Following a successful premiere at Art Gallery Kazanlak and Slovenia, “Scent of Violets” – the latest performance by Derida Company, returns to Sofia at Derida Stage.
When?
May 5th, 19:30 h
TICKETS
Hear what Atanas Maev (producer) and Jivko Jeliazkov (choreographer) shared in an interview for Bulgarian national television.
The work is inspired by the emblematic painting by Ivan Milev (1925), created after a mythic tale by writer and artist Nikolay Raynov about Queen Ahinorа—a significant yet still insufficiently known figure of the early 20th century, both in Bulgaria and beyond.
Building on this encounter between literature and image, the performance provokes reflections on belonging, ideals, and a space of love, explored through the female figure as an embodiment of strength that transcends physical power and reveals a readiness for devotion in the name of love and a greater cause.
The work combines contemporary dance, sound, and a visual environment created through new technologies, where digitized textures from the painting itself shape the lighting design of the stage.
Emerging from this specific cultural and historical context, the performance opens these themes toward the broader horizon of the contemporary world, seeking their meaning here and now.
Concept and choreography: Jivko Jeliazkov
Performance: Vyara Bolgradova, Ivona Mashova, Kalina Valtchanova, Simona Todorova
Consultant: Dr. Plamen V. Petrov
Visual environment: Yana Melamed
Music: Ivan Shopov
Voice: Snejina Petrova
Costumes: Raya Lachezarova
Technical performance: Hristo Milev, Bogdan Dimitrov
Technical team at Art Gallery Kazanlak: Dr. Lyuben Malchev, Katya Hristova, Alexandra Angelova, Joana Bradshaw, Martina Ivanova
Photographer: Georgi Sharov
Graphic design: Bistra Grigorova, Izabel Mitkova
Producers: Atanas Maev, Mira Georgieva
Performance: Vyara Bolgradova, Ivona Mashova, Kalina Valtchanova, Simona Todorova
Consultant: Dr. Plamen V. Petrov
Visual environment: Yana Melamed
Music: Ivan Shopov
Voice: Snejina Petrova
Costumes: Raya Lachezarova
Technical performance: Hristo Milev, Bogdan Dimitrov
Technical team at Art Gallery Kazanlak: Dr. Lyuben Malchev, Katya Hristova, Alexandra Angelova, Joana Bradshaw, Martina Ivanova
Photographer: Georgi Sharov
Graphic design: Bistra Grigorova, Izabel Mitkova
Producers: Atanas Maev, Mira Georgieva
The performance “Scent of Violets” is being realized in the frame of “Whisper From the Past” project by Derida Dance Ltd. in partnership with Art Gallery – Kazanlak, and the financial support of the European Union – NextGenerationEu with contract № BG-RRP-11.020-0114.
