Press extracts
Magazine interviews
Newspaper interviews
Books - encyclopedias
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1. SOVIETSKI BALET , no. 6 (December 1985), page
9, 11, 16 and 17:
"One of the most powerful components of
the ballet dancer soloist group from Romania, Simona
Somacescu, due to her exceptional talent and gift, as
well as to a superior technique training, proved in
"Don Quijotte" and "Pas classique", promises an extremely
interesting ulterior evolution ". |
2. KOMSOMOLSKAIA PRAVDA, 22 of June 1985:
"The soul of the alive creation inspires
what the painter's palette renders, the step of the
dancer, the voice of the song and then the enthusiasm
is born again, also the alive disobedient soul of the
butterfly in which transposed the Romanian ballet dancer,
Simona Somacescu, a great expectation of the international
lyric stage, showing an immaculate and capricious character."
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3. ROMANIAN NEWS 13 (522) April 1st
1988, page 11 (AGERPRES):
"At the new opening night of the Romanian
Opera, "Stubborn Woman", (by Shakespeare's comedy) the
two main parts that ask for an extraordinary capacity
of expression only by gestures and movements of the
body, varying from extreme violence to the most delicate
lyricism, Ioan Tugearu chose Simona Somacescu in Katharina's
part and Tiberiu Almosnino in Petrochio's, both of them
being the most gifted ballet dancers of the new generation.
Both of them created remarkable scores, impressing by
an unlimited series of means of expression, destined
to create a veridical image of some characters so complex."
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4. CULTURAL WEEK OF THE CAPITAL, 1st
of April 1988, I.Lucaciu :
"In the ballet "Stubborn Woman", Ioan
Tugearu launches some young exceptional talents. First
of all Simona Somacescu makes herself conspicuous, that
amazes through her original availability of approaching
to the Katharina's character, that she "lives" with
a total self-denial. She is defined as a complex artist
with great force. For her "the technique" is just a
means of expression. The brilliance of the evolution
is given by the minute assimilation of the part, with
personality and charm. This show gives birth to a great
ballet dancer."
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5. LITERARY ROMANIA, The arguments
of the theater, C.T., 14th of April 1988:
"In the cast viewed at the opening night,
Simona Somacescu (Katharina) and Tiberiu Almosnino (Petruchio)
are also admirable from the theatre language point of
view. The former is a great revelation. The unconstraint
of the play and the mobility of the gestures are all
remarkable. She easily passes from the impression of
normality or naivety to the "hysteria" moods, she is
furious, "quarrelsome", mature or childish, the comic
suggestions are various: the burlesque, the involuntary
grotesque together with the mask simulated seriously,
the very ridicule spontaneity and the rest of all difficult
to say in words."
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6. LITERARY ROMANIA, The young
ballet dancer, no. 16, April 14th, 1988:
"The interpretation of Katharina's part"
from the "Stubborn Woman" catalogues Simona Somacescu
as the rare ballet dancers having an interpretative
force that performed on the world stages. When she was
no more than 19, she amazed through artistic maturity,
mobility, expression, verve and temperament."
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7. THE CONTEMPORARY, 15th of April
1988, L.V. Stubborn Woman (I):
"In "Stubborn Woman" ballet the absolute
revelation of the show was Simona Somacescu - the ballet
dancer that proves to be an impeccable technician that
speculates daringly the virtues and serves with a remarkable
faith the choreographic vision".
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8. MUSIC, no. 6 June 1988, Choreographic
opening night at the Romanian Opera, Grigore
Constantinescu:
"Simona Somacescu (the unequal interpreter
of Cinderella from the show realized by Alexa Mezincescu
in 1987) is a powerful temperament, creates an immediate
relation with partners and public, using the dance in
order to make an actor composition. Her technique means
are remarkable, and this suggested real performance
combinations to the choreographer."
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9. TRAVEL ON THE STAVE, December 1988,
The soloist vocation, Oltea Serban Parau:
"On 20th of March, Simona Somacescu made
her first appearance in "Stubborn Woman", having the
main trumps her love for the ballet lived with all her
being, youth and passion. Temperamental, full of nerve,
charming, soft, she matches perfectly with the dual
part of Katbarina - on the one hand obstinate, and on
the other hand soft, full of love. Simona Somacescu
burns as a glitter flame: from the beginning of the
show till the end, fascinating the audience. Before
graduating the Choreography Section from "George Enescu"
Art High-School from Bucharest, Simona Somacescu imposed
as a certainty of the ballet in two wide-spreading
soloist scores, in "Beauty from the Sleepy Forest" together
with FANTASIO group from Constantza (show filmed by
TV Studios, 1986) and "CINDERELLA" (main part) in Alexa
Mezincescu choreography, 1987."
