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. I … [Read more...]
Giovanna d’Arco – the background of La Scala’s latest production
On 7 December 2015, La Scala’s 2015-2016 Season opens with Giuseppe Verdi’s Giovanna d’Arco, which had its premiere at La Scala on 15 February 1845, but hasn’t been staged at the Milanese theatre since 1865. Bringing back this opera after 150 years is part of the artistic and cultural line that will link the following seasons at La Scala. The new directors wish to revive … [Read more...]
Florestan’s crepes backstage at La Scala
Instead of lounging in the pressroom with glass of something bubbly in my hand during the opening of La Scala’s season, I found myself in the wings holding a mic and trying to describe – and translate – what was going on around me. The idea for this first live backstage video stream came from Silvia Farina, who is responsible for La Scala’s digital adventures, and was with … [Read more...]
About me
I'm still Gramilano aka Graham Spicer, but the eyes logo (i.e. my view of things... subtle eh?) have been replaced by something less egoistic, though the little boy reading the book is meant to represent the young Graham! "Ballet, opera, music and theatre" has since become "Dance, opera, photography". Here's the old version of the ABOUT ME … [Read more...]
Sylvie Guillem on why she’s still ‘Mademoiselle Non’
Sylive Guillem will be in Venice tomorrow to receive from the Biennale the Leone d'oro (Golden Lion) for "having redesigned the form of the dancer, defying the laws of physics". Valeria Crippa of the Corriere della Sera talked to her about aspects of her career. I could have ended up like a cork bobbing along on the water at the whim of the currents. Instead … [Read more...]