Jasen Valchanov

Two years out of the Vaganova Academy, Jasen Valchanov joined the ballet of the Sofia National Opera in 1979 and stayed to become a premier soloist whose roles include Prince Désiré, Siegfried, Basilio, Albrecht, James in La Sylphide, Zorba, and both José and Escamillo. Medals from the Varna International Ballet Competition, the Anastas Petrov Grand Prize, the Golden Lyre, the Crystal Lyre and the Golden Quill mark the performing years, along with guest engagements across Europe and in Japan. He became a répétiteur at the Sofia Opera in 1993, completed a master's degree in ballet pedagogy and direction in Plovdiv in 2002, and taught classical dance at NATFA. He danced in Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet in Sofia in 2003. He left the Vaganova school in 1977, and among the choreographers he has worked with are Pierre Lacotte, Alberto Alonso and Petar Loukanov. The Anastas Petrov Grand Prize came in 1982 and the Crystal Lyre in 2000.