12 july 2025 "Sara-Nora Prima" Ended With A Brilliant Gala Concert

With excellent organization and a tangible festive atmosphere, the competition days of the Third International Ballet Competition "Sara-Nora Prima" 2025 /July 7-12/ and the accompanying Ballet Academy "Sara-Nora Master" /July 5-13/ also saw the participation of two prestigious forums, in which over 150 young ballet dancers from 19 countries took part.
Both the competition and the academy were held in the multifunctional building of the State Opera - Burgas. Certainly, for all participants, the experience of attending both events will be a stimulus for their professional development.

The competition ended, as usual, with the official award ceremony for the distinguished ballet dancers, as well as with a gala concert of the laureates, on July 12 in the hall of the Burgas Opera.

The official closing of the competition was honored by Kiril Valchev, Director General of BTA, Diana Savateva - Deputy Mayor of Burgas Municipality with the portfolio "Culture and Religions", and other officials.

"There are two special reasons for supporting the International Ballet Competition "Sara-Nora Prima" in Burgas. First, because this is an attempt to restore the serious, over 60-year-old tradition that Bulgaria has with the first international ballet competition in Varna, the first edition of which was held in 1964, as well as with the national ballet competition in Dobrich, part of the century-old ballet tradition of Bulgaria after the first performance of a ballet spectacle in 1928, when Leo Delibes' ballet "Coppelia" was staged on the stage of the Sofia Opera, followed by the first Bulgarian ballet in 1937. "Zmei i Yana" by Hristo Manolov," said Valchev during the awarding ceremony for the laureates, and added that the second reason is Sara-Nora Krasteva herself, who has been the prima ballerina of the Sofia Opera and Ballet since 2003 and became the youngest director in the history of the national ballet - a position she has held for 13 years. "Her fate is an inspiring example for the participants in the competition, because I remember her at their age as the girl from the next door, who rarely played with us in the yard because she was rehearsing to fulfill her dream of studying at the National School of Dance Art and becoming a prima ballerina." /Quote - BTA/

"And this year, for the third time, a miracle happened. "I suppose it's no secret to anyone how much effort it takes to organize such an event, but the other more important miracle is that this event intervenes in the destinies of many young artists, who with this competition get the opportunity for a stellar start to their dreams," said the director of the opera, Prof. Alexander Tekeliev. /Quote - BTA/.

"Ballet artists prefer to speak with our bodies, not with our mouths, but I want to thank you for the support I receive. I hope that the opportunity for the children to touch the knowledge of such stars for 10 days will have an inspiring effect on them," said from the stage of the Burgas Opera, prima ballerina and long-time director of the ballet of the Sofia Opera and Ballet Sara-Nora Opera. /Quote - BTA/.

"The idea that started it and continues to exist as an energy that motivates us to work, no matter how difficult it is in these times, these are the young talents, the children of the new generation, who in the future, and perhaps even today, we will see on stage as future prima ballerinas and premier soloists," commented Evgenia Trofimchuk, who defined the competition as a serious portal from which new stars and talents in ballet art emerge. /Quote - BTA/.

Style, grace, enchantment, beauty, mastery, high performing class, and personal charm were presented by all the young ballerinas and ballet dancers, who gave the Opera stage an aura of a kind of celebration of the exquisite art.

The gala concert of the Ballet Academy "Sara-Nora Master" was also impressive - on July 13, also in the hall of the Burgas Opera, where the young participants in the master classes of eminent mentors presented an excellently selected and balanced original program.

Here are the awarded participants:

Sanya Foteva-Bulgaria received 500 leva for the best performing participant in group A. The award was provided by the opera Prima Silvana Pravcheva. The award was presented by Sara-Nora Krasteva, who also received the opportunity to tour in a performance of the ballet school "Masha Ilieva" on the stage of the Sofia Opera and Ballet. The award was presented by the prima ballerina Masha Ilieva, who also provided the following awards: 500 leva. Incentive for a well-performed participant who was not awarded a prize - for Emily Ilieva, who is also provided with an internship at the Istanbul State Opera and Ballet, the prima Ayşem Sunal presented the certificate. Valeria Minkova and Emma Kate Milne received ballet tutus from the company "Grishko for Bulgaria".

