Serata van Manen – Petit, (Van Manen and Petit Evening) opens at La Scala on 23 January. The evening consists of five gems from Hans van Manen and Roland Petit.
The three van Manen pieces are Adagio Hammerklavier, Sarcasmen and Kammerballett, while the Petit pieces are Le combat des anges (from his ballet Proust, ou les intermittences du coeur ) and Le Jeune homme et la Mort which brings company étoile Roberto Bolle back to La Scala's stage.
Here are the first photos of the rehearsals.
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER |
|
Music | Ludwig van Beethoven |
Choreography | Hans van Manen |
Sets and costumes | Jean-Paul Vroom |
Lights | Jan Hofstra |
Set and costumes from Wiener Staatsballet Production, 2015


LE COMBAT DES ANGES |
|
Music | Gabriel Fauré |
Ballet by | Roland Petit |
from | Proust, ou les intermittences du coeur pas de deux Morel et Saint Loup |
Choreographic supervision | Luigi Bonino |
Teatro alla Scala production

KAMMERBALLETT |
|
Music | Kara Karayev, John Cage, Domenico Scarlatti |
Choreography | Hans van Manen |
Sets and costumes | Keso Dekker |
Lights | Joop Caboort |
Staging by Opernhaus, Zurich


SARCASMEN |
|
Music | Sergei Prokofiev |
Choreography, sets and costumes | Hans van Manen |
Lights | Jan Hofstra |
New Teatro alla Scala production
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT |
|
Music | Johann Sebastian Bach |
Ballet by | Roland Petit |
Choreographic supervision | Luigi Bonino |
Libretto by | Jean Cocteau |
Sets | Georges Wakhevitch |
Costumes | Karinska |
Lights | Jean-Michel Désiré |
Étoile | Roberto Bolle (23, 24, 25, 28, 31 Jan., 1 Feb.) |
Teatro alla Scala production
CAST
Thursday 23 January 2020 at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Friday 24 January at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Saturday 25 January 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Alessandra Vassallo, Emanuele Cazzato |
Third couple | Maria Celeste Losa, Marco Agostino |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Domenico Di Cristo |
Morel | Gabriele Corrado |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Antonella Albano |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Giulia Lunardi |
Woman in orange | Stefania Ballone |
Man in black | Andrea Risso |
Man in brown | Emanuele Cazzato |
Man in yellow | Endi Bahaj |
Man in orange | Edoardo Caporaletti |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Tuesday 28 January 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Alessandra Vassallo, Emanuele Cazzato |
Third couple | Maria Celeste Losa, Marco Agostino |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Domenico Di Cristo |
Morel | Gabriele Corrado |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Antonella Albano |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Giulia Lunardi |
Woman in orange | Stefania Ballone |
Man in black | Andrea Risso |
Man in brown | Emanuele Cazzato |
Man in yellow | Endi Bahaj |
Man in orange | Edoardo Caporaletti |
SARCASMEN
Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Friday 31 January 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Saturday 1 February 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
Firsti couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Roberto Bolle |
La Mort | Nicoletta Manni |
Wednesday 5 February 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Alessandra Vassallo, Emanuele Cazzato |
Third couple | Maria Celeste Losa, Marco Agostino |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Domenico Di Cristo |
Morel | Gabriele Corrado |
AMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Antonella Albano |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Giulia Lunardi |
Woman in orange | Stefania Ballone |
Man in black | Andrea Risso |
Man in brown | Emanuele Cazzato |
Man in yellow | Endi Bahaj |
Man in orange | Edoardo Caporaletti |
SARCASMEN
Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Claudio Coviello |
La Mort | Martina Arduino |
Friday 7 February 2020 – at 2.30pm – Young People and Over65
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Alessandra Vassallo, Emanuele Cazzato |
Third couple | Maria Celeste Losa, Marco Agostino |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Domenico Di Cristo |
Morel | Gabriele Corrado |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Woman in black | Antonella Albano |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Giulia Lunardi |
Woman in orange | Stefania Ballone |
Man in black | Andrea Risso |
Man in brown | Emanuele Cazzato |
Man in yellow | Endi Bahaj |
Man in orange | Edoardo Caporaletti |
SARCASMEN
Nicoletta Manni, Claudio Coviello |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Nicola Del Freo |
La Mort | Marta Romagna |
Friday 7 February 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Claudio Coviello |
La Mort | Martina Arduino |
Saturday 8 February 2020 – at 8pm
ADAGIO HAMMERKLAVIER
First couple | Agnese Di Clemente, Gioacchino Starace |
Second couple | Francesca Podini, Gabriele Corrado |
Third couple | Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE COMBAT DES ANGES
Saint Loup | Claudio Coviello |
Morel | Marco Agostino |
KAMMERBALLETT
Woman in black | Alessandra Vassallo |
Woman in brown | Chiara Fiandra |
Woman in yellow | Francesca Podini |
Woman in orange | Antonella Albano |
Man in black | Marco Messina |
Man in brown | Gabriele Corrado |
Man in yellow | Domenico Di Cristo |
Man in orange | Gioacchino Starace |
SARCASMEN
Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo |
LE JEUNE HOMME ET LA MORT
Le Jeune homme | Claudio Coviello |
La Mort | Martina Arduino |

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.