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10. NATIONAL NEWSPAPER, 27th of August
1991, Valor and posture, Natalia Stancu:
" The exceptional talent and gift, as
well as the high technique training of Simona Somacescu,
were remarked from 1985. The teenager of 16 that takes
part (waiving of age limit), in the International' Festival
of ballet: from Moscow, was welcomed then as a "great
expectation of the international lyric stage". The expectations
were not denied. A complex artist, of a great force...
For her the technique is just a means of expression.
The brilliance of the evolution emphasizes the minute
assimilation of the part, personality and charm. "This
show gives birth to a great ballet dancer!" - They said
on the occasion of the opening night of "The Taming
of the Shrew"... ".
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11. MERIDIAN, 16th of June 1993, Opera
and Ballet, Oltea Serban-Parau:
" Simona Somacescu knows how to induce
to the audience that emotion of communication through
dance, through the harmonious language of gestures,
surpassing the simple technique performance is essential
for her. The mobility of the physiognomy - especially
in the first act (Giselle) - a vitality that surpassed
the limits of the convention of the classical ballet,
the pleasure of playing and the strong emotional estate
of every step, of every movement, outlines the profile
of Giselle embodied by Simona Somacescu, balanced in
the second part of the show by the superb animation
of the heroine apparition, that keeps anyway a detached
position before the stage, important in suggesting the
dreaming atmosphere from the entire end of the ballet.
The fragile point of the score, the madness scene, was
conceived by Simona Somacescu through a painfully beautiful
dance, with a well intuitive succession of the lucidity
moments and of lack of balance, the body of the ballet
dancer becoming here, more than any other place, reflection
of the troubled soul."
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12. FEUILLETON - An apparent victory
of the patriarchal, the Bucharest State Opera with Shakespeare's
"The taming of the shrew", S ueddeutsche Zeitung No.
32, 1993, Karl Rieck:
" Elevating: Simona Somacescu playing
Katharina, with her dance talent, the mimic, her dynamic.
Only a little eclipsed by the protagonist, her partner,
Tiberiu Almosnino as Petrucchio."
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13. COMPLETE SUCCESS in
The grace of the shrew, Friday the
12th of February 1993, Claus P. Gras:
"Simona Somacescu has remarkable premises,
to personify Katharina, the embodied shrew, played with
grace. The gesture and the mimic are fully used to fulfill
the script and to become the intangible center, when
she is pushing naughty the elbows in front or when she
is blocking the stage with spread legs, in order to
fight new attacks or to play dreadful tricks. And all
that in spite of the little space she has, due to choreography."
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14. CULTURE - A magical taming realized
by Petrucchio, a dress performance: A rich ballet evening
of the Bucharest opera, Wednesday the lOth of February
1993.
"This is especially for Katharina and
Petrucchio - Simona Somacescu and Tiberiu Almosnino
- a virtuous dance couple. The most powerful fascination
was determined by Simona Somacescu, she is a real artist,
a prima ballerina, high dancing perfection combined
with similar power of performance and glamour."
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PROVINCE - CULTURE - Saturday, 5th
of November, 1994, Debut of Ballet from National Opera
of Romania, Martin Codax:
"The scene of the balcony of Romeo and
Juliet by Prokofiev, signed by Yuri Papko, it is remarkable
the combined graphics of the two bodies admiringly treated
in union, or as a prolongation of one in other, with
new, aerial, fluid figures in the styling of the love
idea. Simona Stomacescu gave a superb play of grace,
innocence and youthful elasticity."
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16. CANARIAS - CULTURE - Tuesday, 8th
of November, 1994, Ana Sharife:
"In the pass of two of "Corsario", in
which George Postelnicu accompanied with virtuosity
and extreme attention the prima ballerina Simona Somacescu,
that together and separated provoked the explosion of
the audience. Simona did excellently stylistic exquisiteness
her more refined and suggestive variation, and her pair
proved a masterly combination and very balanced of body
force and power as well as talent, and the pureness
of a very laborious technique, therefore after every
jump, turning and revolution, afterward ended with a
semifold, as to scrub the people that were in the armchairs
the little effort that cost her."
"Simona Somacescu - great star of the
company - that will dance together with the great George
Postelnicu".
"But there is another surprise: at the
demand of the audience, "Romeo and Iuliet" will be interpreted
by Simona Somacescu and Tiberiu Almosnino".
CANARIAS - CULTURE, An exquisite, masterly
evening show, Saturday, 5th of November, 1994, Ana Sharife:
"When bowing, the warmer applause were
for the very young Simona Somacescu, that resounded
in the Theater, together with the most deserved bravos
for the nostalgia of the classic, the laboriousness
of the words and the styling of the adagios".
