Tulsa Ballet Announces Promotions to Principal Dancer

Pictured above Madalina Stoica and Arman Zazyan in John Cranko’s Onegin, 2016

Tulsa, Okla. – November, 2016 – For the first time in three years, Tulsa Ballet’s Artistic Director Marcello Angelini proudly announces the promotion of two Senior Soloists to the highest ranking of the company, that of Principal Dancers. He says, “The decision of promoting a company member to the rank of Principal Dancer is a complicated one. Principal Dancers lead the company on stage and, just as importantly, during day-to-day life in the studio. They set the technical, athletic, artistic and behavioral standard for the rest of the Artists in the company. They embody the culture of any given company. Many dancers have some of the qualities listed above, but very few personify them all. Both Madalina and Arman have matured into this role and are now ready to fulfill this responsibility.”

Madalina Stoica trained at the Floria Capsali Choreographic High School. Upon her graduation in 2006, she was accepted into the corps de ballet of the Croatian National Opera. In 2009, Madalina became a Soloist with the National Opera of Bucharest where she performed principal roles in Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, Snow White, Giselle, The Sleeping Beauty, and Paquita. She joined Tulsa Ballet in 2012 as a Senior Soloist.

Since coming to Tulsa, Madalina has added to her list notable repertoire including the roles of Kate in The Taming of The Shrew (Cranko), Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Liang), and Tatiana in Onegin (Cranko). Her contemporary repertoire includes Petite Mort (Kylián), Remansos (Duato), Infra (McGregor), and Second to Last (Cerrudo), to name a few. Madalina has also performed as a guest artist with Oleg Danovsky Ballet Company, Rieca National Opera Maribor, National Opera, and Sibiu Ballet Company and won second place in Sibiu International Competition. Angelini says, “During the past 15 months Madalina’s performances became more consistent both technically and artistically, showing an increasing command of the stage. I believe she is ready to take a more pivotal role in the development of the organization.”

Arman Zazyan began his ballet training in his birthplace of Erivan, Armenia. In 2003, he moved to Stuttgart, Germany to continue his ballet education at the John Cranko Schule. Arman joined the Stuttgart Ballet in 2004 as a member of the Corps de ballet and was promoted to Demi-soloist in 2007 and Soloist in 2012. While in Stuttgart, he performed soloist roles in works such as Bolero (Béjart), Romeo and Juliet (Cranko), Slice to Sharp (Elo), Swan Lake (Cranko), The Vertiginous Thrill of Exactitude (Forsythe), The Four Temperaments (Balanchine), La fille mal gardée (Ashton), and Dancers at a Gathering (Robbins), among many others. In 2012, Arman was invited to perform the role of Valerio in Christian Spuck’s Leonce and Lena as a guest artist with the Aalto Ballet in Essen, Germany.

He joined Tulsa Ballet as a Senior Soloist in 2014 and has since danced principal male roles in The Taming of the Shrew (Cranko), The Nutcracker (Angelini), and Onegin (Cranko). Since coming to Tulsa, he also performed in works by noted choreographers Christopher Bruce, Nacho Duato, Jiří Kylián, and Wayne McGregor, to name a few. Arman won the Vagonova Prize in 2002. Marcello Angelini says of Arman, “Arman is probably the hardest working dancer in the company. He is always asking to do a step, a solo or a duet one more time. He is a passionate Artist on stage and one that gives the audience his heart and soul with every role. His characters come to live during his performances as multi-faceted people rather than stereotypes. He is a mature individual with an infectious passion for dance.”

The decision was solidified after the two dancers performed a stunning display of both dance and emotion on stage in October’s production of John Cranko’s Onegin. Madalina Stoica performed the principal role as Tatiana and Arman Zazyan in the title role of Eugene Onegin. The surprise announcement was made this week in a recent Choreographers’ Circle meeting with many of the organization’s top donors present along with the dance company. Be sure to catch both talented dancers starring in leading roles throughout the 60^th Anniversary Season!