Ten years of interviewing Royal Ballet dancers, designers, choreographers, ballet masters and its director

Preparing for another ‘Royal Ballet interview’ this morning, made me realise how many interviews we’ve published on gramilano.com with dancers, designers, ballet masters, choreographers, and the director of The Royal Ballet over the past decade.

Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball, who starred in the live cinema relay of Swan Lake from The Royal Opera House two days ago, were both interviewed as they were about to dance Romeo and Juliet for the first time, back in 2015. We also talked to Naghdi’s mother, Sabine, when she published her book about being a ballet mum in 2021.

Naghdi was also the subject of one of the ‘long interviews’ during Covid lockdowns, together with Lauren Cuthbertson and Marianela Nuñez.

We’ve presented ‘new talent’ such as Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell. Then Campbell was interviewed most recently about his role as a ballet producer.

Valentino Zucchetti was first interviewed in 2014 as a dancer, then last year as a choreographer. We also talked to choreographer Gemma Bond about her new work for the company in February this year, and just this week an interview went online with The Royal Ballet’s emerging choreographer Joseph Toonga. We’ve also chatted with ballet master Christopher Carr about his work restaging ballets.

We talked to Genesia Rosato and her frequent onstage partner Gary Avis on her retirement from the company in 2016, and in April last year we interviewed Laura Morera as she prepared to dance her last roles with the company.

We first talked to the director of The Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, in 2015, and again today for a piece that will go online in a few days, and then designer Tom Pye talked to us about his designs for the new production of Cinderella which opened in March 2023.

Then there are ‘Gramilano Questionnaires’ with Darcey Bussell, Peter Wright, Vadim Muntagirov, Steven McRae, Mara Galeazzi, Bennet Gartside, and Cynthia Harvey, as well as Avis, Hayward, Campbell, O’Sullivan, and Naghdi.

Here are links to these interviews, in no particular order. Happy reading…

In conversation with Marianela Nuñez
https://www.gramilano.com/2020/07/in-conversation-with-marianela-nunez

Interview with The Royal Ballet’s Lauren Cuthbertson – so much passion
https://www.gramilano.com/2020/05/interview-with-the-royal-ballets-lauren-cuthbertson-so-much-passion

[Interview] The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi: a time to reflect
https://www.gramilano.com/2020/08/interview-the-royal-ballets-yasmine-naghdi-a-time-to-reflect

Genesia Rosato and Gary Avis on her retirement from The Royal Ballet
https://www.gramilano.com/2016/02/genesia-rosato-and-gary-avis-on-her-retirement-from-the-royal-ballet

Interview with The Royal Ballet’s hot couple: Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell
https://www.gramilano.com/2018/02/interview-royal-ballets-hot-couple-francesca-hayward-alexander-campbell

From Lombardy to London: Interview with the Royal Ballet’s Valentino Zucchetti
https://www.gramilano.com/2014/04/lombardy-london-interview-royal-ballets-valentino-zucchetti

[Interview] Valentino Zucchetti on Anemoi, his work for The Royal Ballet
https://www.gramilano.com/2023/10/interview-valentino-zucchetti-anemoi

[Interview] Designer Tom Pye on death threats, Cinderella – and cowboys
https://www.gramilano.com/2023/03/interview-designer-tom-pye-cinderella

[Interview] Tears of a Ballet Mum – Sabine Naghdi on her ballerina daughter, Yasmine
https://www.gramilano.com/2021/12/tears-of-a-ballet-mum-sabine-naghdi

Matthew Ball – The Royal Ballet’s prince in waiting?
https://www.gramilano.com/2015/10/matthew-ball-the-royal-ballets-prince-in-waiting

Yasmine Naghdi – the birth of a ballerina
https://www.gramilano.com/2015/09/yasmine-naghdi-the-birth-of-a-ballerina

The Royal Ballet’s new star-crossed lovers: Yasmine Naghdi and Matthew Ball
https://www.gramilano.com/2015/10/the-royal-ballets-new-star-crossed-lovers-yasmine-naghdi-and-matthew-ball

[Interview] Alexander Campbell on ‘The Limit’ – a new work for The Royal Ballet
https://www.gramilano.com/2023/10/interview-alexander-campbell-the-limit

[Interview] Royal Ballet’s Fumi Kaneko on her upcoming debut in Mayerling
https://www.gramilano.com/2022/10/interview-fumi-kaneko-mayerling

Kevin O’Hare interview: It’s an exciting time for The Royal Ballet
https://www.gramilano.com/2015/09/kevin-ohare-interview-its-an-exciting-time-for-the-royal-ballet

[Interview] The authentic and passionate Laura Morera – a career without limits
https://www.gramilano.com/2023/04/interview-authentic-passionate-laura-morera

Interview: The Royal Ballet’s Ballet Master, Christopher Carr, on mounting Coppélia, the company’s dancers and technique
https://www.gramilano.com/2019/12/interview-the-royal-ballets-ballet-master-christopher-carr-on-mounting-coppelia-the-companys-dancers-and-technique

Interview: For The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi it’s “Ready, Steady, Go”!
https://www.gramilano.com/2018/11/interview-for-the-royal-ballets-yasmine-naghdi-its-ready-steady-go

Anna Rose O’Sullivan – meeting the Royal Ballet’s newest star
https://www.gramilano.com/2022/01/anna-rose-osullivan-royal-ballet

[Interview] “It is possible!” – The Royal Ballet’s Emerging Choreographer Joseph Toonga on piqués and popping
https://www.gramilano.com/2024/04/interview-the-royal-ballet-joseph-toonga

[Interview] Choreographer Gemma Bond on returning to The Royal Ballet and her new work, Boundless
https://www.gramilano.com/2024/02/interview-choreographer-gemma-bond

THE GRAMILANO QUESTIONNAIRES
https://www.gramilano.com/gramilano-questionnaire-dancers-edition

Gramilano Editor

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.