Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev are re-united in Solo For Two this summer at the London Coliseum.
They will dance three diverse pieces including two world premières commissioned by the Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Ardani Artists.
The opening piece is yet to be confirmed; it will be followed by Passo by Ohad Naharin, artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company, danced to the British electronic music duo Autechre and English traditional folk music. The last piece is a new work by Arthur Pita called Facada, with music by Frank Moon, Phil King and traditional Portuguese fado.
Ohad Naharin is being hailed as one of the world's preeminent and most compelling contemporary choreographers. As artistic director of Batsheva Dance Company since 1990, he has guided the company with an adventurous artistic vision and reinvigorated its repertory with his captivating choreography. Naharin has also created or set works on Kibbutz Contemporary Dance Company, Nederlands Dans Theater, Ballett Frankfurt, Paris Opéra Ballet, Hubbard Street, Cedar Lake, and Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.
Arthur Pita is a versatile choreographer and director, creating works for dance companies as well as opera and theatre. He studied dance in Johannesburg and later at the London Contemporary Dance School. He has created works for Johannesburg's Dance Umbrella, The Place, Royal National Theatre, the Almeida Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company and the Young Vic. He created Snow White in Black for Phoenix Dance Theatre, And Then Gone for Bare Bones and The Metamorphosis at the Linbury Studio Royal Opera House.
Solo for Two is a co-production by Segerstrom Center for the Arts and Ardani Artists. The first showings will be at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Orange County, California from 25th – 27th July; the pair will then bring the programme to the Stanislavsky Musical Theater in Moscow (31st July – 3rd August) and they finish their mini-tour in London at the Coliseum (6th – 9th August).
Friday 25th – 27th July
Segerstrom Hall, Segerstrom Center for the Arts, 600 Town Center Drive, Costa Mesa CA 92626
Tickets: $35 – $135
Box office: 714-556-2787 / www.scfta.org
Wednesday 6th – 9th August, 7.30pm
London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES
Tickets: £15 – £79
Box Office: 020 7845 9300 / www.eno.org


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.
They WERE scheduled to dance Act 2 La Bayadere and Jeune Homme in Orange County — this makes it more interesting — maybe I will change my mind and actually go to see them — I do have tickets — we’ll see what other changes might be made — they were not famous for actually showing up I understand
This tour is an important one… go, you’ll love it I’m sure!
Stay away. You will not enjoy it.
I went as a birthday gift .. My feelings are mixed .. Vasiliev is quite good in Spartacus, Flames of Paris, as Ali .. Awful in Petit .. Scary bad .. I never liked Osipova at all .. He was a mixed blessing in all the pieces .. He does not do awfully well in modern pieces for all his trying but he is using his body somewhat better, not so upright not so balletic .. Still he cannot shake that early training .. Osipova on the other hand continued the promise she showed in Notre Dame .. She has a feel for it .. Curving, plastic, mobile, fluid .. And funny .. You picked up an underlying humor from them . A feeling they were not taking themselves to seriously, but also the pathos and the drama .. All in all an entertaining and intellectual evening. You were correct Graham and I am glad I went even though it was kicking and screaming.
I’m glad you enjoyed it – sort of! I’m a fan of Osipova, I find her fascinating, and I think the Royal Ballet is doing her a lot of good (and she’s doing a lot of good for the RB). Shorter pieces, or lighter pieces suit her; maybe with Manon/Swan Lake etc she needs to have more of a through-line, though her Sylphide is glorious and her Giselle touching. I can’t attend this programme, so thank you for sharing your opinion. (And Sir Ian, did you see it? What didn’t you like?)
I would be interested in knowing what you thought of Osipova in Notre Dame .. That was the first ballet in which I truly enjoyed her.
Here you go: https://www.gramilano.com/2013/02/triumph-in-milan-for-natalia-osipova-and-roberto-bolle-in-notre-dame-de-paris/