Since suddenly taking over at the helm of La Scala's Ballet Company, and now having been confirmed as its director for the next three years, Frédéric Olivieri has presented his first ballet season since the five seasons he created when he previously held this position at the theatre, from 2002 until 2007.

The season sees additions which are ideal for a repertory company like La Scala Ballet, an exciting commission from Aszure Barton, and many opportunities for the theatre's resident Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle who will dance together in La Dame aux camélias and Manon. Zakharova will also dance in the three performances of the Tribute to Nureyev, and Bolle will make his debut in Béjart's Bolero.

NEW PRODUCTIONS

Le Corsaire makes its debut at La Scala in the version by Anna-Marie Holmes, seen at the American Ballet Theatre and the English National Ballet, with new sets and costumes by Luisa Spinatelli.

One of Heinz Spoerli's most popular works, Goldberg Variations, will be given a new production and will continue the Chamber Ballet series at La Scala, which started with his Cello Suites two years ago.

Canadian choreographer – and Baryshnikov protégée – Aszure Barton, will create a new work for La Scala called Mahler 10 set to the Adagio from Mahler's unfinished 10th Symphony, the last piece he wrote.

DEBUTS

Many of La Scala's dancers will be making important debuts during the 2017-2018 season seeing that Le Corsaire is new to the company and packed with soloist roles. One debut stands out: Roberto Bolle will be dancing on Maurice Béjart's legendary table for the first time when he dances in Bolero.

GALA

Three evenings will be dedicated to Rudolf Nureyev who worked extensively at La Scala. They mark the 80th Anniversary of his birth the 25th Anniversary of his death. Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov from The Royal Ballet will join Zakharova and the company dancers.

BOLSHOI TOUR

In September 2018 the Bolshoi Company will visit Milan with La Bayadère and The Taming of the Shrew.

BALLET SEASON 2017 – 2018

La Dame aux camélias with Svetlana Zakharova

La Dame aux camélias with Roberto Bolle, photo by Brescia, Teatro alla Scala

15 December 2017: Young People's Preview Performance; 17, 20 (2 perfs.), 23, 29 (2 perfs.), 30 (2 perfs.), 31 December 2017; 3, 4, 10, 13 January 2018

Frédéric Chopin

La Dame aux camélias

Choreography
John Neumeier

Sets and costumes
Jürgen Rose

Lighting
John Neumeier

with

Svetlana Zakharova (17, 20 eve December; 10, 13 January)

Roberto Bolle (17, 20 eve December; 10, 13 January)

Conductor
Theodor Guschlbauer

Piano
Roberto Cominati

25, 26, 27, 30 January; 1, 7 (2 perfs.), 9 February; 2, 21, 22 March 2018

Johann Sebastian Bach

Goldberg Variations

Choreography
Heinz Spoerli

Sets and costumes
Keso Dekker

Lighting
Martin Gebhardt

Piano
Alexey Botvinov

NEW PRODUCTION

Aszure Barton, photo by Graeme Mitchell

Maurice Béjart at La Scala in 1995, photo by Lelli Masotti, Teatro alla Scala

Jiri Kilian, photo by Serge Ligtenberg

 10, 13 (2 perfs.), 16, 20, 23, 25, 27, 29, 30 March; 5, 7 April 2018

Mahler 10 / Petite Mort / Bolero

Gustav Mahler

Mahler 10

Adagio from Symphony No 10

Choreography
Aszure Barton

Sets and lighting
Burke Brown

NEW PRODUCTION

World Premiere

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart

Petite Mort

Piano Concerto No 23 in A major, K.488 (adagio)

Piano Concerto No 21 in A major, K.467 (amdante)

Choreography
Jiří Kylián

Sets
Jiří Kylián

Costumes
Joke Visser

Lighting
Jiří Kylián

Maurice Ravel

Bolero

Choreography
Maurice Béjart

with

Roberto Bolle (10, 13 eve, 16, 20, 23 March)

Conductor
David Coleman

20, 22, 27 April; 9, 11 (2 perfs.), 16 (2 perfs.), 17 May 2018

Adolphe Adam, Cesare Pugni, Léo Delibes, Riccardo Drigo, Prince Oldenbourg

Le Corsaire

Choreography
Anna-Marie Holmes after Marius Petipa and Konstantin Sergeyev

Music re-orchestrated by Kevin Galiè

Sets and costumes
Luisa Spinatelli

Lighting
Marco Filibeck

Conductor
Patrick Fournillier

NEW PRODUCTION

The Nutcracker with Rudolf Nureyev, 1969, photo by Lelli e Masotti

Rudolf Nureyev after Romeo and Juliet, photo by Lelli e Masotti

Nureyev at La Scala after the Le Corsaire pas de deux in 1966, photo by Erio Piccagliani, Teatro alla Scala

24, 25, 26 May 2018

Serata Nureyev

To mark the 80^th Anniversary of the birth of Rudolf Nureyev and the 25^th Anniversary of his death

with

Svetlana Zakharova

Marianela Nuñez

Vadim Muntagirov

Conductor
David Coleman

10, 11, 13, 16, 18, 19 July 2018

Ludwig Minkus

Don Chisciotte

Choreography
Rudolf Nureyev

Sets
Raffaele Del Savio

Costumes
Anna Anni

Lighting
Marco Filibeck

Conductor
David Coleman

17, 19 (2 perfs.), 20, 24, 27 October; 2 November 2018

Jules Massenet

L'histoire de Manon

Choreography
Kenneth MacMillan

Orchestral arrangements by Martin Yates

Sets and costumes
Nicholas Georgiadis

with

Svetlana Zakharova (17, 19 eve, 24 October)
Roberto Bolle (17, 19 eve, 24 October)

Conductor
Patrick Fournillier

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.