Skopje, 23 January 2026 (MIA) — Prima ballerina Marija Kichevska Shokarovska will dance Friday evening the title role in the National Opera Ballet production of "Madame Bovary," with Francisco Giménez Ruiz as Charles Bovary and Balázs Lőcsei as Rodolphe Boulanger, the NOB said in a press release.

Inspired by Gustave Flaubert's novel, "Madame Bovary" is a story of a woman's yearning for passion and freedom beyond her mundane reality, ultimately resulting in her tragic downfall, the release said.

The ballet was choreographed by Victor Ishchuk of Ukraine, who "has captured the spirit of the 19th century and the main character's emotional complexity with precise and subtle contemporary expression," the release said. 

The ballet is set to music pieces by Camille Saint-Saëns, Maurice Ravel, Jules Massenet, Felix Mendelssohn and George Frideric Handel. 

Armenian conductor Eduard Ambartsumyan will conduct the orchestra, featuring pianist Andreja Naunov as soloist. The concertmaster is Jane Bakevski.

The lighting design is by Milcho Aleksandrov and the project manager is Kiro Pavlov. The set and the costumes were designed by Andrey Zlobin and Gana Ipatieva of Ukraine. 

"Each scene has been carefully designed to highlight the emotional depth, visual brilliance and the contemporary approach to this classic story, creating an unforgettable stage experience," the release said. mr/