When Jana Zimonji\u0107 won the bronze medal at the recently held 15th International Ballet Competition in Moscow, the first emotions were great joy and pride. Once the impressions settled, we became fully aware of just how significant this achievement was, considering the tradition and reputation of the competition, as well as the strong field of competitors, says Dalija Imani\u0107, principal dancer of the Ballet of the National Theatre and a teacher, who prepared and accompanied Zimonji\u0107 at this major international event. We should add that our ballerina’s bronze medal carries even greater significance, as the gold and silver medals in her senior category, “Women \u2013 Solo,” were not awarded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“Third place, that is, the bronze medal at this Moscow competition, which could be described as the ‘Olympics’ of ballet, represents a historic achievement for our region. Until now, the best result had been my reaching the second round of the competition in 1993. This year, the young ballerina Milena Jankovi\u0107 also advanced to the second round (teacher Tamara Ivanovi\u0107), while Zimonji\u0107 became the first competitor from our region to win a medal. It is confirmation of her talent and hard work, but also of everything we built together during the preparations. Most importantly, on stage she demonstrated not only technical confidence, but also personality, maturity, and artistic expression,” Imani\u0107 proudly states.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Jana Zimonji\u0107, who graduated from the Ballet Academy of the Vienna State Opera, has been coached by Dalija Imani\u0107 for several solo roles since joining the National Theatre, but working on competition variations is different. Our interviewee points out that preparing for the competition “required great precision, discipline, patience, dedication to every detail, and the ability to preserve artistic freedom and the joy of dancing despite the pressure.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Asked how demanding it was to compete against the world’s top dancers in Moscow, Dalija Imani\u0107 replied:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The competition is exhausting, consisting of three rounds, and participants must prepare five classical variations and one contemporary piece (choreographed by Milo\u0161 Isailovi\u0107). The pace is demanding, both physically and mentally, with no time to rest. The Bolshoi Theatre, where the event took place, opens its doors to you, giving you tremendous strength and energy. You enjoy every day and every new space you conquer. Jana Zimonji\u0107 and I worked during our preparations in Belgrade, and later in Moscow, primarily on maintaining calm and mental stability. Technically and interpretively, we aimed for each variation, although lasting only about one to two minutes, to clearly present the character and role it represented. For me, harmony is the most important thing \u2013 harmony between the character of the role, technical confidence, artistic maturity, and mental stability. During the competition, it was essential to maintain that balance day after day, regardless of emotions, anticipation of the results, and advancing to the next round.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Speaking about who initiated the trip to Moscow and who provided financial support for the participants’ preparations, our interviewee says:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The initiative to participate in the competition came from the director of the Ballet of the National Theatre, Jovica Begojev, who registered Jana Zimonji\u0107 and Milena Jankovi\u0107 for the event. He, together with Ballet operations director Smiljana Stoki\u0107 and the management of the National Theatre, supported the preparation process and the organization of the trip to Moscow. Both of our competitors passed the first selection based on video material submitted by the National Theatre. After that, the competition organizers in Moscow covered the accommodation expenses. As for the teachers, namely myself and my colleague Tamara Ivanovi\u0107, the National Theatre covered our airfare and accommodation. This enabled us to stay with our ballerinas and provide them with professional and psychological support. Jana Zimonji\u0107 is truly an extraordinary and rare talent who should be nurtured and supported. Although such a result could open the door to new engagements, I would like her to stay here and for our country and our National Theatre to provide her with quality working conditions.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interestingly, Dalija Imani\u0107 herself competed in Moscow as a young ballerina, and she recalls for our newspaper what it was like to participate back then and what has changed to this day:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“I was 19 years old when I competed at the International Ballet Competition in Moscow in 1993. When I compare that time with today, the basic concept of the competition has hardly changed at all. The Bolshoi Theatre, however, has changed. Today, the entire complex consists of three buildings connected by underground and above-ground passageways. Jana Zimonji\u0107 and I had the great pleasure of selecting the costume for the third-round variation from Yuri Grigorovich’s ballet ‘La Bayad\u00e8re’ on the fifth underground level, where part of the theatre’s vast costume collection is located. It was a special experience and an opportunity to look into a space that preserves part of the immense history of this institution. The renovated Bolshoi has now been completely modernized while preserving all the beauty and splendor of Imperial Russia. Modern technology has significantly improved working and performance conditions. When I competed, we danced on a wooden floor, whereas today one of the most advanced ballet floors is used. That is just one detail…”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As a teacher, our interviewee believes that physical predispositions are important but not decisive. She emphasizes that the most important thing is to recognize “individuality, exceptional musicality, and true talent for dance. Passion, immense love for this profession, and the desire and determination to work are essential. Certain physical shortcomings can be overcome through proper training, especially today, when we have much greater knowledge about the body, its physiology, and the way it develops.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Based on all the international competitors she saw, Dalija Imani\u0107 singled out some as exceptional and answered where ballet as an art form is heading today:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“The Korean school of dance left the strongest impression on me. Their teachers have succeeded in turning very young dancers into true artists through the competition program. In addition to virtuosic technique, they captivated with their composure, artistic maturity, energy, and extremely precise interpretation of roles. For them, technique was not an end in itself, but rather served artistic expression. The jury, composed of leading experts, was chaired by Svetlana Zakharova, while among its members was the director of the Ballet of the National Theatre, Jovica Begojev. I was particularly pleased that Boris Eifman also served as a jury member during the second round of the competition, when contemporary choreographies were performed. This demonstrates how much Russia supports the arts, invests in ballet and competitions, and preserves quality and tradition.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Our interviewee adds that the direction in which ballet is moving today is one she feels very close to, explaining:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“There is a striving toward naturalness in interpretation and artistic expression, with the goal of making it simple, truthful, and natural. The same applies to technique. It must be virtuosic, but it must not appear tense or forced. Movement should be organic, natural, and relaxed. For young dancers, the most important thing is to patiently develop their technique without losing their individuality, musicality, sincerity, and love for dance. Technique is a means, while the ultimate goal is always art.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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