Last night, 8 June 2019, The Royal Ballet celebrated the centenary of the birth of its most famous ballerina, Dame Margot Fonteyn, who was born on 18 May 1919. A performance of The Firebird, currently in a triple bill, was followed by a gala of extracts from ballets representing some of Fonteyn’s most celebrated roles. Another dame, Dame Darcey Bussell, also appeared on stage … [Read more...] about Photos and full programme of Margot Fonteyn, A Celebration with The Royal Ballet
Darcey Bussell
Interview: For The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi it’s “Ready, Steady, Go”!
Interview with Yasmine Naghdi as she dances in the world premiere of Alastair Marriott’s The Unknown Soldier - with photos by Dasa Wharton I last interviewed Yasmine Naghdi in September of 2015 when she and Matthew Ball were preparing to dance Romeo and Juliet together. They were dancing the roles for the first time — she was a Soloist and he a First Artist. Time passes … [Read more...] about Interview: For The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi it’s “Ready, Steady, Go”!
Laurretta Summerscales answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition
Q&A When did you start dancing? I started dancing at the age of 3 at my mothers dancing school Why did you start dancing? My mother wanted to give me as many opportunities in life to see what passions I grew for myself, and also what I was talented at. Dance was just one of many, but obviously it was also so we could have more time together. Which dancer inspired you … [Read more...] about Laurretta Summerscales answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition
Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet: celebrating 17 years
Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet is a new book to celebrate Carlos Acosta’s 17 year career with The Royal Ballet from 1998 – 2015. The book, which captures some of his greatest performances as well as intimate behind-the-scenes moments, is published by Oberon Books and will be released in November 2015. It contains over 150 images of Acosta on stage and in rehearsal … [Read more...] about Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet: celebrating 17 years
50th Anniversary of MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet
The Royal Ballet 2015/16 Season opens this September with the return of Kenneth MacMillan’s landmark Romeo and Juliet, celebrating 50 years since its première at the Royal Opera House in 1965. It will be relayed live to cinemas on Tuesday 22 September 2015. Originally created on Lynn Seymour and Christopher Gable, it was, of course, Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev who … [Read more...] about 50th Anniversary of MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet
En Avant’s next ballet projects include a special encounter with Marcelo Gomes
The En Avant Foundation will present specialised coaching master classes for advanced pre-professional and professional dancers in San Francisco and in New York in April 2015. The Foundation's inaugural event last June in New York was a resounding success and En Avant's Artistic Director Cynthia Harvey and her team are continuing to aim high. Isabelle Guérin, former Étoile … [Read more...] about En Avant’s next ballet projects include a special encounter with Marcelo Gomes
Julian Mackay on entering and winning the Prix de Lausanne 2015
Seventeen-year-old Julian Mackay is one of the six winners of this year’s Prix de Lausanne. He is part of the extraordinary Khan-MacKay family which boasts four ballet dancers; something this blog has covered before. Julian however is flying high during his last year at the Bolshoi Academy before his graduation in June, having already won medals last summer at the Sochi and … [Read more...] about Julian Mackay on entering and winning the Prix de Lausanne 2015
Darcey Bussell wants to get Britain dancing: You don’t need your leg around your ears
Do dancers 'need' to dance? Well, most of them do, yes. It was needing to dance as a child that made them into a professional dancer, and the term can come to define who you are. If you no longer dance, then what are you? Most will agree that Darcey Bussell stopped dancing too early, at the age of 38. She had been having physical problems, true, and she had a young family, … [Read more...] about Darcey Bussell wants to get Britain dancing: You don’t need your leg around your ears
En Avant with quality, integrity, musicality and artistic meaning in classical ballet
En Avant is a "New Non-Profit Foundation for Specialised Ballet Coaching, Mentoring and the Awarding of Scholarships". The Foundation is new, but what is it offering that's new? After all the world is full of dance master classes, workshops and scholarships. En Avant is different because it aims to put all these together to provide a set of tools to help younger dancers with … [Read more...] about En Avant with quality, integrity, musicality and artistic meaning in classical ballet
Alessandra Ferri returns to dance the end of her marriage
At the end of June Alessandra Ferri will return to the stage after an absence of 7 years, and, at the age of 50, will restart her dancing career. At Spoleto, where she is the artistic director of the dance component, she will dance in The Piano Upstairs, a new work for which she is also choreographer. The piece recounts the end of a marriage, and, although it has been in the … [Read more...] about Alessandra Ferri returns to dance the end of her marriage