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17. CANARIAS - CULTURE - Night of pure
gold, Thursday 10th of November 1994, Ana Sharife:
"The Ballet from the National Opera from
Bucharest ended the night in pure gold. Simona Somacescu
crowned in "Nutcracker Suite", interpreting till depths
every note of Ceaikovski. She gave us the conciseness,
suavity and precision of some prolonged pirouettes on
the top, with extreme delicacy and nuances richness,
involved in the already known and difficult variation
of the step in two and the waltz of the flowers. She
can be compared in technique and lyricism with Magdalena
Poa, in certainty with Plisetskaya, and in sensibility
with Margot Fontein - if the reader wants to have an
idea about the reach and the sense of art of this young
ballet dancer."
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18. CEAIKOVSKI TWO TIMES , Wednesday,
2nd of April 1997, Vivia Sandulescu:
"Simona Somacescu has such a scenic imposing
appearance so that if she reduced the execution you
would not know. Well, not: her work betrays her care
for coherence, fluidity, the line bas destination, the
gesture is studied, even from theater point of view,
she is always attentive."
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19. CEAIKOVSKY NIGHT , March 1997,
Natasa Trifan:
"The prima soloist Simona Somacescu, beautiful,
sensitive, having an advanced technique of toe dancing,
with a special expression of the arms, managed to incite
the audience through the elegance of the revolution,
the plastic coordination of the body and a strong artistic
emotion."
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20. DANCE - MUSIC , "Gelu Barbu...
home again", Mihai Canciovici:
"I never forget the satisfaction of working
with great ballet dancers as Simona Somacescu, who is
an international star, of a great dramatic character,
intellectual dancer, of a great sensibility, with a
good technique."
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21. BALLET - AT THE NATIONAL ROMANIAN OPERA
, 2-8 December 1998, Dumitru Avakian:
"In the main part Anna Karenina, Simona
Somacescu creates a character defined of character,
in the tragic expression area, even since the first
moments of her appearance, in the accident scene from
the station's platform; she is an appearance, and she
knows how to develop a posture of a dramatic-theater
consistence. Her choreographic evolution is brilliant,
of an elevation in the communication plan."
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22. NATIONAL , Tuesday 17th of November
1998, Anna Karenina, Gabriela Hurezean:
"The character of Anna Karenina offers
Simona Somacescu the possibility of revealing an amazing
expressiveness. Anna is in the same time fragile and
strong, happy and sad, radiant and grieving, lucid and
raving, confident and desperate. Matching perfectly
the classical ballet with contemporaneous dance, Simona
Somacescu expresses with all her human being, overwhelmingly,
announcing a brilliant rebirth of the Romanian ballet."
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23. EVENT OF THE DAY , Wednesday,
11th of November 1998, Anna Karenina Ballet, Felicia
Mihali:
"In the center of the story there is Simona
Somacescu, in the most troubling part till now. At 29,
she is the star of the Romanian ballet!"
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24. CURRENT - CULTURAL , Dance means
love, magic energy, Friday 20th of November 1998, Magdalena
Popa-Buluc:
" There is in the artistic act of Simona
Somacescu, convinced that dancing can be a perfect beat
of the heart - a certain incandescence. She is an alive
human being, between sweat and dream, thrilling of all
calls and impulses of life, screaming of joy or pain,
complementation, also so necessary and obvious as the
air and the fife, leaf and nerve. She has the suppleness
of the air and the vigorous beauty of a root. For Simona,
every repetition is a ritual Fascinating in this Anna
Karenina where her body revolves, she bends in a superb
straining reminding of a stretched arc, she strolls
or bites the air, the earth. Her body changes in a sensorial
scream, her arms become wings when she begs love with
ample, tender, energetic or grieving gestures."
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25. ROMANIAN CHRONICLE - Simona Somacescu,
a Karenina of Vivien Leigh type, 12th
of November 1988, Grigore Constantinescu:
"Simona Somacescu shows, as image, the
fragileness of Vivien Leigh from the homonymous film
50 years ago, has a certain mystery and she is extremely
expressive in all that she does, from her look and gesture
till the performance of dancer."
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26.
INVEST ROMANIA , August 1998, Ballet
rises out of the ashes, Gabriela Hurezean:
" The National Opera's very young first
lead, Simona Somacescu, has long exceeded all hopes,
attracting applause and ovations for "Romeo and Juliet",
"Giselle", "The Taming of the Shrew", "Swan Lake", "Carmina
Burana", "Bayadera", "Peer Gynt", "Nutcracker Suite",
"Faust", etc. Despite a classical education, Simona
has recently engaged in contemporary dance, with the
return to Romania of the magnificent Gigi Caciuleanu."
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27.
