

A Midsummer Night's Dream: Ancient Echoes, Enchanted Forests, and One of Staatsballett Berlin's Finest Productions
Edward Clug's A Midsummer Night's Dream is undoubtedly one of the most compelling productions to have entered the Staatsballett Berlin repertoire in recent seasons. Milko Lazar's percussive score and Clug's distinctive movement vocabulary evoke the spirit of antiquity, recalling an era when rhythmic percussion and expressive physicality formed the essence of ritual and dance.
Julia Pneva


Final Act in Munich: Julian MacKay Dismissed, but Unbroken
While ballet companies around the world are gently winding down the 2025/26 season, on Monday morning the Bayerisches Staatsballett dropped what can only be called a bombshell on balletomanes everywhere. On 13 July the theatre published the following post on its official Instagram:
"Julian MacKay and the Bayerisches Staatsballett are parting ways with immediate effect. The Principal Dancer is leaving the Munich company today, 13 July 2026. We would like to thank Mr. MacKay
Margarita Makhrina


Haruka Sassa: "For me, happiness and calm are the best source of inspiration"
Japanese dancer Haruka Sassa’s path to Berlin was anything but planned. After years in Japan, the United States, Sweden and Norway, she arrived at Staatsballett Berlin almost spontaneously — first as a soloist, and soon after as a principal dancer.
Julia Pneva


AGAPE: Art That Blurs Boundaries
At VOO Space in Berlin, the interdisciplinary project Leonis Works x VOO Space brought together contemporary art, music, and performance. The highlight of the evening was the world premiere of AGAPE, a new performance conceived and choreographed by Renato De Leon.
Julia Pneva


Art Inspires Art: Gifts from Voci dell’Opera to Young Participants of XV International Ballet Competition
During the Moscow International Ballet Competition, the editorial team of Voci dell’Opera decided to celebrate not only the prize winners, but also the artists who especially moved us with their talent, stage presence, and sincerity.
Julia Pneva


Competition through the eyes of the participants: finalists Alexey Orokhovsky and Yana Peneva on the Bolshoi Theatre, partnership and the power of the classical school
Alexey Orokhovsky and Yana Peneva represent the USA, but today both are associated with the Mariinsky Theatre, where they are soloists. At the competition, they chose an emphatically classical repertoire, striving to show the clarity of style and academic culture that the Mariinsky school brings.
Nina Teseiko


One Theatre, Two Perspectives: Tamas Solymosi and Marmus Auguste on the Competition, the Bronze Medal, and an Artist’s Future
After the XV International Ballet Competition came to an end, Marmus Auguste’s bronze medal became an important event not only for the artist himself, but also for the Hungarian National Ballet, which he represents. The young dancer went through several rounds, demanding programs, and growing competitive pressure while preserving what matters most: stage expressiveness, technical focus, and the ability to remain fully inside the character.
Nina Teseiko


Blood, Passion and a Starry Sky: Samson et Dalila in Berlin
On July 4, Staatsoper Unter den Linden in Berlin presented the premiere of a new production of Camille Saint-Saëns’s opera Samson et Dalila — a work that had already been part of the theatre’s repertoire. The leading roles were performed by Roberto Alagna and Aigul Akhmetshina, for whom the role of Dalila marked her debut on the stage of Staatsoper Unter den Linden.
Julia Pneva


The Competition through the eyes of the participants: First Prize Winners Kim Min-jin and Lee Kang-won on Their Dream of Dancing in Russia and the Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre
The Korean pair Kim Min-jin and Lee Kang-won became one of the brightest impressions of the XV International Ballet Competition. Their performances were received with great enthusiasm, and the artists were called for an encore — a rare and truly phenomenal moment for a competition stage.
Nina Teseiko


The premiere of Anna Karenina staged by Maxim Sevagin in Moscow
From June 25 to 28, 2026, the premiere series of Anna Karenina, a ballet set to music by Ilya Demutsky and staged by Maxim Sevagin, took place on the Main Stage of the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Music Theatre. The premiere was presented as part of the 2026 Cherry Forest Open Arts Festival.
Nina Teseiko


The Return of Medea to Epidaurus: 65 Years Later
On June 20, 2026, the ancient theatre of Epidaurus once again became a place of operatic history. On the opening day of the Athens Epidaurus Festival, ten thousand spectators gathered under the open sky to witness the return of Luigi Cherubini’s Medea — the production that, 65 years earlier, had turned opera in Greece into an event of global importance. It was here, in 1961, that Maria Callas created one of her legendary stage heroines in Alexis Minotis’s production, with set
Julia Pneva


