PERFECTION IN PERFORMANCE

Everyone is talking about her high leaps, sprite and refined dances on stage. She is the prima ballerina of the Opera and Ballet Theatre, the Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan, Nigar Ibrahimova. In her interview, she is talking about her studies, life and work.

Why did you decide to be a ballerina? Your parents are professional doctors, are not they?

My mother is a paediatrician, who has worked in a polyclinic for many years. My father is a surgeon. I am the only child in the family. My aunt is a ballerina, who studied in Perm, Russia under Mrs. Sakharova, the teacher of many star dancers. She has danced in St. Petersburg, and currently lives and teaches there. As a child, I used to watch The Nutcracker and Giselle delightedly. I entered the school at the age of six, as it was an experimental year. I studied for 12 years, and then I had an internship in the theatre. I performed my first real roles when I was 20 years old. These were Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Giselle, 1001 Nights. My teacher was a wonderful person, People's Artist of Azerbaijan Tamilla Shiraliyeva.

So, you work every day for three hours…

Yes, indeed! Our life is a daily physical training.

Do you feel afraid of jumping? It looks like a free drop from a cliff to the abyss.

Jumping is the nature of my body. I love jumping. In ballet, many abilities are inherited from the Mother Nature. The training is also important but much has been given to us by nature, take it and use it.

Have you ever had a moment when you wanted to forget about many hours of everyday training with your tutors and the director, rehearsals and change your profession to an easier one?

There were failures, but I have never wanted to change my profession. Although I graduated from the Institute of Foreign Languages, I chose the ballet. By the way, ballet terminology is based on French, the language that I studied, and not Italian as in music. One needs to know at least one foreign language on tours.

Do you have close friends and colleagues?

I still keep contacts with the girls with I studied at the Institute. And it is not just the proximity of our professions. It is important when you are understood. Relationships in love and friendship are complicated and very fragile.

Where have you performed? Any memorable events from your past performances?

I remember the performance on the Kremlin stage. It is very large, and if there is little time for preparation, it is difficult to adapt. I did not perform with my team, so my partner was also new, although very professional and emotional. But I still need to get used to it, as it's not easy. I played a part in The 1001 Nights at the 4^th International Festival in the Kremlin. I also played Giselle in the Bolshoi Theatre in Minski, Belarus. It has a sloping stage. The most comfortable stage is in Baku, which is based on Italian model. In Perm, at the international competition of choreographers, I had to perform a three-minute scene based on the music by Gara Garayev. I called it Presentiment. They liked it.

What other interests do you have besides ballet?

I enjoy reading a lot. I think I have read all the classics. I read modern literature with a psychological bias, romantic novels. Ad I also like painting – I do not do painting myself but I like visiting museums, exhibitions, especially on trips. I like the works of Caravaggio, Salvador Dali, Van Gogh, Modigliani Miro, Sattar Bahlulzade, Tahir Salahov, Sakit Mammadov. I really like traveling. In addition to tours, I have been to Italy, Spain, Turkey, the Czech Republic and other countries.

What is your diet?

I generally forget about food often. In special cases, when I have lots to do, it is recommended to eat high quality calorie food, drink plenty of water, because we lose a lot of liquid. I have a good weight, up to 45 kg. And this is normal. I am not cooking food, but I love baking trying to find interesting pastry recipes on the web.

What determines the success of the performance?

Not only the mood of the leading ballerina, but also the overall harmony in the hall, the inspiration of the conductor, the general mood of the company, sensitivity, the energy of your partner and the audience determine the success of any performance. This eventually is transmitted to the artists. Occasionally, something does not go well from the very beginning, or your partner gets sick, but a professional is able to get out of the situation in that the audience does not feel anything.

What novelty would you like now?

Once on the Internet, I have seen a German performance based on Dumas-son’s Lady with Camellias by Friedrich Chopin. It is called the Black Pas de Deux. That was beautiful indeed! I wanted to do it. So, I and the People's Artist of Azerbaijan Gulagasi Mirzayev staged it. By the way, I have excellent partners who feel me from a single movement. I feel comfortable with them on stage.

With Gulagasi, we toured with gala concerts around the CIS countries, and along with classical pas de deux, we also performed fragments from national ballets. The audience, for instance, liked the Farewell Adagio from The Seven Beauties by Gara Garayev. Not only the dance but also the magnificent music of our genius composer delighted the audience.

Would you agree to take part in a concert composed not from ballet fragments, as usual, but from individual pieces of music that could be performed on stage for the first time?

Of course, I would. It going to be very interesting and exciting!

What is your favourite role?

I love them all because I put a lot of work into them. This includes Odette and Odile, Kitri, Giselle, Paquita, Scheherazade, Masha, Dulcinea, the Death – all of them are staged in our theatre.

Who is your idol?

There are several of them: Yekaterina Maximova, Maya Plisetskaya, Svetlana Zakharova, Carla Fracci, Alessandra Ferri, Sylvie Guillem.

When you are tired, can you go through the fragments of performance in your head for better mastering?

This is also practiced. I can do it while driving or walking, especially after rehearsals, to test myself.

Can you dance on a modern theme, similar to performances aired on Intermezzo channel?

I would like to try, but I mostly dance classics, national ballets. Occasionally, neoclassic and modern performances are staged in our theatre. For example, a ballet on Sergei Prokofiev’s Temptation, where I had a role. Very interesting performance. The Shadows of Gobustan by Faraj Garayev is another piece in art nouveau, which we took to France. The open-air premiere took place in Gobustan, where we had many guests.

How do you like to dress?

For everyday life, the casual style is a way to go – my body takes some rest. For evening dresses, I prefer something in black, and the length is midi, maxi in the style of minimalism. I love aesthetics, harmony and beauty in everything.

You are so young… You have everything ahead of you, yet you have achieved a lot recently. You have been awarded the title of Honoured Artist of Azerbaijan and you are entitled for a presidential scholarship. How did it become possible?

It was possible thanks to the support of our wise leader, a connoisseur of musical art, the director of our theatre Akif Melikov, who actively participates in the creative process of our team. He promotes young talented artists, encourages their work. He is perhaps the only person who not only noticed me and helped me in everything, but most importantly, he gave me a chance to show my abilities and move forward, for which I am very grateful. And then, in our profession, one must be willing to do the job. Therefore, I try to be professional and to keep everything in harmony, to achieve perfection in all my roles. In addition, I watch all theatre performances, even those in which I do not participate. I look forward to justify the confidence and expectations of Akif Turanovich.

Nigar, you are deeply focused on ballet. But what would you say if a young handsome man, suitable for you, entered your room and said: "I fell in love with you at first sight when I was watching you on the stage..."?

Laughing. I would say: ‘Perhaps, it works for both of us, if only you love the ballet...’