable as the knowledge and experience gained. It is especially important for the children because it tempers their competitive spirit and psyche. They are very different - some with great technique, others with excellent line. It's hard to write ballet evaluations, but the quality kids and the ones with developmental promise are noticed.