What drew my attention to this news item was the word ‘ballet’. Yet this video has no ballerinas, no tutus, no swans and not even hint of lycra. The two protagonists, who dance quite beautifully together, have received no formal training, the corps wear leather head to foot, and stage smoke is substituted by exhaust fumes… fascinating!

The Telegraph:

Motorbike ballet as riders collide in France

After two motorbike riders crash at Magny Cours, their bikes lock wheels and perform a peculiar pirouette – leaving one rider increasingly frustrated.

The race was the first semi-final on Saturday of the French Road Racing Cup for amateur riders. Cyril Guignard on a Triumph was trailing three riders, including club mate Samuel Camier on a Yamaha. As he approached a bend Guignard suddenly came off and his bike slid forward taking out Camier’s motorbike.

When the machines collided, their handlebars locked together and with the engines still running the bikes spun around on the spot, leaving the riders unable to stop them and Camier, in particular, increasingly angry.
Neither rider was hurt in the collison. Guignard never made it to Sunday’s final, but Camier did because of a fast lap time and he finished 17th out of 44.

Gramilano Editor

Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.

Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.