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Gramilano logo 2023

- dance, opera, photography...

Alena Kovaleva

Interview: Inside the Prix de Lausanne – Making the Best of the Most Challenging

16 February 2026 by Christophe Farquet Leave a Comment

William Gyves with Goyo Montero - photo by Gregory Batardon, PDL2026

Christophe Farquet talks to five dancers from the Zurich Dance Academy at the Prix de Lausanne 2026 – William Gyves (1st prize), Dragos Gramada (scholarship), Estefania Guajardo Livas, Goda … [Read more...] about Interview: Inside the Prix de Lausanne – Making the Best of the Most Challenging

Les Étoiles ballet gala on TV with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Kim, Simkin, Salenko, Bernal, Makhateli, Tissi, Kovaleva et al

29 December 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

LES ETOILES 2022 Vadim Muntagirov with Fumi Kaneko as the white swan, photo by Graham Spicer

On Italian television for New Year's Eve – Rai5 at 9.15 pm –arrives the ballet gala Les Étoiles. Producer Daniele Cipriani has been devising Les Étoiles galas in Rome since 2015 and this … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles ballet gala on TV with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Kim, Simkin, Salenko, Bernal, Makhateli, Tissi, Kovaleva et al

Attimo, sei bello! in Rome – a photographic exhibition celebrating the beauty of dance

12 December 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

LES ETOILES 2022 Vadim Muntagirov with Fumi Kaneko as the white swan, photo by Graham Spicer

“Fragments of eternity that tell of beauty, strength, even pain. Shots snatched from the fluid and passionate movement of dance and framed to become 'forever'.” So runs the blurb of the … [Read more...] about Attimo, sei bello! in Rome – a photographic exhibition celebrating the beauty of dance

Italy’s Jacopo Tissi is promoted to Principal Dancer at the Bolshoi

5 January 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Alena Kovaleva and Jacopo Tissi in Grand Pas Classique, Ravenna Festival 2019

Italian dancer Jacopo Tissi has been promoted to the top rank of the Bolshoi Company dancers in Moscow. Tissi is now a Principal Dancer alongside Artemy Belyakov, Semyon Chudin, Vladislav Lantratov, … [Read more...] about Italy’s Jacopo Tissi is promoted to Principal Dancer at the Bolshoi

Les Étoiles online: Nuñez, Muntagirov, Salenko, Kim, Shklyarov et al

9 June 2021 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Marianela Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov, Le Corsaire, photo © Graham Spicer

ITsART is a new virtual platform dedicated to the digital dissemination of artistic and cultural content from or about Italy. Free content includes journeys through museums, libraries, archaeological … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles online: Nuñez, Muntagirov, Salenko, Kim, Shklyarov et al

A mesmerising new ballet art film – ‘missed nuance’ – captures movement like never before

15 October 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Missed Nuance featuring Jake Mangakahia of The Australian Ballet

After Niv Novak’s slow-motion dance project ‘extension’ in 2017, comes ‘missed nuance’, a similar project with a different look. Dancers from international ballet companies wore designer garments to … [Read more...] about A mesmerising new ballet art film – ‘missed nuance’ – captures movement like never before

Interview: Who is Jacopo Tissi? The Bolshoi’s enigmatic Italian star talks about Moscow, Milan and London, “It certainly wasn’t easy”

4 October 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Jacopo Tissi in Swan Lake crop

Three years ago, Jacopo Tissi left La Scala to join the Bolshoi Company in Moscow. Makhar Vaziev, the Company’s current director, was previously the director at La Scala and had seen Tissi’s work. It … [Read more...] about Interview: Who is Jacopo Tissi? The Bolshoi’s enigmatic Italian star talks about Moscow, Milan and London, “It certainly wasn’t easy”

Photo album: Gala Les Étoiles at Ravenna Festival with international ballet stars

26 July 2019 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Diamonds (from Balanchine's Jewels) with Alena Kovaleva and Jacopo Tissi © Graham Spicer, Daniele Cipriani Entertainment 6

