The Russian theatres will not be taking part in World Ballet Day on 2 November, but The Bolshoi Theatre will host its annual live stream of dance on its YouTube channel on the eve of World Ballet Day.
This year, the rehearsals of Don Quixote on the theatre’s main Historic Stage is one of the highlights of the company’s transmission where Kristina Kretova as Kitri and principal dancer Denis Rodkin as Basilio will be rehearsing the final pas de deux. The Bolshoi Ballet‘s Artistic Director, Makhar Vaziev, will take the rehearsal with the full Bolshoi Orchestra in the pit, conducted by Pavel Sorokin.
Graham Spicer, aka ‘Gramilano’, is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.
Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in many books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.
He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.
Graham Watts sees Last and First Men and finds that the extreme slow pace of the choreography tends towards tedium after the initial fascination has worn thin.
Graham Watts sees The Royal Ballet’s La Fille mal gardée with Sae Maeda making her debut as Lise with sunshine, smiles, soaring legs and coy naughtiness.
Graham Watts sees Ashton’s Birthday Offering, Jooss’s The Green Table and Balanchine’s Theme and Variations – an excellent programme to close a very good year at BRB.
Marta Mele sees Dawson / León-Lightoot / Ekman at the Rome Opera House, a choreographic journey that seems to go backwards in time, asking us to question the ultimate nature of dance.