The boat may not be sinking, but this season finds four members of the ballet company at Milan's La Scala moving elsewhere, and two, following in the footsteps of Kobborg and Cojocaru, made it a last minute announcement. Soloist Francesca Podini has left for Jean-Christophe Maillot's company in Monte Carlo. She is a dancer with a unique physique and probably will find more … [Read more...] about Ballet globalisation continues as La Scala dancers abandon ship
Eris Nezha
The music of Italy’s n°1 rocker returns to La Scala
Vasco Rossi is one of the most famous Italian rockers. The singer-songwriter has hit sixty, but continues to sell out stadiums. His most famous song, Vita spericolata (Daredevil Life) sums up his own approach to life, and in true rock style he's regularly finished up in clinics to detox. A strange choice for ballet music? Well, of course, Roland Petit has already used Pink … [Read more...] about The music of Italy’s n°1 rocker returns to La Scala
Ivan Vasiliev’s injury gives unknown Claudio Coviello a chance to shine
While it wasn't exactly a case of 'A Star is Born', 21-year-old Claudio Coviello was certainly given a golden opportunity when Ivan Vasiliev couldn't go on at La Scala last night. Coviello had learnt the role of Quasimodo in Roland Petit's Notre-Dame de Paris for just a single matinée performance. The evening spots were taken by Roberto Bolle, Massimo Murru and Ivan … [Read more...] about Ivan Vasiliev’s injury gives unknown Claudio Coviello a chance to shine
Ivan Vasiliev is forced to cancel début at the last minute
Ivan Vasiliev, who has been suffering from back pains for a few days, was forced to bow out of his début at Teatro alla Scala in Milan at the last minute. He was already in make-up for his role as the Hunchback in Roland Petit's Notre-Dame de Paris, when half-an-hour before curtain up he realised he couldn't go on. 21-year-old Claudio Coviello who had danced the role at the … [Read more...] about Ivan Vasiliev is forced to cancel début at the last minute
Triumph in Milan for Natalia Osipova and Roberto Bolle in Notre-Dame de Paris
The main curiosity surrounding the return to La Scala of Roland Petit's ballet Notre-Dame de Paris was how cover-boy-ballerino Roberto Bolle could handle the role of the hunchback Quasimodo; as he said himself "it's the first time I haven't played il bello". Well, he comes out of it very well, maybe he's not a dancer-actor like a Nicolas Le Riche, but he is convincing and … [Read more...] about Triumph in Milan for Natalia Osipova and Roberto Bolle in Notre-Dame de Paris
La Scala dancers Petra Conti and Eris Nezha, a couple on and off-stage, are promoted to first dancers on the Bolshoi stage
Last night, after the final performance of the George Balanchine's ballet A Midsummer Night's Dream by the Teatro alla Scala company at the newly restored Bolshoi Theatre, two of the company's youngest dancers were promoted to primi ballerini (first dancers). La Scala ballet's director Makhar Vaziev (ex-director of the Mariinsky) has been grooming the pair for a while, … [Read more...] about La Scala dancers Petra Conti and Eris Nezha, a couple on and off-stage, are promoted to first dancers on the Bolshoi stage
Being groomed for stardom: Italian ballerina Petra Conti
23 year-old Petra Conti is a dancer at La Scala in Milan, who is being slowly brought before the public by director (ex-director of the Mariinsky) Makhar Vaziev. He first saw her when she spent a year in St Petersberg at the Mariinsky to polish her technique. After the 2008-2009 season with the Bavarian State Ballet she decided to return to her homeland: I preferred to … [Read more...] about Being groomed for stardom: Italian ballerina Petra Conti
