Former Royal Ballet Principal Sergei Polunin will partner Natalia Osipova in June, when he returns to dance in Frederick Ashton’s Marguerite and Armand. Other casting sees another former Royal Ballet Principal, Alessandra Ferri, together with her fellow Italian Federico Bonelli, and the third Italian in the lineup is Roberto Bolle who will be partnering Zenaida Yanowsky. These performances will mark Yanowsky’s retirement as Principal at the Royal Opera House after a 23 year career with the Company.
Yanowsky and Bolle will also dance on Wednesday 7 June as part of the ROH Live Cinema and BP Big Screen performance.
Marguerite and Armand – created for Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev in 1963 – will be part of an all-Ashton evening, with The Dream and Symphonic Variations completing the programme.
Sergei Polunin, who dramatically left the company in 2012, returned in 2013 to dance Armand with Tamara Rojo as Marguerite. Rojo had left (less dramatically) to direct the English National Ballet a few months earlier; it was her farewell performance with The Royal Ballet.
Other Royal Ballet Principals performing in the Ashton evening include Alexander Campbell, Lauren Cuthbertson, Sarah Lamb, Steven McRae, Vadim Muntagirov, Laura Morera and Marianela Nuñez, with role debuts in The Dream by Francesca Hayward as Titania and Alexander Campbell and Marcelino Sambé as Oberon.
The Dream was created in 1964 to celebrate the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s birth. Ashton distilled the play into a single act and cast two young dancers, Anthony Dowell and Antoinette Sibley, as Oberon and Titania which proved to be the start of one of the most celebrated partnerships of 20th century ballet. Sarah Lamb and Steven McRae will perform the roles at opening night and at the live cinema relay.
Symphonic Variations, one of Ashton’s greatest works, is a homage to pure dance. The ballet was the first work that Ashton created for the Company when they took up residence in the Royal Opera House after the war in 1946. Leading the ballet are two casts including Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov, who feature in the live cinema relay, and Lauren Cuthbertson and Reece Clarke.
The Dream / Symphonic Variations / Marguerite and Armand
Tuesday 2 – Saturday 10 June 2017
BP Big Screen and ROH Live Cinema Screening Wednesday 7 June
Judith Booth says
I saw him in this with Tamara Rojo .. It’s his role!!
Delphine Greenaway says
Gosh – he actually deigns to dance? It’s a miracle!
Janet Taljaard says
Life is not always easy for young people
Delphine Greenaway says
I don’t see why P should get the headline; Bolle is dancing and I have tickets for that. He is a reliably talented and committed performer.
gramilano says
Bolle and Ferri were already announced. Polunin’s participation was only confirmed today, though rumoured for a while!
Delphine Greenaway says
err, what about the very many other “young people” who actually want to dance and really work at their craft. Easy for them is it?
Susana B. Williams says
The Royal Ballet’s decision to cast Natalia Osipova and Sergei Polunin in Ashton’s “Marguerite and Armand” is awesome. These are good news for their adoring fans! The all Ashton triple bill with outstanding Royal Ballet principals is gorgeous!
Monica Menconi says
Lucky people in London!!!!!! We only have the hope of the transmissions in cinemas…..maybe!
Sarah Pressler says
So happy to see Sergei making a healthy come back!
noelle-virginia greenaway says
It is beyond me why anyone wants to see anything of this prick.
Janet Taljaard says
Sounds just wonderful
Camille says
I want. Just because there are incredible dancers around the world, but Polunin is unique. One of a kind. I feel for those who can’t distinguish the ordinary from the extraordinary.
Maria says
I strongly agree with you Camille.
John says
Polunin’s name removed from listings of the two perfs he was to have danced. Now marked TBC (to be cast). Any news about this?
gramilano says
Nothing has been announced. I’ll put up a post as soon as the ROH put out a press release,
S. Gardiner says
I agree. Wish I could see it. They will be beyond wonderful together.