Bucharest is loved by foreigners because of its genuineness. It is one of the few capitals of the world which globalization hasn’t touched and hasn’t effaced its charm. The city combines in a glamorous way old and new, past and present. It is the metropolis in which we find modern buildings, in which glass and steel are celebrities, but also the heritage buildings bearing on their shoulders the years of history. They are those buildings which are reminiscent of the times past of these lands and give a bohemian air to this city so living.
My involvement in this project gave me the opportunity to get in touch with very many foreigners who picked Bucharest to build up for themselves a professional itinerary. In every chat that I had with them, I noticed that sometimes all these people look at this city without the bitterness that Romanians allow themselves to get overwhelmed. To the foreigners, Bucharest is a European capital which preserved its identity and which makes itself noteworthy by its uniqueness.
A City with Potential
Stefano Nappo has been working for three years in Bucharest as a soloist of the National Opera. His first contact with the city was in a month of February, as it was cold outside and was snowing. In the beginning he did not feel that comfortable, the unfriendly weather causing him to fear that he will not be able to adjust. He was wrong. Today, Bucharest is “home” for Stefano Nappo. It’s the place in which he lives, in which he made himself friends and in which he had the opportunity to see his dream being fulfilled: to dance on a large stage, in front of a generous public. I asked him to tell me what does he enjoy the most in the city which adopted him, and without blinking he declared that he is delighted by “the green spots in Bucharest,” referring to the many parks that the capital of Romania is possessed of. “Cişmigiu and Herăstrău Parks are two of my favorite places. If I were to say the things that I do not like in Bucharest, I will say that I hate the traffic and the stress that this traffic inflicts on people. I’ve been living in Bucharest for three years and I found that, compared to other capitals in the entire world, Bucharest is genuine, since it has not been touched or influenced by globalization. As far as the people here, at the Opera, they are vey nice and friendly, especially with the fresh foreigners, and I have always felt welcome and appreciated,” underscores Stefano Nappo.
During our chat, he would point out to me that the city has a great potential because it is possessed of some of the most beautiful and interesting “architectures” that he has seen in all his journeys. “More should be done so that these heritage buildings would be kept in the best shape. Since I moved to Bucharest, three years ago, I’ve noticed a clear improvement of the city’s situation and an obvious development. I hope things will continue on that line,” points out Stefan Nappo.
He recommends Calea Victoriei / Victory’s Avenue, Parcul Herăstrău / Herăstrău Park and Palatul Parlamentului / The Parliament’s Palace
Stefano’s schedule is a full one, but as he has some time off, he finds many ways to relax. “When I have a lighter month, with fewer shows, I enjoy going to the gym and to the pool during this time off. I have my own places I’m frequenting. When my professional agenda does not allow me such a treat, I take delight in a movie I watch at the cinema or on a channel specialized in such programs. This kind of moments help me charge my batteries. I enjoy being with my friends and watching movies,” shares the artist.
Sometimes it happens for him to be visited by some close friends coming to Bucharest for the first time. “Every time someone gets to Bucharest, I take him to a thermal center where he can relax. I pick such an option especially during the cold months, when we long for the sunshine. Moreover, I enjoy showing him how beautiful is Calea Victoriei / Victory’s Avenue, how pleasant it is to take a stroll through Herăstrău Park and how majestic is the Parliament’s building,” nuances Stefano.
The experiences he lived in Bucharest cause the young ballet-dancer to strongly affirm that the city is an extremely friendly one. “People are friendly. Especially the young people are very open. As they get in touch with us and find out we are from another country and came here to work, they look very delighted. They are always impressed when I tell them I am a ballet-dancer,” shares the young man.
The Italian for whom Romania is “faină
If his name would not betray him, Stefano Nappo could easily pass for a Transylvanian come to the capital of Romania. The period spent at Sibiu Ballet Theater clearly left its mark on the accent he possesses and caused him to borrow something from the Transylvanian dialect. When you hear the word “fain / lovely” being uttered by an Italian, that warms up your heart.
This is what happens as you listen Stefano speak. The young man, who is now a ballet-dancer at the Bucharest National Opera, was born about 24 years ago in Napoli, Italy.
“I started ballet at the age of six, at a local ballet school and then I decided to pursue a career in this realm. I got trained at “Accademia Arte e Spettacolo Spazio Danza,” mainly with Rosa Varriale și Francesco Imperatore. Subsequently I enrolled in the National Ballet School in London (ENBS). After graduating from ENBS, I was offered employment at Sibiu Ballet Theatre. One year later, I auditioned for Bucharest National Opera and I enrolled in the corps de ballet. In 2017, I was promoted to a soloist status. My roles as a soloist include, among others, Beno, in “Swans’ Lake,” Benvolio, in “Romeo and Juliet”, Fachir, in “Bayadere,” Precious Stones and Bluebird in “The Beauty of the Sleeping Forest.” When I picked ballet, I did it because I was a highly agitated child moving around all the time. Later I realized that a lot of work and dedication are needed to achieve excellence. I took everything as a challenge, and ballet became my priority. If I were to turn back and to start from scratch, I would not change anything. Ballet means everything to me and I can’t picture my life without it,” points out the young ballet-dancer.
To Stefano, Romania is the place that offered him the chance to get fulfilled professionally, and for this the artist is deeply grateful to it. “During my graduation year at ENBS, I auditioned a number of times in Europe and I was turned down by a number of companies because of my height. Fortunately, that was not a problem for Sibiu Ballet Theater, that offered to me my first professional contract. During the year spent in Sibiu, I traveled a lot to Bucharest in order to watch, at Bucharest National Opera, a triptych, including “In the Night” by Jerome Robbins, “In the Middle, Somewhat Elevated” by William Forsythe, and “Themes and Variations” by George Balanchine. Then I decided I wanted to dance here, so I auditioned and was offered a job,” shares the dancer.
The first role he had as a soloist was Beno, the prince’s friend in “The Swans’ Lake.” “Beno is even today the most challenging technical role I had the pleasure to dance. In the future, you can see me on the stage in a number of roles. This month (editor’s note: October), I will dance The Blue Bird in “The Beauty of the Sleeping Forest” and Beno in “The Swans’ Lake”). Later on, during November and December, I will have the Chinese dance in “The Nutcracker” by Oleg Danovski,” mentions the ballet-dancer.
Stefano Nappo lives through and for ballet. To him there is no greater joy than dancing and pleasing the audience. “To the people who love ballet I would say: Come to the Opera and watch a show! It is always interesting when you know that a show is sold out; I believe it is only a confirmation that what we do is appreciated and well perceived. I would also encourage the younger ones to travel and watch various troupes performing. Personally, I feel this is so inspiring and motivating”, declares the young man.
Stefano is one of many foreigners who have picked Bucharest for their professional affirmation. His story shows us that is not hard to perform well in Romania; the main thing is wanting it and being motivated. It also proves to us that Bucharest is one of the European capitals were the value of the art is highlighted. The artists who end up performing on Bucharest stages have the joy to address a quality public, and this only adds more color to the booming city.