Confession - Masha Ilieva in the role of Madame Hortense in the ballet "Zorba the Greek"
04 Dec 2013

Confession - Masha Ilieva in the role of Madame Hortense in the ballet "Zorba the Greek"

Since the first production in Sofia (1995, revival: 12 June 2007) I was chosen for the role of Madame Hortense. For me personally this was a strange choice, because at this time I was in my strongest creative period. I hadn't seen the ballet's original production, but I definitely knew about the character of Bubulina from the book. I had to read it several more times in order to understand the character's nature. In the process of the work I saw, that although it was "walking", the role required very careful and precise reading, cleared up to the smallest details. When words are replaced by the language of dance, the purpose is the audience to feel the dramaticism, to have compassion for Madame Hortense's feelings and fate.

 

I consider that this was the best role which I developed as a complete character without using dance technique.
 

My contribution is that without the influence of other artists, who had re-created the same character, I turned myself to my inner feeling and I made my own original version. The choreographer Lorca Massine didn't only accept it, but he also confessed before the Bulgarian journalists: "This is the best Madame Hortense in the world."
 

With the spectacle "Zorba the Greek" I had most tours of all in Europe and I consider it for one of the successful ones in my career!