The key to success in the ballet world is work, work and more work said one of the leading dancers in the Bermuda Civic Ballet’s 40th anniversary production.Edina Plicanic of the Croatian National Ballet in Zagreb, Croatia is Juliet in Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ on now at Fort Hamilton. Ms Plicanic is one of six world-class dancers from the Croatian National Ballet who are taking part in the ballet choreographed by Svebor Secak.“I think Juliet is my favourite part,” said Ms Plicanic. “I think the music for ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the most beautiful music ever written for ballet. I love this ‘Romeo and Juliet’ because it gives you a lot of emotion.”She first started dancing at age five, when her talent was noticed almost immediately.“I had a teacher who saw my ability,” said Ms Plicanic. “She said, ‘darling you are very talented at ballet, try to do it’. And I said ‘okay’. I tried it and I loved it. My whole life has been devoted to ballet.“I have done a lot of travelling with it. My advice to other young dancers is just keep going and never miss a correction. Always take correction from experienced dancers or teachers. In ballet the key for success is work, work, work.”And her hard work has paid off. She is currently the principal dancer of the ballet of the Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb, and has danced numerous leading roles in the classical, contemporary and national repertoires. She was received some of the highest state and theatre awards in Croatia and has performed extensively in her own country and abroad.Romeo is being performed by Tomislav Petranovic. Also a principal dancer at the Croatian National Theatre, he started dancing seriously at the age of ten.Mr Petranovic called the role of Romeo, in this production “the cherry on top” of his 26-year career.“I have performed in four different versions of ‘Romeo and Juliet’,” he said. “Every choreographer is different. I last played Mercutio. I think my personality is more like [his [Em dash] fun-loving, witty and given to moments of hot temper].“That came more naturally for me. Playing Romeo, who is more romantic, was a bigger challenge, but it is lots of fun. I am lucky that I look a bit younger than I am.”He continued: “I loved to dance, and my dance teacher suggested I take ballet because it is a good grounding for all other forms of dance. There is always a stigma that goes with being a male ballet dancer.“But I also did television commercials and to be honest, I was teased more for that than ballet. Today, in Croatia, I think there is actually more of a stigma than when I was a child. People seem to have gotten more prudish in the last couple of years.”He trained at the Zagreb School of Classical Ballet, then did a fellowship at the Heinz-Bosl Foundation in Munich. He later became a soloist at the Ballet of the Vienna State Opera, and has worked with leading contemporary choreographers.He has danced leading roles in ballets by Rudolf Nureyev, George Balanchine and Kenneth MacMillan. In 2000 Mr Petranovic was named Dancer of the Year, in German dance magazine ‘Tanz’.‘Romeo and Juliet’ runs through Saturday at Fort Hamilton until August 25. Tickets are $15 for students 16 and under, seniors $35, adults $45.Dinner and performance tickets are available at $150. Tickets can be purchased at www.ptix.bm, at Liberty Theatre, the Clocktower Mall in Dockyard, Taste Restaurant and from City Hall, or by telephone 278-1500.