Eleonora Sevenard, the young promising new Bolshoi soloist (she danced both Phrygia and Kitri at Covent Garden during the company’s latest tour) will be dancing with her boyfriend, Bolshoi principal dancer Denis Rodkin, in the Les Étoiles gala in Rome next week. In an interview to coincide with her London appearances, she told the Telegraph: […]
La fille mal gardée
Two beautiful volumes from Amici della Scala: 80 years of costumes at La Scala and the designer Coltellacci
Vittoria Crespi Morbio, the writer of an exceptional collection of books produced by the Amici della Scala, has written monographs on important artists who have collaborated with Teatro alla Scala – some celebrated, some largely forgotten. These little gems are precious in the content but lacking in their scale. However, luckily, the Friends of La […]
Dancing Times, August 2018 out now – including latest Danza in Italia column
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 […]
Interview with The Royal Ballet’s hot couple: Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell
Francesca Hayward and Alexander Campbell are quickly becoming The Royal Ballet’s ‘couple to see’. After recent successes dancing Clara and the Nutcracker, as well as the Sugar Plum Fairy and her Prince, over the Christmas season, they have just debuted in Giselle. An important moment in the career of any dancer. The Guardian said that […]
Prix de Lausanne Prize Winners 2018 and photos
A large audience attended the Prix de Lausanne Finals today, both at the Théâtre de Beaulieu and online. 8 young dancers were awarded a scholarship allowing them to enter one of the 72 partner schools or companies of the Prix de Lausanne. Non-awarded candidates can take part in the Networking Forum tomorrow and have the opportunity […]
Dame Merle Park on a ballerina’s need for rest and energy: I have six spoonfuls of sugar in my tea
Back in the days when Merle Park was a CBE — she became Dame Merle in 1986 — she left this interview with a British women’s magazine. It makes interesting, and amusing, reading almost 40 years later. Dame Merle Park will celebrate her 80th birthday on 8 October this year. At times my energy has […]
THE ROYAL BALLET SEASON 2016 – 2017: theatre and cinema
All the details of the 2016-2017 Ballet Season at London’s Royal Opera House: skip to section: ROYAL BALLET 2016-2017 SEASON – IN BRIEF THE ROYAL OPERA 2016-2017 SEASON THE ROYAL OPERA SEASON 2016-2017 – IN FULL ROYAL BALLET 2016-2017 SEASON – IN BRIEF Four World Premieres New one-act ballet from Resident Choreographer Wayne McGregor to a […]
A deep vein of sincere sentiment in ‘L’elisir d’amore’ at La Scala
Tullio Pericoli’s designs for L’Elisir d’amore, currently at La Scala in Milan, recall the Osbert Lancaster sets for The Royal Ballet’s La fille mal gardée. Both men worked as illustrators for newspapers and their designs give the sensation of being inside a children’s book illustration. Franco Zeffirelli imitated the style for a production of La […]
Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae in La Fille mal gardée in cinema
The Royal Ballet’s audiences never tire of La Fille mal gardée, and seemingly neither do the cinema audiences as the ballet will be transmitted live again. On Tuesday 5 May, the world will have the opportunity of seeing not only Steven McRae (who danced with Roberta Marquez in the live broadcast in 2012), but also Natalia Osipova […]
Casting for Royal Ballet triple bill in March and La fille mal gardée in April
THE FOUR TEMPERAMENTS / NEW HOFESH SHECHTER / SONG OF THE EARTH George Balanchine / NEW Hofesh Shechter / Kenneth MacMillan Music: Paul Hindemith / Koen Kessels / Gustav Mahler 27, 30 March, 8, 10, 14 April at 7.30pm A world première from much sought-after Israeli choreographer and composer Hofesh Shechter is the centrepiece of […]