"Do I quit dancing after junior high? Or after I dance the Bolero - one of the most famous roles in the history of dance?"
As part of the Parallel Programme of the Nicosia International Festival... that never ends, Anastasia Paschali invites the young generation to an evening of dance and discussion on 14 January, at 19:00, at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre. The Cypriot ballerina will share her experiences and joys, difficulties, life lessons and the most precious moments of her career, through photos and videos, in an open discussion with the audience. She will present a short choreography entitled "2-1+1", performed by Sophia Hadjigeorgiou, Evangelia Lambrou, Maria Gerasimou, Mikaella Neophytou and Sotia Nicolaou.
They often ask her what she does and when they hear that she is a professional dancer, they look at her with wide eyes and mixed feelings of admiration, surprise, nostalgia, and sadness. She has met many people, young and old, who have given up their first love, dance, to study something more "sensible" that will bring them steady work and income. Despite all the challenges and discouragements, nothing deterred her. She had the support and luck to make her dream come true and build a successful career following the profession she loved. She left home and her homeland at the age of 17 to dance with the Royal Danish Ballet, the English National Ballet, Leipzig Ballet and finally as a soloist with the Royal Ballet of Flanders. And today, she has no regrets. That's why her answer to everyone who wonders if they can realize their dreams is, "if I could, then you can".
Biography
Anastasia was born in Pennsylvania in 1987. She began classical ballet classes at the Motion Art Studio in Nicosia and then continued her dance training at a professional level at the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia and later at the English National Ballet School in London.
In February 2006, she signed her first contract as a professional dancer with the Royal Danish Ballet in Copenhagen, becoming the youngest member. She studied at the Royal Academy of Dance in London and obtained her Professional Dancer's Teaching Diploma.
In July 2013 he joined the Leipzig Ballet in Germany. In 2014, she accepted a position as a demi-soloist at the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium and was promoted to soloist in 2016. The highlight of her career was Maurice Béjart's historic Bolero, which is considered one of the most honored and iconic roles.
She now lives permanently in Cyprus, where she has taken over the artistic direction of the Cyprus Dance Group Dance Cyprus presenting classical and neoclassical repertoire. At the same time, she dances and teaches.
Duration: 60’
For tickets: https://bit.ly/NIF_never_ends_tickets, Stephanis Stores and at the Nicosia Municipal Theatre box office (Monday-Friday 10:00-13:00).
For information: 22797979 (Monday - Friday 10:00-13:00).
Ticket price: €7
Festival identity:
The Festival is co-organised by the Nicosia Municipality and Nicosia For Art, and forms part of Nicosia's bid for the European Capital of Culture 2030.
The Festival is presented by ECOMMBX.
Festival Silver Sponsor: Cyprus Public Transport
Festival Bronze sponsor: Embassy of Spain in Cyprus, Deloitte Legal
Hospitality sponsor: The Classic Hotel