Madlenianum's Bolero in Ohrid on July 22 - Ravel's Ballet Choreographed by Aleksandar Ilić at Donji Saraj

The ballet Bolero by Maurice Ravel, performed by the Madlenianum Opera and Theatre from Zemun, will be staged at Donji Saraj in Ohrid on July 22. The performance starts at 21:00 and is part of the 66th Ohrid Summer, the international guest cycle of the classical festival.

Bolero is one of the most recognizable orchestral compositions of the 20th century - 17 minutes of unbroken crescendo where the same melodic motif repeats over a constant rhythmic pulse, while instruments are gradually added one by one. The piece was written in 1928 for ballet, commissioned by Russian ballerina Ida Rubinstein, and ironically, Ravel himself called it a joke. Today it stands as one of the most-performed orchestral compositions in the world.

The Madlenianum staging is the work of Serbian choreographer Aleksandar Ilić, who studied at Lujo Davičo in Belgrade and completed postgraduate studies at Trinity Laban in London. The lead soloist in Bolero is Ognjen Vučinić, with an ensemble of Katarina Bucić, Jovana Grujić, Vladimir Čubrilo, Katarina Ilijašević and the house's ballet ensemble. The Madlenianum premiere was in April 2025 on World Dance Day, and the production has since been touring the region.

Madlenianum Opera and Theatre in Zemun is one of the most significant independent opera-and-ballet venues in Serbia. Tickets for the Ohrid show are sold via mktickets.mk at 300 denars apiece. Donji Saraj offers an intimate stage setting in which choreographic detail is particularly highlighted.