Her creative biography is huge, and Catherine herself is tiny, charmingly artistic with explosive energy.

She is known to the Bulgarian public with the choreography of the expressive “Stepping Stones”, presented as part of “Balanchin and Farrell: American Ballet for Bulgaria”. Year later the choreographer was preparing the performance “Scheherazade”. She knows how to tell stories with movement.

Catherine, did you really meet Einstein?

Yes. I was six years old. I was very glad to see him. I called him Mendeleev, my father scolded me, and I spent their entire meeting hiding under our car ashamed. That’s it in a nutshell. By the way, my dad was a chemist. He wrote an interesting book about the use of energy from the decay of the atom. Einstein had read it and was very impressed. He invited my dad to  meet. And my dad took me with him. Mendeleev’s name was often mentioned at home, and when I saw Einstein, I immediately thought he was the one with the table.

The famous names in your life are many. Can you tell us about your work with Meryl Streep and Richard Gere?

Meryl is gorgeous. She played one of the sisters in the family in the performance “Cherry Orchard”, which the famous Romanian director Andrei Serban staged in the largest theater in New York – Lincoln Center. I had to teach all the actors Russian dances from Chekhov’s time. And most were not at all easy to work with, they grumbled a lot. And Meryl was so excited, she jumped into the arms of an actor and shouted, “Let’s dance!” Her brother Harry is a modern dance choreographer. She likes to dance very much

And Gere and I worked on the rock musical Salvation (1969), a good but still imitation of Hair. He was very young. I explained the steps to him.

And he spewed out words that I’m embarrassed to repeat, they started with F. So vulgar and so beautiful! All the women were falling for him. And Salvation featured Bette Midler, who listened to me carefully, and then did nothing of what I told her. She played her own steps and combinations, much better than mine!

What brings you to Bulgaria?

When I was staging Scheherazade, I needed a tall white man for the lead role. I wanted him to be handsome if possible. And then I heard about Momchil. I said – Excuse me? Bulgarian? Is that something like Romanian? Or a Belarusian? Okay, they dance well. You watched the rehearsal of the beginning of the ballet. It starts with two soloists and one ballerina. Together with Momchil, we chose an American – Terry. They are equally tall. In rehearsals, Momchil was excited, Terry was grumbling. I asked if they knew who Sinbad was, Momchil immediately started talking about “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, “One Thousand and One Nights”. Terry asked if Sinbad was a Disney character because they were the only ones he knew.

And working with Momchil I realized that he is not only beautiful and strong, but also has a rich imagination and good education. And I thought, if everyone here is like him… Bulgaria is very famous for its Varna Ballet Competition. Your school is very good. I won a Fulbright scholarship, accompanied by a letter from Obama, to put ballet and teach at New Bulgarian University. And I came – because of Momchil, the America for Bulgaria Foundation and Fulbright. I wondered if all Bulgarians were tall, beautiful and strong. Some are.

Does Bulgaria look like you imagined it?

It seems a bit sad, but beautiful. People are more delicate here. A little desperate. Not confident enough, and judging by the ones I know, they are good at what they do.

How does it feel to work here?

I came February 15. It was so cold. My stove exploded. The lighting went out, the elevator broke. Winter here is really an ordeal. I understood why most people’s faces were serious and grumpy. The dancers work for 300 lv per month. Maybe because of the interest in a new type of ballet, or for more money one day, or for the prospect of going to New York. And of course – for the pleasure of dancing. Their lives are harder than Americans, they have more desire, love and motivation. While I am explaining the choreography to the ballet dancers in New York, they are looking at their watches, while the Bulgarian ones first take a nap, then relax and perform it beautifully. And they are more sincere, more serious, innocent somehow. Maybe dance is their way of escaping reality.

During the rehearsal, you spoke smiling.

Really? Yesterday? You hit a good day. We finished learning all the moves from the choreography. Otherwise, I swear, I’m not smiling at all. I’m even really bad when the schedule changes or doesn’t go as originally planned.

What is your life like in New York?

I live in a big studio on the most glamorous street – Band Street. Just my luck – when I moved in it wasn’t popular, and then it filled up with artists. And the famous artist Chuck Close is the floor below me, and Spider-Man’s director and Frida’s composer are around me. Big celebrities. New York is glamorous but deceptive. All are career-themed lunkheads. Everybody’s competing. A lot of people my age give up and let the younger ones run and compete. You know the expression – flavour of the month? I’m an old flavor, but thank goodness, and the fashion in dance is constantly rotating. And people think, ‘Ya let’s call to engage Kathy! Is she still alive?” Plus, I’m a professor at NYU, which is two steps from my house. I teach World Dance (Russia, China, Ireland) and Choreography.  I’m having a good time in New York.

What inspires you the most in your work?

My joints are very soft, my body is like crazy. My legs have been slightly crooked since I was little and my choreography is based on the way I balance. My ballet is always a little off center, which is what you look for in classical ballet. And I’m always looking for the different movement. I’ve rehearsed a lot on doing unusual movements in a lunge and landing in a contorted position. That’s how I tore a tendon in the ’70s and didn’t have surgery. Two years ago I got hit by a cab in NYC and twisted my other leg, but I still dance. I’ve never been given starring roles, maybe that’s why I’m still a little grumpy.

But you’re a successful choreographer.

Yes, but my success is revenge. I think every great artist becomes that way because of something they failed at and want to fix. The famous artist in my co-op is paralyzed. He can only paint and he gets a million a painting. Success is often due to frustration. Because you keep wanting to succeed.