Triumphant Premiere of the “Zorba the Greek” Ballet at the National Theatre

“Zorba the Greek” ballet spectacle, set to music by the celebrated Greek composer Mikis Theodorakis, and choreographed and directed by Konstantin Kostyukov, premiered on 11 June on the Main Stage of the National Theatre in Belgrade, immediately winning over the audience.

Around 150 performers took part in the production, and the exquisite artistic concept, powerful stage energy, and inspired dance led to the audience being completely captivated by the performance on stage throughout the entire show.

The climax of the evening came at the very end with the performance of the legendary sirtaki score “Zorba’s Dance”, when the full auditorium rewarded the ensemble with a standing ovation lasting several minutes. The eruption of enthusiasm from the audience served as the most beautiful confirmation of the success of the premiere, as at the very end, Konstantin Kostyukov, who also signed the choreography for this spectacle, joined the soloists in performing the sirtaki.

This was the first production on the stage of the National Theatre in Belgrade of one of the most popular ballets of the contemporary repertoire, based on the novel by Nikos Kazantzakis, “Zorba the Greek: The Life and Times of Alexis Zorbas”. 

Accompanied by the unforgettable music of Mikis Theodorakis, which blends Greek folklore, Mediterranean melody, and symphonic expression, the performance delivers a powerful and emotional story about a man who embraces life with all its contradictions.

The uniqueness of this music is reflected in a gradual transition from a calm, almost meditative beginning to an increasingly faster and more exciting rhythm, culminating in an explosion of energy and joy of life.

“Zorba the Greek” ballet, whose libretto is jointly signed by Konstantin Kostyukov and Brankica Knežević, is a true ode to life. It celebrates existence in all its contrasts – light and darkness, love and hatred, life and death. Zorba does not dance only when he is happy; when words fail, his dance becomes an authentic voice of human defiance of fate, a response to pain, and a celebration of life despite everything.

Under the baton of Aleksandar Kojić, the performance featured the Ballet Ensemble, Choir, and Orchestra of the National Theatre, as well as students of the “Lujo Davičo” Ballet High School, bringing together more than 150 artists in this production.

The principal roles were performed by Lev Semenov as Zorba, Tatjana Tatić as Marina (with Marina’s voice performed by Ljubica Vraneš), Teodora Spasić as Madame Hortense, Sergey Alexandrov as Nik, and Nicola Bianco as Pavlis. A significant contribution was also made by the soloists Dejana Đorčevski, Olga Olćan, Maja Stojakov, and Tijana Šebez.

The same cast will perform for the audience again on 12 June  at the first repeat performance.

The set designer was Saša Senković, while the costumes were designed by Olga Mrđenović.

The great public interest in this musical and stage spectacle is best illustrated by the fact that tickets for all four June performances have long been sold out.“Zorba the Greek” will remain on the repertoire of the Main Stage until the end of the month with additional performances on 15 and 16  June.