Interview by Anita Angelova with choreographer Filip Milanov about the solo ‘Behind You’, Ballet Arabesque – part of the Showcase program

How was the idea for Behind You born, and what was the initial inspiration for this performance?

Initially, I received an invitation to create a solo performance for an independent venue in Sofia that no longer exists. I enjoy challenges, so I accepted the invitation. For me, it was a real challenge to create a dance performance for a space measuring only 4 by 5 meters. When working with dancers, I like to use the full potential of their bodies and the full range of movement available to them. 

I would also say that the inspiration came from the performer I chose for Behind You – Elizabet Yakimova, who brings something deeply sincere, genuine, and profoundly personal to her stage presence.

The performance explores the relationship between the conscious and the unconscious. How do you translate such abstract ideas into the language of dance?

Perhaps I am biased, perhaps not, but contemporary dance is an art form without boundaries, capable of handling abstraction through images, sensations, and suggestion. Its language is universal and accessible, yet highly personal for every audience member, precisely because it allows us to escape the specificity of words.

In the language of the body, time is also highly relative. As my professor, Prof. Dr. Aleksandar Iliev, used to say: “Only through the body can you perform an entire lifetime—from birth to death—in the span of ten seconds.” For that reason, there are no themes, processes, or experiences that cannot be translated into the language of dance. The most important thing is to know what you want to say and to find the right means to share it.

In the performance description, you speak of identity as a constantly changing concept. How do you think our understanding of ourselves is changing today?

Simply put, the dynamics of today are very different from those of yesterday. Everything around us is changing and evolving, whether we want it to or not. If we are open to this process, then we are also open to understanding ourselves within a different context from the one we have grown accustomed to.

Personally, I do not like to simply go with the flow, as cliché as that may sound. I want to be present, to give, to receive, and to enjoy the experience.

How did your collaborative creative process unfold, and why did you choose Elizabet Yakimova for this project?

As I mentioned earlier, Elizabet possesses a distinctive quality that piques my interest in exploration and experimentation. Her work ethic and professionalism are a true gift to a choreographer. Without sounding harsh, I know how to push her abilities to their fullest extent and draw out exactly what is needed.

Dance is something she truly loves and lives for; it is what makes her feel fulfilled. When working with her, I feel as though I have a multifunctional instrument in my hands, one that allows me to reach different levels both within and beyond the physical body.

Another performer who later joined Behind You is Petya Koleva-Vuchov. She did not simply learn the piece; she made it her own in her own unique way. The two dancers are very different, and each of them has contributed something to my work on this solo. I often tell them that we actually have two different performances with the same title, depending on who is performing it.

What does it mean to you that Behind You has become part of Ballet Arabesque’s repertoire?

When, at the suggestion of Angelina Gavrilova, the current director of the company, Behind You entered the repertoire of Ballet Arabesque and became its first solo performance, I made several changes and adapted it to a larger scale. In my view, this added a new dimension and value to the work.

All of this makes me feel proud of the work of Elizabet and Petya, because without them everything would have remained merely an idea in my head. Of course, we are also delighted that, as part of Ballet Arabesque’s repertoire, the performance now has the opportunity for a new and longer stage of life.