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 was Vaziev (on having to find a substitute for Sergei Polunin, who was himself a substitute for David Hallberg), who chose the young corps de ballet dancer to partner Svetlana … [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”
Bolshoi Ballet
Photo album: Gala Les Étoiles at Ravenna Festival with international ballet stars
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), Constantine Allen, Anna Tsygankova, Young Gyu Choi and Rebecca Storani (Dutch National Ballet), Sergio Bernal (Spanish National Ballet) Daniele Cipriani’s galas, Les Étoiles, have … [Read more...] about Photo album: Gala Les Étoiles at Ravenna Festival with international ballet stars
Photo album: Osiel Gouneo as Spartacus with the Bayerisches Staatsballett
The Bayerisches Staatsballett is the first Western European company to dance Yuri Grigorovich’s Spartacus, which he created in 1968 for the Bolshoi Ballet. It has become the trademark Soviet ballet. The premiere in Munich was part of a concept to present productions that have been milestones in ballet history. The mini-run (other performances follow in May) saw Sergei … [Read more...] about Photo album: Osiel Gouneo as Spartacus with the Bayerisches Staatsballett
Danza in Italia column returns in the latest issue of Dancing Times
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 important debut performances from Timofej Andrijashenko, Martina Arduino and Marco Agostino, and with Nicoletta Manni returning as Kitri; Jacopo Tissi comes home to dance again on La … [Read more...] about Danza in Italia column returns in the latest issue of Dancing Times
The impeccable Bolshoi dancers in Maillot’s slick Taming of the Shrew at La Scala
Lots of empty seats were available for the Bolshoi Ballet at La Scala in The Taming of the Shrew. La Bayadère – great; Swan Lake – ooh yes; Giselle – lovely; Taming of the Shrew? – err. Word of mouth did its bit after the opening night, but with just three consecutive performances there wasn’t enough time to have a sold-out notice on the poster, but ‘sold out’ is what it … [Read more...] about The impeccable Bolshoi dancers in Maillot’s slick Taming of the Shrew at La Scala
Review: Three casts for La Bayadère with the Bolshoi at La Scala
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, yet how many superb, theatrical moments he creates for La Bayadère — sublime, exhilarating, haunting, joyous. If interval chatter isn’t focussed on complaining about the music, it’s … [Read more...] about Review: Three casts for La Bayadère with the Bolshoi at La Scala
Photo Album and full casting – Bolshoi dancers in Milan
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 Bayadère in the Grigorovich production, and Jean-Christophe Maillot’s The Taming of the Shrew. Svetlana Zakharova and Denis Rodkin, Olga Smirnova and Semyon Chudin, and Alyona Kovalyova … [Read more...] about Photo Album and full casting – Bolshoi dancers in Milan
Finalists of English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition at the London Coliseum in June
On Monday 11 June 2018, English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition will be held at the London Coliseum for the first time. Emerging Dancer is a key part of English National Ballet’s commitment to developing and nurturing talent within the company and through this annual event, English National Ballet recognises the excellence of its artists. Six of the … [Read more...] about Finalists of English National Ballet’s Emerging Dancer competition at the London Coliseum in June
The world’s cheapest city (and most expensive) for a cultural break
Prague has come up trumps as the place where those planning a cultural city break can save money this autumn, according to the 2017 British Post Office Travel Money Cost of Culture Report. The Czech capital emerges as cheapest in a survey of opera, dance, music concert, gallery and museum prices in 16 cultural cities, with runners-up Warsaw, Budapest and Moscow making it a … [Read more...] about The world’s cheapest city (and most expensive) for a cultural break
World Ballet Day 2017: 5 October Live with Australian, Bolshoi, Royal, Canadian and San Francisco Ballet Companies
Five of the world's leading ballet companies will come together for World Ballet Day on Thursday 5 October to broadcast 20 hours of live, behind-the-scenes footage via Facebook Live, following a successful partnership with Facebook in 2016. The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada and San Francisco Ballet will partner for the … [Read more...] about World Ballet Day 2017: 5 October Live with Australian, Bolshoi, Royal, Canadian and San Francisco Ballet Companies