ROMANIA LIBERA, 9th March 2004, "The unspoken
word of Simona Somacescu", Adina Stefan
Known as the prime ballerina of the Bucharest National
Opera, Simona Somacescu made her debut as choreographer
writing two ballet solos.Entitled "The unspoken
word" and "A day too hot" the two choreographies
are based on Simona Somacescu's musical preferences
in which certain affective affinities managed to make
their way through.The first solo is on the melody
"Dolj Doina" formerly performed by Maria
Tanase, and the second has as background the song
"Long, Long Journey" performed by Louis
Armstrong. "If Maria Tanase touches the depeest
string of my soul, Armostrong's song captured my attention
through the courage and sincerity of expressing some
truths which most of us feel, but not all of us have
the courage to admit them".
Recently decorated with the Cultural Merit Order in
the Chivalry Order for the manner in which she has
served as prime ballerina the first lyric stage of
the country for 15 years, Simona Somacescu stated:
I has the great pleasure that this appreciation coincided
with the moment in which I, by composing the two solos,
rendered homage to the National Opera in its 50-th
year of experience by dedicating them of it."
Back
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-
1996 - May - MATCH BUCHAREST - "Simona Somacescu",
Gabriela Hurezean
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1998 - August - INVEST ROMANIA - "Ballet rises
out of the ashes", Gabriela Hurezean
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1999 - February - WEEKEND EVENT - "Simona Somacescu",
Felicia Mihali
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1999 - July - PANORAMIC TV - "On the Dance Meridians"
- Simona Somacescu", Doru Ionescu
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1999 - September - EXCES - "Exercises of innocence",
Iulian Capsali
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1999 - October - November - FREE ROMANIA I SPARE
TIME - "Autograph Simona Somacescu" Dani Belea
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1999 - November - VIVA - "With dance steps, home"
Ana Belea
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2000 - January - HOME MAGAZINE - "Femininity at
superlative", Cristina Strugurel
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2000 - June - STAGE - "They tell more keeping
quiet", Ioana Florea
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2001 - June - WOMEN WORLD - "Simona Somacescu
has been dancing since she was very young", Gabriela
Dimovici
- 2003
- November - ELLE - "Another beginning",
Doru Iftimie
- 2004
May, NATIONAL THEATRE NEWSPAPER - "In his
laboratory, the artist shares a mystery with God",
realized by the famous critic and editor - the
manager of this magazine, Magdalena Popa-Buluc
- 2004,
TEATRUL All, issue 11 - 12: "Zvicnirea din causul palmei" (The thrilling from the palm of the hand), Claudia Lipan
- 2007,
September/October, "DANCE FOR YOU MAGAZINE", Nicolae Vieru(Germany)
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Newspaper interviews
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THE
TRUTH -
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Cristina Modreanu
Diana Popescu
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FREE ROMANIA -
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Adriana Vasilescu
Adina Stefan
Livia Stoenescu
Ioana Floria
Cornelia Scaesteanu
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THE EVENT OF THE DAY -
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Felicia Mihali
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THE NATIONAL NEWSPAPER -
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Natalia Stancu
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MERIDIAN -
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Oltea Serban - Parau
Corina Pavel
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AS FORMULA -
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Maria Oniga
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NATIONAL -
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Gabriela Hurezean
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FREE
YOUTH -
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Gabriela Hurezean
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ROMANIAN
CHRONICLE -
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Vivia Sandulescu |
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CURRENT -
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Magdalena Popa - Buluc |
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MAGAZINE
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Cornelia Voica |
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BUCHAREST JOURNAL -
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Alice Claudia Gherman |
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VIP
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Monica Stan
Cornel Ceuca
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| INDEPENDENT
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Sergiu
Anghel
Violeta Teodorescu |
| LITERARY
ROMANIA - |
Dumitru
Avakian |
| RAMPA
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Irina
Budeanu |
| ARTS'
JOURNAL - |
Luminita
Vartolomei |
| FINANCIAL
NEWSPAPER - |
Lucian
Ungureanu |
| SUNDAY'S
NEWSPAPER (cultural supplement of the FINANCIAL
NEWSPAPER) - |
Carmen
Musat-Coman |
| TODAY- |
Irina Budeanu |
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1999 - THE DREAM CAGE, author loana Florea |
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2002 - WHO'S WHO - First edition published in Romania |
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2002 - WHO'S WHO OF PROFESSIONAL AND BUSINESS WOMEN
- Ninth edition published in the United States of America |
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2003 - PLURAL, authors Ana - Maria Munteanu, Silvia
Ciurascu |
| 2004
May - "Gelu Barbu, the rhythm of the feelings",
author Antonio Pita Cardenes |
2004
- International Encyclopedia of Dance, Oxford University Press,
New-York |
| 2007
- Who's Who in Dance, The International Dance Council(CID), UNESCO
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