The award for contemporary choreography, named after Prof. Lukanov worth 1000 leva. was presented by the daughter of the professor, Assoc. Prof. Elitsa Lukanova, who was also a teacher at the "Sara-Nora Master" Academy. The award was shared by Angelina Gavrilova - for "For Her" and Soyeon Kim - for "Letter To Me". The performers, Kristiyan Yakimov and Soyeon Hong ,will present them to the choreographers.

Samuel Pedro Pereira also received an award for contemporary choreography. The award was presented by Vladimir Angelov, a choreographer, also a teacher at the Academy, who presented him with a choreography textbook.

Nadezhda Dobreva received an invitation to study at the National School of Dance Art in Sofia. The award was presented by the director of the school, Galina Srebreva.

Awards from the Ruse State Opera were presented by the director of the ballet, prima ballerina Vessela Vasileva: an invitation to join the troupe, a one-year contract for Soyeon Hong and Wonji Nam, Korea.

The award from the State Opera and Ballet Theatre Belgrade was presented by the ballet director, prima Ana Pavlović:

10-day internship for Kristiyan Yakimov - Bulgaria.

An invitation for an international tour in Switzerland and France with the Concordia Art Group company was received by Tiago Victor Alvarez Santana, Brazil. The award was presented by Konstantin Kostyukov.

Awards for the Sofia Opera and Ballet were presented by the ballet director, prima Marta Petkova:

Shinichiro Ebe-Serbia - invitation to join the troupe - one-year contract;

Emily Ilieva - Bulgaria - participation in a performance by the Sofia Opera and Ballet;

Ella Selin Ozkan - Germany, and Darta Balode-Latvia - two-week internship.

Awards from the Burgas State Opera were presented by the director of the theatre and host of the competition and the academy, Prof. Al. Tekeliev:

Rumelina Dilcheva - tour in a central role;

Valeria Minkova and Bianca Gospodinova - participation in a performance;

Sofia Panova - invitation to join the troupe with a one-year contract.

The Burgas City 1000 lev Award was shared for the first time between two participants with the same score, but from different age groups:

Stella Georgieva - a native of Burgas, and Ilina Konstantinova - an artist from the Burgas State Opera. The award was presented by Diana Savateva, Deputy Mayor for Culture and Religions.

The international jury of the “Sara-Nora Prima” Competition awarded the following awards:

GROUP A - participants between 9 and 12 years old.

The awards were presented by Kiril Valchev, General Director of BTA. "With this iconic personality, we wish the little stars to master the world and spread their talent and the news of their awards from our competition around the world, just like BTA does," was the message of the organizers of the competition from the International Ballet Association, "Sara-Nora Prima" - Sara-Nora Krasteva and Evgeniya Trofimchuk.

Third prize girls - Nadezhda Dobreva and Valeria Mihaylova - Bulgaria

Second prize girls - Nancy Yordanova and Magdalena Zlateva - Bulgaria

First prize girls - Sanya Foteva - Bulgaria

The winners in this category received: a diploma and a plaque, gifts from "Grishko for Bulgaria" and "Dance Gallery".

Group B - from 13 to 16 years old. The awards were presented by Evgeniya Trofimchuk, organizer of the competition.

Third prize, girls - 1000 leva. - Eleonora Bryce - Latvia

Third prize, juniors - 1000 BGN - not awarded

Second prize, girls - 1500 BGN - Darta Balode - Latvia

Second prize, juniors - 1500 BGN and the right to a one-year scholarship from the Ministry of Culture under the "Program of Measures for the Protection of Children with Outstanding Talents" - Hristiyan Gichev - Bulgaria

First prize, girls - 2000 BGN - Florentina Trumpler - Germany

First prize, juniors - 2000 BGN - and the right to a one-year scholarship from the Ministry of Culture under the "Program of Measures for the Protection of Children with Outstanding Talents" - Kristiyan Yakimov - Bulgaria

Group C - participants between 17 and 28 years old

The awards were presented by Sara-Nora Krasteva, organizer of the competition, and Prof. Aleksnadr Tekeliev, director of the State Opera - Burgas.

Third prize women - 2000 BGN: Rumelina Dilcheva - Bulgaria and Yejin Kang - Korea

Third prize men - 2000 BGN - Shihwan Lee - Korea

Second prize women - 3000 BGN - Wonji Nam - Korea

Second prize men - 3000 BGN - Samuel Pedro Pereira - Portugal and Shinichiro Ebe - Serbia

First prize women - 5000 BGN - SoYeon Hong - Korea

First prize men - 5000 BGN, Thiago Victor Alvarez Santana - Brazil