Assoc. Prof. Yasen Valchanov
He graduated from the St. Petersburg A.Y. Vaganova Academic Choreographic School in 1977 and a Master's degree in Ballet Pedagogy at the Academy of Music and Dance – Plovdiv in 2002.
Associate professor at the National Academy of Theater and Film Art, Department of Dance – he teaches Classical Dance Technique. Artistic director of the class 2005-2009, 2009-2013, 2013-2017 and since 2017.
Premier-soloist of the National Opera and Ballet Sofia. Teacher and tutor since 1993.
Over 100 roles in classical, neoclassical and modern styles: Prince Désiré from "The Sleeping Beauty", Prince – "The Nutcracker", Siegfried – "Swan Lake", Basilio – "Don Quixote", Albert – "Giselle", Karaivan, Lazar – "The Goat's Horn", James – "La Sylphide", John, Zorba - "Zorba the Greek", José, Escamillo - "Carmen" by Alberto Alonso, Alfred – "La Dame aux Camélias", "The Prodigal Son, Who Cares" by Balanchine, etc.
Choreographers he has worked with – Yuri Grigorovich, Pierre Lacotte, Joseph Lazzini, Skuratov, Serge Lifar, prof. Petar Lukanov, Margarita Arnaudova, Asen Gavrilov, Ferenc Barbay, Anton Fodor, Lorca Massine, Dmitry Bryantsev, Boryana Sechanova, Alberto Alonso, Donvena Pandursky, Assoc. Prof. Hikmet Mehmedov, etc.
Guest soloist at theatres and companies: in Monte Carlo, Bordeaux, Teatro Massimo, Palermo, Budapest, Zagreb, Skopje, Nafsika Ballet and Horedrom Elinik Athens, Ochi Ballet Osaka, Tomoi Ballet Tokyo, Ballet del Sud Italy, Gala concerts around the world.
Artistic Director of the National Opera Ballet, Sofia in the periods 1993-1998, 95-2000.
Awards:
• Winner of the Anastas Petrov Grand Prize at the First National Ballet Competition in 1982.
- Winner of awards from international ballet competitions: bronze medal "Varna 76"; gold medal "Varna 83"; special jury award "Linetti" "Paris 84".
- Golden Lyre for high artistic achievements in the field of music-performing art 1986. Honorary Diploma of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Bulgaria. Crystal Lyre for excellence in the art of dance 2000. Golden Feather for contribution to Bulgarian culture 2009.
Member of the international jury of the ballet competitions in Osaka, Japan 1995, Constanta 1998, Varna 2000 and 2018, Paris 2000, Athens 2003. Chairman of the Jury of the Dobrich National Ballet Competition 2014-2015-2017.
