Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years

 ballet  No Responses »
Feb 112013
 

ferri061 348x500 Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 yearsAfter hanging up her pointe shoes in 2007, has announced her return to the stage. At 49 she has decided to début in a new work, The Piano Upstairs, at the Fest­ival on 28 June.

When asked by Il Cor­ri­ere della Sera if she missed the applause, she replied that yes, the applause to reward so much pre­par­a­tion was won­der­ful, but her return was down to other reas­ons. A new level of matur­ity as an artist and also on a per­sonal level, com­bined with the real­isa­tion, in ‘retire­ment’, that she has been given a great gift, made her want to share it again with the pub­lic. This time, though, away from the famil­iar rep­er­tory char­ac­ters, and look­ing ahead toward new creations.

The par­al­lels with her col­league  are obvi­ous, but Ferri iden­ti­fies more with Mikhail Baryshnikov.

I often go to his Arts Cen­ter here in New York where I live, Misha is fant­astic. Ini­tially I was sur­prised at his decision to con­tinue with his career. I remem­ber, when he was still 38, that while we were rehears­ing he said, “We mustn’t grow old on the stage.” I’m glad he changed his mind.

When asked if she would con­sider tak­ing the helm at La Scala, she replied,

I don’t exclude any­thing in my future, but I don’t want to plan out my life. For now, after The Piano Upstairs, they are wait­ing for me for another cre­ation in New York.

 

Photo by Fab­rizio Ferri

Share
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years
  • wp socializer sprite mask 16px Alessandra Ferri returns to the stage after 6 years

Sylvie Guillem on why she’s still ‘Mademoiselle Non’

 ballet, dance, interview  No Responses »
Jun 192012
 

Guillem Manon 2011 Sylvie Guillem on why shes still Mademoiselle NonSylive Guillem will be in Venice tomor­row to receive from the Bien­nale  the Leone d’oro  (Golden Lion) for “hav­ing redesigned the form of the dan­cer, defy­ing the laws of physics”.

Valeria Crippa  of the Cor­ri­ere della Sera talked to her about aspects of her career.

I could have ended up like a cork bob­bing along on the water at the whim of the cur­rents. Instead I pre­ferred to take the helm and steer my life into the open sea and its storms.

When Nureyev nom­in­ated me étoile at the when I was 19 it would have been, for many dan­cers, the max­imum aspir­a­tion, but not for me. It was only the begin­ning of a dream that I’m still liv­ing through.… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS

New YouTube video: Manon, Act 1, the bedroom pas de deux with Sylvie Guillem and Massimo Murru

 ballet, video  9 Responses »
Feb 222012
 

Syvlie Guillem Massimo Murru Manon 2011 New YouTube video: Manon, Act 1, the bedroom pas de deux with Sylvie Guillem and Massimo MurruAt the begin­ning of 2011 an extraordin­ary hap­pen­ing occurred in the bal­let world…

, who had almost given up her pointe shoes and had been focus­ing on con­tem­por­ary dance, returned to one of her most cel­eb­rated roles, .

’s bal­let had won her praise all over the world, so the 46 year-old was cer­tainly tak­ing a gamble, but one which paid off mag­ni­fi­cently. The three per­form­ances at Milan’s were a triumph.

Here she dances with  the first act pas de deux, set in the bed­room of Des Grieux’s lodgings in Paris.

 

… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS

New YouTube video: Manon Act 2, the party scene, with Sylvie Guillem

 ballet, video  45 Responses »
Feb 202012
 

Guillem Manon 2011 New YouTube video: Manon Act 2, the party scene, with Sylvie GuillemAt the begin­ning of 2011 an extraordin­ary hap­pen­ing occurred in the bal­let world: , who had almost given up her pointe shoes and had been focus­ing on con­tem­por­ary dance, returned to one of her most cel­eb­rated roles, .

’s bal­let had won her praise all over the world, so the 46 year-old was cer­tainly tak­ing a gamble, but one which paid off mag­ni­fi­cently. The three per­form­ances at ’s were a triumph.

Bryan Hewison is Mon­sieur G.M.

… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS

Vito Mazzeo answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

 ballet, questionnaire, questionnaire - dancers' edition  No Responses »
Jan 152012
 

Q&A

Vito Mazzeo Vito Mazzeo answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ EditionWhen did you start dan­cing?
At 9 years old.

Why did you start dan­cing?
I saw Carla Fracci dancing.

Which dan­cer inspired you most as a child?
Carla Fracci and for their great partnership.

Which dan­cer do you most admire?
Sylvie Guillem for the light that eman­ates when she dances; Massimo Murru for the very per­sonal and nat­ural way to por­tray dif­fer­ent characters.

What’s your favour­ite role?
Col­onel Ver­shinin in “Winter Dreams” by Sir .

What role have you never played but would like to?
Crown Prince Rudolf in “May­er­ling” by Sir Ken­neth MacMillan.

What’s your favour­ite bal­let to watch?
“Sym­phonic Vari­ation” by Sir Fre­d­er­ick Ashton.

Who is your favour­ite cho­reo­grapher?
Too many, Ashton, Mac­Mil­lan, Pis­toni, Nureyev, Tudor etc…

Who is your favour­ite writer?… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS

Sylvie Guillem’s triumphal return to Manon: the final pas de deux [video]

 ballet, video  28 Responses »
Nov 142011
 

manon 17 atto ii sylvie guillem massimo murru 492x329 300x200 Sylvie Guillems triumphal return to Manon: the final pas de deux [video]At the begin­ning of 2011 an extraordin­ary hap­pen­ing occurred in the bal­let world: , who had almost given up her pointe shoes and had been focus­ing on con­tem­por­ary dance, returned to one of her most cel­eb­rated roles, Manon.

’s bal­let had won her praise all over the world, so the 46 year-old was cer­tainly tak­ing a gamble, but one which paid off mag­ni­fi­cently. The three per­form­ances at ’s were a triumph.

This is the final pas de deux, with :

… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS

What makes the Royal Ballet’s Lauren Cuthbertson special

 ballet  No Responses »
Oct 312011
 

Some dan­cers have a defin­ing attrib­ute: ’s ear-high exten­sions, ’s airy del­ic­acy, ’s enorm­ous jump. But what makes Cuth­bertson spe­cial is more to do with the qual­ity of her pres­ence. Her per­form­ances are very per­sonal: you never see a cliched ges­ture or a “bal­let dan­cer expres­sion”. Even in abstract work, her dan­cing is pecu­li­arly spon­tan­eous, trans­par­ent in its lack of rhet­oric or airs.

via The Guard­ian… [con­tinue reading]

Share
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Delicious
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • StumbleUpon
  • Email
  • RSS
 Older Entries