Celebrating Angelina Atlagić’s birthday

Serbian artist Angelina Atlagić celebrates her birthday on 29 June. The productions she has designed — multifaceted, imaginative, and diverse — have become an integral part of the Mikhailovsky Theatre’s ballet repertoire. Her signature style is unfailingly picked up by the audience, and her immaculate elegance and close attention to detail emphasize the beauty of Nacho Duato’s choreography.

Angelina Atlagić has been known in St Petersburg since 2011. The Sleeping Beauty, choreographed by Nacho Duato, was her first production at the Mikhailovsky, followed by Romeo and Juliet (2012), La Bayadère (2019), and Swan Lake (2021).

She has created the fairytale world of The Sleeping Beauty — the world that lives in the imagination of every child. She brings her medieval fashion fantasizes to life, combining the finest fabrics in fawn and golden olive tones. Her Verona in Romeo and Juliet is literally woven from sunlight, the proximity of the sea, and the scents of orange and jasmine. In La Bayadère, Angelina blends whimsical Indian patterns with the severity of classical lines, creating not only the stage design and dozens of intricate theatrical costumes, but also a whole collection of luxurious jewellery. In her hands, Swan Lake becomes an elegant reflection of turn-of-the-century Paris, a “Belle Époque” inspired by the success of Diaghilev’s early seasons in the 1900s.

“The challenge is always how to bring an idea to life,” the artist admits. “Inspiration and muses come to the rescue; without them, art would be impossible.”