On Fulfilled Dreams and Ballet
Today we speak with Felicia Șerbănescu about her own ballet studio located in the Apuseni Mountains, in the town of Mărișel, Cluj County, where she guides the steps of young talents.
Ana-Maria Cononovici, 10.11.2026, 14:00
Felicia Șerbănescu has built a distinguished career over the years as a dancer and prima ballerina, university professor, choreographer, and artistic director. Among the leading roles she has performed throughout her career are Swan Lake, Sleeping Beauty, The Nutcracker, Giselle, Don Quixote, Esmeralda, Romeo and Juliet, Cinderella, and The Three Musketeers. Her career has been marked by collaborations with prestigious artists such as Gigi Căciuleanu, Oleg Danovski, Wilfride Piollet, and Pascal Giordano. Throughout her career, she has had the opportunity to dance in landmark ballet productions by three of the greatest masters in the history of dance: August Bournonville, George Balanchine, and Maurice Béjart. In recognition of her achievements, she was awarded the ‘Order of Cultural Merit in the rank of Knight’ by the Minister of Culture in 2010.
Felicia Şerbănescu, a ballet mistress, choreographer, manager at Ballet Studio Felicia Şerbănescu, and member of the ARTIST Cultural Association, shared her story with RRI: “I studied in Cluj at what was then the high school of the arts, in the choreography program, today, the Octavian Stroia High School of Drama and Choreography. And because I fell hopelessly in love with this wonderful city, after dancing for about 29 years at the famous Oleg Danovski Ballet Theater in Constanța, I returned to the area, because I wanted to spend the rest of my life living here. My family was supportive, and here, in the heart of the Apuseni Mountains, I found a magical place where my husband, who had promised to build me a ballet studio, made that dream a reality in 2022 with this bright, beautiful building, a dream come true for both of us! And we’re happy that we can contribute to the education of young talents and continue to share much of the experience we’ve gained over the years on stage.”
And success wasn’t long in coming, as Felicia Şerbănescu told us: “Success wasn’t long in coming, which is a great source of satisfaction and brings us extraordinary inner joy, because it wasn’t easy to build this studio. And that makes us happy. But what is our greatest joy? It’s doing a lot of good around us, bringing together the community where we live, inspiring and encouraging in every way, and above all, supporting talented students who embrace the art of dance.”
In her studio, younger students also train in a camp for beginners, but generally the students are competitive dancers, between the ages of 13 and 18, or already professionals. We asked Felicia Şerbănescu where she selects her students from: “Not so much from the local community, because there aren’t many children in the village, but we hope that in the future, why not, some will come down from Mărişel as well; there’s a school there, and I’ve been in touch with the principal, we’ll see how that works out. But for now, I’m focused on competitive dance, so students come from the choreography high school in Cluj to study at the studio in Mărişel. I’ll say it again: it’s a wonderful area; it’s great here, and the studio has exceptional facilities! In the summer, it turns into a stage; the audience sits in the courtyard, the children have a 132-square-meter stage at their disposal, along with dressing rooms and every comfort, things we didn’t have in our day, but that doesn’t prevent us from moving forward and doing our part to nurture new talent and support them in fulfilling their dreams. ”
The website of the Felicia Șerbănescu Ballet Studio offers an impressive selection of upcoming performances. More details from Felicia Șerbănescu: “Whenever we finish a program, whether it’s a masterclass, a workshop or a 7 to 10-day intensive camp, we put on performances to showcase everything the children have learned and studied with us. I regularly bring in international figures from the dance world. Just two weeks ago, international ballet master Annarella Roura Sánchez visited our studio to lead a masterclass for my students, and last year we welcomed instructors from the Vienna Academy. This summer, we plan to bring in more dance icons to share their expertise with Romanian students. We also collaborate with international schools. We’ve had dancers visit from Italy, as well as a student from Lithuania. Located in a tourist destination, our audience isn’t just made up of local families and grandparents, but also tourists visiting the area. Everyone leaves happy, which brings us immense joy.”
Felicia Șerbănescu also wanted to highlight a few students who are already making a name for themselves on the international stage: “One of my students, Maya Ciobotă, is already performing as a demi-soloist at the prestigious Mariinsky Theatre in Saint Petersburg after just one year with the company, which is a remarkable achievement. Three of my other students were accepted into the International Dance Company led by Annarella Sánchez in Leiria, Portugal. We hope this experience and partnership opens doors for them to secure permanent roles elsewhere in Europe. In Romania, after dedicating nine years of study and graduating from vocational schools in Cluj, Bucharest, or anywhere else, chances of finding immediate employment are practically non-existent. It’s tough for students to train for so long only to face a dead end. I dedicate myself to helping these talented young dancers pursue their dreams and reach the world’s greatest stages”.
Other promising names to watch in the future include Maia Elena Șestac, Sara Ioana Mărginean, Eliza Selyem, Beatrice Moldovanu and Rebeca Ilyes. (LS & VP)
