American Ballet Theatre

American Ballet Theatre: Together Tonight – an 80th Anniversary YouTube celebration

11 May 2020 by gramilano Leave a Comment

May 2020 was to have been a special month for the American Ballet Theatre – the time to celebrate its 80th anniversary.

American Ballet Theatre – known as Ballet Theatre from 1939 until 1957 – was founded in 1939 by Lucia Chase and Richard Pleasant and its first performance was on 11 January 1940.

Chase was its director, together with Oliver Smith, from 1945 to 1980. Mikhail Baryshnikov took over until 1989. Smith returned with Jane Hermann from 1990 to 1992, when Kevin McKenzie took over as artistic director, a position her still holds.

ABT will present American Ballet Theatre: Together Tonight, a virtual celebration in support of the ABT Crisis Relief Fund on its YouTube Channel…

[VIDEO] Natalia Makarova’s return to dance with the Kirov Ballet in 1988

5 April 2020 by gramilano 5 Comments

In London in 1970 the 29-year-old prima ballerina Natalia Makarova, performing with Leningrad’s Kirov Ballet (now St Petersburg’s Mariinsky Ballet) defected to the West.

Then in the summer of 1988 at the packed 3,200-seat Business Design Centre in London Makarova danced again with her former company, even though her career was ending (she had announced her retirement in 1986). She was 47.

Erik Bruhn and Carla Fracci – Romeo and Juliet, 1966

26 March 2020 by gramilano 3 Comments

Erik Bruhn choreographed a version of Romeo and Juliet which he and Carla Fracci danced with the Rome Opera Ballet in 1966. The balcony scene is now on YouTube.

David Hallberg becomes new head of Australian Ballet – Farewell gala in 2021

3 March 2020 by gramilano Leave a Comment

David Hallberg will become the new artistic director of the Australian Ballet, taking over from former principal dancer David McAllister, who has directed the company for two decades. Hallberg’s last performances as a dancer will be in 2021, when he will fulfil previous commitments, culminating in a farewell gala with American Ballet Theatre. He spent […]

Alexei Ratmansky’s Of Love and Rage, a co-production between National Ballet of Canada and ABT

24 January 2020 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Alexei Ratmansky’s new full-length work, Of Love and Rage, will be a co-production between the National Ballet and American Ballet Theatre. Of Love and Rage is based on Callirhoe, one of the earliest novels ever written, set in ancient Greece. The epic tale tells the story of legendary beauty Callirhoe and her lover Chaereus and the daunting obstacles […]

Roberto Bolle – ballet’s Mr Nice Guy – bows out

22 June 2019 by gramilano Leave a Comment

With a performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon on 20 June, Roberto Bolle said goodbye to the American Ballet Theatre. He has been a principal dancer with the company over the last decade. Everyone likes Bolle, ballet’s Mr Nice Guy, who is kind to his colleagues onstage, the backstage staff, and his many fans. David Hallberg, […]

Roberto Bolle says addio to American Ballet Theatre

27 October 2018 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Eight performances of Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon are scheduled to begin 17 June 2019 during American Ballet Theatre’s 2019 Spring season at the Metropolitan Opera House, with Hee Seo in the title role, Roberto Bolle as Des Grieux, Stella Abrera as Lescaut’s Mistress and James Whiteside as Lescaut. Bolle will give his farewell performance with ABT […]

In conversation with Myriam Ould-Braham and István Simon

2 September 2018 by gramilano 1 Comment

The annual, starry, late summer gala organised by American Ballet Theatre’s Xiomara Reyes and Ballets du Monte Carlo’s Elías García for IBStage takes place at Barcelona’s Gran Teatre del Liceu. Over 100 young dancers from the various summer ballet programmes which begin in mid-August, join international ballet stars, including Myriam Ould-Braham and István Simon. […]

Dancing Times, August 2018 out now – including latest Danza in Italia column

29 July 2018 by gramilano Leave a Comment

The latest Dancing Times magazine is now on sale. The August 2018 issue contains my latest Danza in Italia column with thoughts on the new Le Corsaire by Anna-Marie Holmes at La Scala, with company dancers Nicoletta Manni, Timofej Andrijashenko, Martina Arduino and Mattia Semperboni. The theatre also dedicated a series of evenings to Rudolf Nureyev […]

English National Ballet announces promotions and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season

19 June 2018 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Tamara Rojo has announced promotions within English National Ballet and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season. Joiners and promotions Joining the Company will be Jeffrey Cirio who joins English National Ballet as Lead Principal following his recent guest performances in Song of the Earth, La Sylphide, Romeo & Juliet, Nutcracker and Akram Khan’s Giselle. Cirio […]