Ivan Vasiliev to guest with English National Ballet as a tribute to Roland Petit

Bolshoi Ballet's Ivan Vasiliev will dance Roland Petit's Le Jeune Homme et la Mort with English National Ballet tomorrow evening, July 22. He is partnered with English National Ballet First Artist Jia Zhang. Vasiliev wanted to offer the performance as his personal tribute to Roland Petit.

Following Roland Petit's death on 9 July, Vasiliev contacted Zizi Jeanmaire, Petit's widow, expressing his sorrow. He was put in touch with Luigi Bonini, who is working with English National Ballet staging the Roland Petit season which opens tonight. Vasiliev expressed his strong desire to dance Roland Petit's work with the Company offering his time free of charge as his tribute to the legendary choreographer.

Ivan Vasiliev was one of the last dancers to work with Roland Petit on Jeune Homme in Russia.

Wayne Eagling, Artistic Director of English National Ballet said:

After working with Ivan Vasiliev, Roland Petit told me of his respect for him as a dancer, so to have Ivan come on board for our season is very special, and an important tribute to this great choreographer.”

English National Ballet's programme features three of Roland Petit's greatest works, L'Arlésienne, Le Jeune Homme et la Mort and Carmen and runs until July 24 at the London Coliseum. Last Sunday Vasiliev concluded the week-long run of Romeo and Juliet performances at the same theatre.

Photo by Damir Yusupov/Bolshoi Theatre.

Gramilano( Editor )

Graham Spicer is a writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano') about dance, opera, music and photography for people “who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like”. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy.

His scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the ‘Danza in Italia' column for Dancing Times magazine.