Elena's ever-changing show

The Romanian entrant Elena is careful to make any predictions for the result in Moscow – for any country. After the entries as they are represented in the preview videos on the Internet are not necessary representative for the show on stage in Moscow. She knows this from her own experience.

“It's one thing to check the performers on the Internet and quite another in the contest,” Elena says. “I know this very well for myself. In the national selection, I had one concept, in the preview video another, and in the actual performance in Moscow the concept is further developed. That's why I don't make any predictions until after watching all the performances on stage.”

And for herself, Elena is now changing the show further. As many of the contestants, she had a first rehearsal which highlighted many things still to be worked out.

“Many things were difficult today, it's one thing to see the stage on photos and another to be on it,” Elena says. “But for the next rehearsal many things will be changed. We are sure that everything will be fine in the end.”

“A part of yourself”

Elena believes that her song The Balkan Girls has elements typical for the Eurovision Song Contest in recent years. For this, she credits the songwriters Laurenţiu Duţă, Ovidiu Bistriceanu, Daris Mangal and Alexandru Pelin. But simultaneously, she wants to stress the importance of the national flavor in the tune.

“For sure, the composer knows a lot about the contest,” she says. “But in the song we have also brought Romanian elements with a folklore theme to bring something original to it. I think that the national flavor is very important when you participate in the Eurovision Song Contest. This contest has so many participants from different countries, and when you come here, you bring a part of your country and yourself.”

Untouched by questions on sexiness

Elena has opened her own dance school by the name of Passitos. She is an experienced dancer, which she wants to convey in her performance. During the press conference and interviews, she received several questions on her sexiness. She was even complemented and asked about it by the press conference host Dimitry Shépelev. But Elena only appreciated that the topic was brought up.

“Those questions didn't disturb me. A woman enjoys all the time to be told that she is beautiful and sexy – there's nothing wrong with that,” she says.

What is your impression of the fans of the Eurovision Song Contest?
"They are so many, and so very much interested in everything linked to the contest. And they are very objective – before they have an opinion they study the artist,. Only after that they issue an opinion."