On December 27, 2021, the great name of the Varna Ballet, the prima ballerina of the Varna State Opera Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva, passed away, her colleagues from the State Opera announced.
Born on July 12, 1956 with the vocation to dance, Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva received a brilliant ballet education. After the State Choreographic School in Sofia, she graduated from the prestigious Ballet Academy “A. Ya. Vaganova” in St. Petersburg in the class of NM Dudinskaya, and later graduated from the National Music Academy “Prof. Pancho Vladigerov ”in Sofia, majoring in Ballet Pedagogy, also defended a master’s degree in Ballet Directing.
Immediately after returning from Russia, she received an invitation to stay in Sofia, but she preferred her hometown and at the age of 18 she joined the ballet troupe of the Varna Opera, to which she dedicated her entire career. Since 1974 she has been a soloist and prima ballerina, and since 1999 she has been the permanent artistic director of the ballet of the Opera House.
Margarita Arnaudova was the first to notice the exceptional talent of the Varna ballerina and entrusted her with the role of Cinderella in the ballet of the same name.
“I appeared as Cinderella, and I dawned as a star,” Katya later recounts her successful debut, which predetermined her future rapid career.
On the ballet stage she builds one after another remarkable images, among which the main characters in “Giselle”, “The Badly Guarded Girl”, “The Bastard”, “Spartacus”, “Romeo and Juliet”, “Cinderella”, “Cinderella”, “Sheherazade”, “The Wonderful Mandarin “,” Chopiniana “,” Love Magic “,” Bolero “,” Bohemian Life “,” Haidushka Song “,” Sleeping Beauty “,” Tosca “,” Triad “,” Sinatra Suite “,” Anna Karenina “, etc. .
Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva, together with her permanent ballet partner Konstantin Iliev, raised the Varna Ballet to the highest level and under the guidance of famous choreographers Galina and Stefan Yordanovi wrote the golden period in its history. The audience loved her and generously rewarded her with applause and love. Applause accompanied her on tours in Switzerland, Russia, Spain, Austria, India, Romania, Egypt, Greece, Turkey, Finland, Portugal.
The high ballet mastery of the Varna Ballet Prima is evidenced by the awards: State Prize for the role of Giselle, Varna Prize for overall creativity (2003), Phoenix Prize of the Varna State Opera for high creative achievements as prima ballerina and for overall contribution as long-term artistic director of the ballet troupe at the Varna State Opera (2015), Honorary Golden Badge of the Mayor “For Merits to Varna” (2016) and others. The invitations for participation in the jury of the XXII, XXIII and XXIV International Ballet Competition in Varna are also a professional recognition.
Today the graduates of Katya Cheshmedzhieva from the ballet classes of Dobri Hristov National School of Dance are dancing on the Bulgarian and world stage. Today the next ballet generation of the Varna State Opera is conquering new creative horizons. And this is possible because before them there was someone to show them the way to the top.
This is the best way to be remembered and leave your mark. The sign of Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva.
Forever our prima ballerina. Applause and admiration to you, Katya! Light in your eternal way! Condolences to the relatives!
Fans of ballet art can pay homage to the remains of Ekaterina Cheshmedzhieva at the Opera House on December 31 from 10 to 11 o’clock. The funeral ceremony will take place on the same day at 12 o’clock in the central cemetery park of Varna.
Rate:
☆
☆
☆
☆
☆
–
Grade 4.4 from 12 voice.
–
– –
