Ašhen Ataljanc’s career, which began at the age of 16 as a professional, is a path of the most talented and exceptional dancers. Even at the Ballet School “Lujo Davičo,” Ašhen stood out with her slender figure, striking face, excellent physical attributes, confident classical dancing, competition awards, dedication, and rare insight. At 16, she entered the adult world of dance and performed with the National Theater. A year later, she became the youngest soloist in the history of the company.Her career began with her debut in Don Quixote. She also performed in La Bayadère, and by the age of twenty, she had become the most beautiful “white” and “black” swan on the domestic ballet scene. In Ašhen Ataljanc’s interpretation, the swans were truly expressive, technically skilled, and of rare beauty. For her roles in Swan Lake, she received a special award marking the 120th anniversary of the National Theater. Major roles followed in Giselle, Don Quixote, The Sleeping Beauty, Camille, Samson and Delilah, and more. Critics described her performance as sensual and convincing, with her dance sculpted into “crystal forms of neoclassical” art, wonderfully and technically perfect. Many dream of seeing the partnering duo with Konstantin Kostyukov once more, “just to throw flowers on the stage again!” They were a pair of dancers atypical for our ballet school, with whom our ballet could proudly be presented anywhere in the world. In Osaka, Japan, at the 1991 World Couple Competition, Ašhen and Konstantin won first place. Success followed success, and the next year, at 21, Ašhen rightfully became a prima ballerina at the National Theater. That same year, she performed in a specially created piece for her at Bitef, titled Isadora Duncan, choreographed by Jelena Šantić. Afterward, she became a guest artist with the Israeli Ballet in Tel Aviv. Although she increasingly felt the need to enrich her dance language and explore contemporary choreography, Ašhen achieved unparalleled success in classical ballet. For her outstanding role as Kitri in Don Quixote, she received three awards: the October Award (1992) alongside our great writer Milorad Pavić, the Secretary of Culture Award in Belgrade (1991), and the Annual Award of the National Theater (1992). In 1992, she was also awarded the Golden Dragon Award, given to a woman who marked the previous year with her personality (elegance and style). And then the spotlight shone brightly…
In 2007, when she decided to become a freelance artist, doors opened for her at the Accademie Danza in Milan, where she began working as a dancer and pedagogue. With a suitcase full of experience and new knowledge, a global artist’s address, memories from countless tours across Europe, America, Africa, and Asia, and a baggage full of glowing reviews and critiques, Ašhen arrived in Belgrade in 2007 to celebrate twenty years of her ballet career. For her and her anniversary, Italian choreographer Mikele Merola created the performance La Capinera, which after its premiere continued to evoke an exciting and celebratory tone of admiration: Ašhen is beautiful, charismatic, and her movement is perfect…After La Capinera, Ašhen returned to Milan. The performance titled La forma dell’incompiuto was a true artistic delight. Choreographed by Susanna Beltrami, alongside the remarkable Giorgio Albertazzi and Luciana Savignano, their performance was sensual and imbued with artistic spirit, leaving a deep impression on the audience in 2008, Ašhen had several premieres in Belgrade. These included the ballets Divine Comedy, If We All Stayed Quiet for a While, and Sonets, in collaboration with the Bitef Dance Company and choreographers Edward Clug, Leo Mujić, and Snježana Abramović. At the National Theater, the premiere of the ballet Songs was performed, choreographed by the renowned Italian choreographer Mauro Bigonzetti.On her life journey, Ašhen encountered NLP, various healing techniques such as Reiki, and many others, which defined her holistic approach to pedagogy. The Ašhen Ataljanc Dance School was founded in 2011, and her students are now attending the top ballet schools in Europe and performing as soloists in major theaters.Artistic dance is an art that cannot be learned from books and scripts. It is an art that is passed down “from knee to knee,” and this is the only way to create new top-level dancers. There is no other way. Therefore, it is incredibly important and the only way for young, future talents to be educated in the highest art of dance is under the guidance of the best and most experienced teachers!
