At the age of 67, the former prima ballerina does not rest for a moment – she teaches students, travels the world as a member of the jury of dance competitions, enjoys the role of grandmother of five granddaughters and has been nurturing a macrobiotic lifestyle for more than two decades. In the conversation, she revealed to us how she maintains a slim figure, why she does not believe in aesthetic procedures, and what she considers the biggest secret of beauty and youth.
– I’m retired as a dancer, but I’m constantly on the move, I guess it’s the professional deformity of a ballerina. I teach stage movement and dance to acting students at the Art Academy of the University of Split, I often travel as a member of the jury to international dance competitions. Every now and then an interesting art or fashion project appears, so I can be seen in those roles as well. And when I’m not in the theater, rehearsing or on the road, I’m in an equally serious role that I enjoy to the fullest. That is the role of a grandmother. My five granddaughters keep me in shape almost as much as ballet rehearsals for the most demanding roles. So my life is actually a nice combination of art, travel and family.
– There is no big secret either – when you do what you love, energy somehow always appears! The point is constant movement, curiosity and joy of life. It is important to remain open to the world. And to learn all my life. When both spirit and body are in motion, age is just a number. We need to invest in our “old age”, from diet and exercise to mental health and spending time with those who make us happy. For me, these are my granddaughters and the rest of the family, students, colleagues, colleagues. I avoid negative people.
– That “something” has little to do with appearance. It is energy, character and the way a woman carries herself. It may have wrinkles and age, but if it has attitude, charm and authenticity, it will stand out from the crowd.
– I like changes and quickly get bored of myself, so I like to experiment. I’ve been a redhead for years, but throughout my life I’ve tried all kinds of things – I’ve even been purple! Today it’s more of an auburn shade with some light highlights… But who knows where I’ll end up?!
– I didn’t think about hair when I was young. In the ballet, it was always tightly pulled into a bun anyway, and our theater hairdressers took care of the performances… It was a different time. Today, I pay much more attention to hair care and choose quality products. I go to the hairdresser often, because today the salons are top-notch, they offer great care treatments, so I’m happy to indulge them. I can do my own hair when I need to. Constant and good care and quality products are the most important for beautiful hair.
– While I was actively dancing, I knew almost nothing about nutrition. I was feeding myself quite wrongly, putting everything I could get my hands on. At that time, there was not as much information as there is today. For example, it was said that one should eat a lot of meat in order to have strength and everything else. It was only after the official end of my dancing career that I began to study more seriously. I graduated from a macrobiotic cooking school, went to many seminars and learned a lot. I continue to learn, and from the best – our pioneers of macrobiotics, Jadranka and Zlatko Pejić. I went to high school with Zlatko, even then he was researching what was better to eat. I believe that nutrition is one of the important reasons for my vitality.
– I love to cook! I’m a big gourmand. My macro-salary is always different, aligned with the season and the foods that are offered. I am looking forward to spring and many vegetables. I’m remodeling the kitchen, so since I’m not cooking at home at the moment, I go to the Zagreb restaurant Zrno, where I enjoy udon pasta with ginger the most, a dish that is especially healthy for the stomach. It is important to know how and what to cook – for example, you cannot exclude meat from the diet without replacing it with another food. I have to brag, I’m a good cook. I cook exclusively macrobiotic dishes, I only eat healthy food. My friends are always happy when I cook, because they know it will be both healthy and delicious. I prefer to spend money on quality food.
– Showering every day, especially when you’ve been on the move all your life as a dancer, can really dry out your skin. I use gentle preparations for showering, and after that I make sure to apply a good oil or a high-quality moisturizing cream. I often reach for more natural preparations because they suit me. The most important thing is to restore moisture to the skin and nourish it, but I also believe that the condition of the skin is a consequence of lifestyle and diet. Lately, I’ve also been using CeraVe preparations because they’re affordable and contain all the substrates I need for my skin, so Dr. Hauschka… I don’t suffer from hyped-up brands, but that the preparation suits my skin.
– Ballet is an extremely demanding art and dancers demand the maximum from their bodies, and this always leaves a mark. We are all semi-disabled in some way after our careers are over. But, on the other hand, ballet gives us something invaluable: discipline, body awareness, and the habit of movement for life. It is important to continue to work on yourself so that the muscles do not atrophy, because what you invest in your youth is very much returned in your old age. Thanks to that, I am still active, mobile and feel great in my body.
– When I started, there wasn’t a lot of cosmetics on the shelves or a large selection. We used what we had. I remember that we glued the eyelashes with glue in a stick! I spent a large part of my youth with Nivea and thoroughly cleansing my face, which has always been and remains my basic habit. Although the theatrical make-up was very strong, I was lucky enough to have a rather grateful complexion. Today, for some important outings and performances, I gladly let professional make-up artists do it – I can do make-up myself, but they are masters of their craft.
– No, I didn’t even do them. I have been taking care of my face in a natural way for twenty years. Namely, I am a long-term ambassador of Dr. Sanja Malbaša Gošović, who inaugurated the Teenlifting method, which consists of facial muscle exercises using mild electrical stimulation. This requires discipline and time, but gives excellent results – freshness and a natural look. It is important to me that the face remains natural and does not look artificial.
– Every dancer has at least one role that he wanted to dance, but didn’t get to, because unfortunately our career is relatively short. I myself was lucky enough to dance many great and wonderful roles, but we never had “The Taming of the Shrew” by John Crank in the repertoire, so it remained an unfulfilled wish.
– In your twenties, you don’t really think about beauty, it’s somehow given to you by itself. Today it’s different, I always turn to that real, primal beauty. Honestly, I don’t think even when I was younger I would have given in to today’s trends – oversized lips, cheekbones and everything that makes everyone look alike. Beauty is in personality, character and facial expression. It may sound old-fashioned, but I’ve always liked to be myself and that’s the most beautiful thing a person can wear.
– I don’t remember exactly my first perfume, but I remember the last one I fell in love with – Amouage. I discovered it quite by accident. I was in the company of a doctor who smelled so nice that I had to ask her what perfume she was wearing. I was immediately captivated by this fragrance, and later I received it as a gift from my husband. Normally, I like fresher, almost sporty scents, light and elegant, because heavy perfumes have never suited me too well.
– In my opinion, age is primarily a matter of attitude and spirit, not just looks. Yes, it is often said that men become more charming with age, while women are immediately sent for facelifts, but I do not agree with that. And women can wear their age just as dignified and beautiful. And as for the bathroom – I must admit that my bottles, creams, serums and various preparations occupy quite a number of shelves, while Jakov is more modest in this regard.
– I don’t overdo the treatments, but I like good massages, face and body treatments that stimulate circulation and refresh the skin. Regularity and a natural approach are important to me, and that’s where massage comes first.
