Ardani 25 Dance Gala is a must for ballet fans on Friday 17th and Saturday 18th July at the London Coliseum. Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Ivan Vasiliev, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Joaquín De Luz and Friedemann Vogel will be sharing the bill in three contemporary pieces.
The event marks Ardani Artists' 25th anniversary. The Company was founded in 1990 by Sergei and Gaiane Danilian, two of the most innovative producers and impresarios working today, whose calling card was the Kings of the Dance all-male galas which have conquered audiences worldwide, but more recently has seen the programme Solo for Two with Osipova and Vasiliev and Diana Vishneva's On The Edge, all which have been seen at the Coliseum.
Ardani 25 Dance Gala will open with the World Première of Royal Ballet choreographer Alastair Marriott's Zeitgeist with Osipova and Watson, reunited following the recent success of Marriott's Connectome for the Royal Ballet last year. The new work will be set to Philip Glass's Violin Concerto, and will also feature Royal Ballet dancers Donald Thom, Marcelino Sambé and Tomas Mock. Zeitgeist will subsequently tour to the United States and Russia as part of the Solo for Two project afterwards.
The second piece, Tristesse, is by dancer, and now also choreographer, Marcelo Gomes, who took his inspiration from the French poet Paul Éluard. Gomes will perform in this UK Première along with Denis Matvienko, Joaquín De Luz and Friedemann Vogel. Tristesse had its World Première as part of Kings of the Dance in December 2014 at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Arthur Pita's Facada will close the evening which London saw last August at the Coliseum as part of the Solo for Two programme. Pita adapted the piece for Osipova and Vasiliev from his original piece God's Garden, which has original music created by Frank Moon and will be played live by the composer. Royal Ballet Principal Character Artist Elizabeth McGorian will reprise her role in the piece.
ARDANI 25 DANCE GALA
ZEITGEIST
Choreography: Alastair Marriott
Music: Philip Glass (Violin Concerto)
Performers: Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Donald Thom, Marcelino Sambé and Tomas Mock
Interval
TRISTESSE
Choreography: Marcelo Gomes
Music: Frédéric Chopin (Études)
Performers: Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Joaquín De Luz and Friedemann Vogel
Musician: Anbrey Gugnin (piano)
Interval
FACADA
Director and Choreographer: Arthur Pita
Performers: Natalia Osipova (The Bride), Ivan Vasiliev (The Groom) and Elizabeth McGorian (Lady in Black)
Musician: Frank Moon
Venue: London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES
Dates: Friday 17th and Saturday 18th July 2015, 7.30pm
Press Night: Friday 17th July 2015, 7.30pm
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.
