Nikola Márová - Primabalerína – Rafajová Zuzana (2025)

Nikola Márová has become a star of her generation and an unwavering fixture of the ballet company of the Prague National Theatre, where she stood as a prima ballerina for nearly twenty years. Her career has been adorned with successes in the form of awards, famous roles, encounters with choreographic personalities like Jiří Kylián, Mats Ek, or John Neumeier, and extraordinary critical acclaim. She was praised for the purity of her classical technique, the elegance of her body's curves, her unique charisma, as well as her humility, will, and willingness to work hard.

Similar things are said about almost every prima ballerina. So what makes Nikola Márová unique? Perhaps her lifelong struggle with a poorly healed crushed elbow. Perhaps her fondness for tattoos. Perhaps her extreme love for animals, as she rescued snails from the road and fish that jumped out of the aquarium onto the carpet during her childhood. Ballet has shaped and accompanied Nikola throughout her life, yet she refuses to be labeled solely as a prima ballerina. She is a mother, daughter, and sister with an extremely strong connection to her family. She is a nature lover and enjoys tea rituals. She is a quiet strength and a fragile soul.

In a cross-sectional interview, she shares her life inside and outside the incomparable world of ballet with sincere openness. The overall picture is complemented by…