WITH AN EXOTIC TEMPERAMENT, CAPTIVATING ART AND MASTERY, THE NATIONAL BALLET OF EL SALVADOR DECORATED THE POSTER OF THE 54TH FOBA

In the early afternoon of 24 November 2024, on the fourth day of the Festival of the Opera and Ballet Arts /FOBA/ was held the ballet Gala of the National Ballet of El Salvador. Justified was the curiosity of the pretentious audience, who filled in the hall of the Stara Zagora Opera, in order to see the art of the ballet dancers from this distant exotic country.

The National Ballet of El Salvador was created in 2017 as a municipal project in the Secretariat of Culture of the Office of the Mayor of San Salvador. It began as an initiative of the First Lady – Gabriela de Bukele, when the President Nayib Bukele was the acting mayor of the capital San Salvador.

At the moment the National Ballet of El Salvador works under the guidance of the Bulgarian-Salvadorian ballet-master Rumen Rashev. It consists of 21 dancers from El Salvador, Colombia, Ecuador, Nicaragua and Venezuela and has a rich classical and neo-classical repertoire.
The program began with “The Fairy Doll” to music by Josef Bayer. Choreography N. and S. Legat – Pas de trois. Camilla Lopez, Carlos Alvarado, Nelson Prieto performed it.

There followed “The Markitenka” by Cesare Pugni. Choreography A. Saint-Leon and F. Cerrito – Pas de six: performed by Fabiolla Deniz, Brandon Fernandez, Marcela Garcia, Sandra Kinteros, Diana Granados, Daniela Garcia.
For me, “The Talisman” by Riccardo Drigo was a very high achievement. Choreography Petipa-Gusev – Pas de deux. Performed by Camilla Lopez and the exceptional Jonathan Alfaro.

The fourth number “Esmeralda” by Cesare Pugni, was again to the choreography by Marius Petipa – Pas de six. The performers were Sandra Kinteros, Carlos Alvarado, Diana Granados, Fabiola Deniz, Marcella Garcia, Daniela Garcia.
In the second part to music by Jules Massenet, the guests presented “Maxissimo” – choreography H. Garcia. The performers were Fabiola Deniz, Janathan Alfaro, Camilla Lopez, Sandra Kinteros, Diana Granados, Brandon Fernandez, Carlos Alvarado, Nelson Prieto. One temperamental production with a Spanish touch– not presented, but experienced.
Though too young, the troupe has its own style, aesthetics and rich repertoire. A nice impression was left by the costumes and on the whole the all elated mood.

It is true that the Stara Zagora audience is mildly said pampered by the high, uncompromised level of the ballet troupe of the Stara Zagora State Opera with director, leader and choreographer the respected and loved Silviya Tomova. Exactly this audience met heartily the guests, applauded in exaltation all exceptional performances. At the final it literally went into euphoria. On the first row in the stalls was raised the flag of El Salvador. For a long time continued the final applauses, especially after the appearance of Rumen Rashev and Silviya Tomova.

“I feel very excited tonight and very happy because the Festival of the Opera and Ballet Arts gathered us again with Rumen Rashev – my co-student, partner and friend – said Mrs. Tomova. – I want to congratulate him on the magnificent work and on only for five years managing to create a brand new company.

I thank the Ministry of Culture of El Salvador. I thank the First Lady of the Republic Gabriela de Bukele, who helped and responded immediately to our invitation. I thank Ognyan Draganov – director of the Stara Zagora State Opera, and the Stara Zagora Municipality, thank you Mrs. Zheleva, I thank the Ministry of Culture, which supported us.

This evening we witnessed a wonder. You saw live how ballet, how art can unite and for it there are not any distances or boundaries. Bravo!
Rumen Rashev was born in Bulgaria. In 1968, he started learning classical dances at the State School for Ballet. After three years, he received a scholarship and was sent by the Ministry of Culture to continue his training in the Ballet Academy “A. Y. Vaganova” – Leningrad – now Saint Petersburg, Russia. He graduated in 1876, performing pas de deux from the ballet “Coppelia” in his diploma performance in the Theatre Kirov – now Mariinski Theatre. When he returned to Bulgaria from 1977 to 1981, he was the first soloist of the ballet of the Plovdiv State Opera. After that, from 1981 to 1982, he was first dancer of the Arabesque Ballet, and from 1982 to 1990 Rumen Rashev is premier soloist of the National Opera and Ballet – Sofia.

In 1990 Rumen Rashev arrived in Venezuela, where he was invited by the National Ballet of Caracas to be the chief dancer and teacher. From 1991 to 1993, he is artistic director, teacher and first soloist of the Ballet of Venezuela. In 1993 he was chief dancer of the Youth Ballet of Venezuela.

Since August 1993 till 2001, he was assistant to the artistic directorship, first dancer and teacher at the Metropolitan Ballet in Caracas. Since 1998 till 2006, he was repertoire ballet-master of the Contemporary Ballet of Caracas.
From 2006 to 2008 he was repertoire ballet-master of the National Ballet of Caracas. Now he is retired professor in UNEARTE, teacher-founder of the Fundacion Ballet de las Americas /since 1993/, teacher in Nina Novak Academy /since 2008/, founder and artistic director of the Municipality Ballet of El Hatillo /since 2014/. Rumen Rashev has a Bachelor’s Degree in Teaching Classical Dances and a Master’s Degree: Master in Latin-American Theatre.

Rositsa Rancheva

The event is realized with the support of the National Culture Fund and the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of El Salvador.