Raymonda ballet, one of the most important titles, very difficult, at Bucharest National Opera House

The Raymonda performance by Alexander Glazunov, directed and choreographed by Maki Asami, will be presented for the first time on Saturday at the Bucharest National Opera House (ONB), Agerpres reports.

"Raymonda ballet is one of the most important titles, a very difficult title, a title that few ballet companies can afford to address," Daniel Jinga, the acting general manager of ONB, told a press conference on Thursday.

He specified that the mission of the Bucharest National Opera House was a difficult one this year, and the realization of the performance was a difficult one, under some very fast-track working conditions.

"I proposed this title primarily because it is a special title and (...) it is fully staged for the first time in the institution's history. A very difficult title, which requires a lot of virtuosity, technical interpretation, it is very rich for the ballet company. I have worked in an extraordinary manner with Mrs. Takako Nishikawa, who is a perfect professional, she came back from Japan to work with us, to put on the performance on stage. The title fascinated me due to the music, the choreography and the choreographic drawing, which is very special," said Alin Gheorghiu, artistic advisor.

Ballet director Laura Blica Toader said that Raymonda is a performance that has been worked on intensively and with great dedication, adding that refugee artists from Ukraine have also been integrated into the show.

First soloist Rin Okuno, who performed the role of Raymonda in the premiere on Saturday, confessed that she wanted this role since childhood.

"For me, Raymonda is a very special ballet. Since my childhood, my greatest desire has been to dance solos in Raymonda. (...) It is an honor for me to be able to dance Raymonda, an extremely famous show in Japan. This year marks the 100th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Romania. I am very happy to be able to dance Raymonda at the National Opera in a Japanese choreography. (...) Raymonda is a beautiful ballet. The choreography, the costumes and the music are wonderful," said Rin Okuno.

First soloist Robert Enache, who performed Jean de Brienne in Saturday's premiere, said he was impressed with the way he worked with Japanese rehearsal master Takako Nishikawa.

Saturday's cast of Raymonda includes Rin Okuno, Robert Enache, Valentin Stoica, Erina Yoshie, Kana Arai, Sergiu Dan, Razvan Cacoveanu, Antonel Oprescu, Monica Petrica, Margaux Chesnais, Karen Saito, Aleandra Gavrilecu, Ionut Sergiu Dan, Amyra Badro, Stefano Nappo, Alexandra Plesis, Tomas Sanza, Julia Baro.