Dorothée Gilbert and Hugo Marchand (Paris Opera Ballet), Jacopo Tissi and Alena Kovaleva (Bolshoi Ballet), Bakhtiyar Adamzhan (Astana Opera, Kazakhstan), Tatiana Melnik (Hungarian National Ballet), … [Read more...] about Photo album: Gala Les Étoiles at Ravenna Festival with international ballet stars

Les Étoiles dance gala closes the 2019 Ravenna Festival

15 July 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Hugo Marchand © James Bort

The Ravenna Festival was founded in 1990 by Cristina Mazzavillani Muti, with a rich programme which includes symphonic and chamber music, opera, drama, dance, ballet, musical theatre, jazz, and ethnic … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles dance gala closes the 2019 Ravenna Festival

Danza in Italia column returns in the latest issue of Dancing Times

25 October 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Dancing Times November 2018

The latest issue of Dancing Times magazine, November 2018, is being shipped to newstands as I write. The new Danza in Italia column looks at Rudolf Nureyev's Don Quixote at Teatro alla Scala, with … [Read more...] about Danza in Italia column returns in the latest issue of Dancing Times

Review: Three casts for La Bayadère with the Bolshoi at La Scala

20 September 2018 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Shadows In La Bayadére, Photo By Damir Yusupov, 2008

How secretly gratifying it is when wine experts trip up, rating High Street plonk higher than the Premier cru. Ballet music could benefit from unlabelled listening. Minkus is routinely pooh-poohed, … [Read more...] about Review: Three casts for La Bayadère with the Bolshoi at La Scala

Photo Album and full casting – Bolshoi dancers in Milan

23 July 2018 by Gramilano 5 Comments

Margarita Shrainer As Gamzatti In La Bayadére, Photo By Damir Yusupov, 2018

After an 11-year absence, the Bolshoi Ballet returns to Milan. In 2007, the company came with La Fille du Pharaon and The Bright Stream. From 7 to 13 September they will be at La Scala with La … [Read more...] about Photo Album and full casting – Bolshoi dancers in Milan

Bolshoi Ballet’s Italian dancer, Jacopo Tissi, on his first year in Moscow and dancing Diamonds at the Lincoln Center

12 July 2017 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Jacopo Tissi in Le spectre de la rose, photo by Alexander Yakovlev

Last August, young ballet dancer Jacopo Tissi, resigned from the La Scala Ballet to accept the offer a contract with the Bolshoi Company. As I wrote last September, it’s not something that happens … [Read more...] about Bolshoi Ballet’s Italian dancer, Jacopo Tissi, on his first year in Moscow and dancing Diamonds at the Lincoln Center

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Gramilano newsletter 2019

INTERVIEWS

Nikisha Fogo, photo Yousik Kim

[Interview] Meet Nikisha Fogo, San Francisco Ballet’s new Principal Dancer

Alessandra Ferri Io Donna

Interview with Alessandra Ferri: Maturing I find myself smiling more

Antonio Pappano in rehearsal for Fidelio, The Royal Opera © 2020 ROH. Photographed by Lara Cappelli.

[Interview] Antonio Pappano on adapting in strange times

Sergei Polunin, Romeo and Juliet, Verona 2019

Interview with Sergei Polunin – Verona’s new Romeo

Nureyevs The Sleeping Beauty La Scala 1966 theatre programme collection Carlo Orlandi

Nureyev on staging the “ballet of ballets” The Sleeping Beauty

Fumi Kaneko and Vadim Muntagirov rehearse Mayerling. Photo by Dancers Diary ROH 1

[Interview] Royal Ballet’s Fumi Kaneko on her upcoming debut in Mayerling

Roberto Bolle lays himself bare in Vanity Fair: it’s difficult to say “I love you”

LORE - Wayne McGregor in rehearsals - photo Brescia and Amisano © Teatro alla Scala (45)

Breaking the LORE: Wayne McGregor on his new dance work at La Scala

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GRAMILANO

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 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.

Since 2022, Gramilano has been pleased to welcome guest authors: Paul Arrowsmith, Donatella Bertozzi, Georgina Butler, Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, Jonathan Gray, Marina Harss, Ann Haskins, Lily Hyde, Marta Mele, Matthew Paluch, Jann Parry, Lucía Piquero, Graham Watts, Deborah Weiss, and Lydia Wharf.

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