Competition through the eyes of the participants: Auguste Marmus and Rachel Pimentel Quintão on the Bolshoi Stage, Competition Nerves, and Dream Roles
We spoke with Auguste Marmus and Rachel Pimentel Quintão about what it means to step onto the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre, how a competition performance differs from a regular production, how to find a balance between technique and artistry, and which roles they dream of performing in the future.
Nina Teseiko


Competition through the eyes of the participants: Denis Watanabe and Pedro Pereira de Sousa on the Bolshoi Theatre, inner nerves, and the power of support
For Denis Watanabe from Japan, performing on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre became a special experience: after several years without competitions, he once again found himself in a competitive atmosphere, where technique and focus matter, but so does the ability to cope with one’s own nerves.
Nina Teseiko


Competition through the eyes of the participants: Finalist Vladislav Bashmakov on the Bolshoi Theatre, Stage Experience, and Strength of Character
Vladislav Bashmakov shared his impressions of the XV International Ballet Competition, his preparation for performing, the nerves before going on stage, and what helps an artist maintain confidence in performance.
Nina Teseiko


The competition through the eyes of the participants: Ekaterina Pichkova, Crystal Huang and Zeinab Ntombifuthi Kone on the stage, excitement, and the atmosphere
XV International Ballet Competition in Moscow brings together young performers from different countries and schools, creating a space not only for professional competition but also for the exchange of experience, inspiration, and new encounters.
Nina Teseiko


"Ballet Olympics": Marina Vezhnovets and Anastasia Yarmosh at the XV International Ballet Competition
We spoke with teacher Marina Vezhnovets and her student Anastasia Yarmosh, representing Belarus, about the meaning of the competition, pre-performance jitters, the ability to immerse yourself in character, and the importance of not comparing yourself to others.
Nina Teseiko


Tan Sağtürk: "Technique is necessary, but it should not overshadow the artist's personality"
Tan Sağtürk (Advisor to the Minister of Culture and Tourism of Turkey on Arts Affairs, Vice President of the International Federation of Ballet Competitions (IFBC)), an artist, teacher, and director with extensive international experience, reflects on the importance of competitions like the International Ballet Competition, the balance between technique and artistry, how the jury recognizes a young performer's potential in the first round, and why a single mistake shouldn't r
Nina Teseiko


Gulzhan Tutkibayeva: "Technical Perfection Is a Tool for Conveying an Artistic Image"
During the 15th International Ballet Competition, we spoke with Gulzhan Tutkibayeva — People’s Artist of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Professor, and Artistic Director of the Ballet Company of the Abay Kazakh National Opera and Ballet Theatre. In our conversation, she shared her first impressions of the participants, spoke about the criteria used by the jury, the role of artistry, and why a competition performance requires special concentration, inspiration, and inner maturity
Yanina Nachkebiya


Anna Bylkova: "The Main Thing Is to Stay Focused and Enjoy the Moment"
During the first round of the competition, we spoke with Anna Bylkova — a participant from Russia and a student at the Moscow State Academy of Choreography. For young artists, a competition performance becomes a moment of maximum студенткой Московской государственной академии хореографии. Для молодых артистов конкурсное выступление становится моментом максимальной концентрации: за несколько минут нужно показать технику, образ, музыкальность, характер и умение собрать на сцене
Nina Teseiko


Participants of the XV International Ballet Competition: An Inside Look
On the second day of the competition, the first qualifying round continues. We spoke with Nilay Tahiroglu , Senior Group (Turkey) , about what remains beyond a few minutes on stage: about excitement, inner peace, connection with the role, and sensations on the stage of the Bolshoi Theatre.
Nina Teseiko


The Jury’s Perspective: XV International Ballet Competition
The International Ballet Competition is not only a test for its participants, but also a unique point of observation for those who evaluate their performances. The perspective of the jury combines professional rigor, personal stage experience, and the ability to see, within just a few minutes of a variation, not only technique, but also the future artist behind it.
Nina Teseiko


“Pelléas et Mélisande” at the Staatsoper Berlin: Water, Mystery and Voices of the Old School
Claude Debussy’s Pelléas et Mélisande, directed by Ruth Berghaus, has returned once again to the Staatsoper Unter den Linden. This production has been part of the theatre’s repertoire since 1991, and that fact alone gives the evening a special aura: what appears on stage is not merely another revival, but an encounter with the theatre’s history, with a particular aesthetic, and with the artists through whom many of us once discovered opera.
Julia Pneva





































































































































































