Osipova / Linbury – an evening of dance with Natalia Osipova in London
The Royal Ballet and Natalia Osipova present Osipova / Linbury – an evening of dance with Natalia Osipova.
Osipova / Linbury draws on the work of choreographic luminaries Martha Graham and Frederick Ashton alongside a world premiere by Jo Strømgren. The programme takes a broad sweep through dance history, from Graham’s modernist technique through to the pure lyrical classicism of Ashton with a nod to the contemporary with Strømgren’s latest creation.
Osipova said:
Through this programme my boundless passion for dance has the opportunity to take flight though the visionary creativity of Martha Graham and Frederick Ashton. Jo Strømgren’s vivid theatrical imagination is an inspiration, and I am so excited to be working with him on this new commission.
Osipova has been a principal dancer with The Royal Ballet since 2013 and is regarded as one of the world’s leading performers, “dazzling audiences across the globe with her artistry, dramatic intensity and formidable ballet technique”.
This will be the first time that The Royal Ballet presents Martha Graham’s Errand into the Maze. It is one of her best-known ballets, based on a poem by Ben Belitt with music by Gian Carlo Menotti, a set designed by Isamu Noguchi, and Graham herself designed the costumes. The 1947 work was inspired by the Greek myth of Ariadne and the Minotaur. Fellow principal Marcelino Sambé will join Osipova for these performances.
Earlier this year, Osipova received critical acclaim for her performance of Ashton’s Five Brahms Waltzes in the Manner of Isadora Duncan, a celebration of Duncan’s liberating dance style. Jonathan Gray, writing on gramilano, said, “Natalia Osipova, a unique and individual artist, gave a fine impression of Isadora.” This inspired work will be recreated as a short film, bringing Ashton’s work to life in new and unique way.
The programme also features a premiere by Strømgren who will create a new work for Osipova with contemporary dancer Christopher Akrill. This is Strømgren’s first work for The Royal Ballet. He is celebrated for his “fearless theatrical sensibility”. This latest creation unites two of today’s leading forces of dance.
Osipova / Linbury – An evening of dance with Natalia Osipova
Linbury Theatre 6 – 10 March 2025
Tickets from £6 – £50
Public Booking opens 8 January 2025
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.
