SIMONA NOJA-Principal Dancer of the Vienna State Opera Ballet

Born in Huedin, Romania, SIMONA NOJA received her ballet education at the Arts University in Cluj - Napoca and in 1994 has also completed studies in Philology with a State Degree at the University „ Babes- Bolyay “ from Cluj - Napoca .

Between 1986 and 1991 soloist dancer with the Romanian Opera in Cluj- Napoca, and from 1991 to 1995 Soloist at Deutsche Oper am Rhein, Düsseldorf, she joined Vienna State Opera as a principal Dancer in 1995.

Her Viennese repertoire includes: Odette - Odile in Rudolf Nureyev`s Swan Lake , Aurora and Enchanted Princess in Peter Wright`s Sleeping Beauty , Hippolyta / Titania in John Neumeier`s A Midsummer Night`s Dream, Constanze Mozart in Renato Zanella`s Wolfgang Amade, Gamzatti in Vladimir Malakov`s and Patrice Bart´s Bayadere , the title parts in Nureyev`s Raymonda, John Cranko`s Romeo and Juliet, Kenneth MacMillan`s Manon and Zanella`s Mata-Hari.

She also dances George Balanchine`s Apollo, Theme and Variations, Violin Concerto, Tschaikovski- Pas de deux, MacMillan´s Song of the Earth , Hans van Mannen`s Black Cake , M. Balkan` s Don Quixote Roland Petit`s Carmen, Zanella`s Duo Concertante, Movements, Love Beyond, Laus Deo and has created the leads in Zanella`s Sacre du Printemps, Thin Air, Alles Walzer, Wiener Blut , Beethoven Opus 7 , Bolero and Nutckracker.
Her previous repertoire includes also William Forsythe`s In The Middle…Somewhat Elevated , Nils Christe`s Before the Nightfall and Heinz Spoerli`s Swan Lake, Giselle, Firebird, Nutckracker, Goldberg Variations, Verklärte Nacht .

From 1995 to 1997 SIMONA NOJA is also a soloist at the Deutsche Oper Berlin where she danced in Roland Petit`s Les Intermittences du Coeur and Ray Barra`s Snow Queen.

She guested with Frankfurter Ballet, The Royal Swedish Ballet, The Bavarian State Ballet, The Romanian State Opera, Hannover Ballett, Ballet Estable del Teatro Colon and danced at Gala performances in Helsinki, Moscow, Arnheim, Stuttgart, Ludwigsburg , Seoul, Miami and with the solo piece Strauss incontra Verdi, created for her by Zanella , in Citta di Castello.

In 1990, SIMONA NOJA is the winner of the Silver Medal in the 4th International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mss. USA.

During the season 1999-2000, SIMONA NOJA is the Artistic Director of the Romanian company „Teatrul de balet Oleg Danovski“.

In 6.9.2000 SIMONA NOJA dances the role of Esmeralda, in the premiere of Notre Dame de Paris, from Roland Petit, beside Manuel Legris (Paris Opera) and Massimo Murru (Scala di Milano ), in Teatro Colon, Buenos Aires.
In 2001 she got the price Danza&Danza for the best dancer.