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Gramilano logo 2023

- dance, opera, photography...

Maia Makhateli

Review: Dutch National Ballet’s triple bill – Paquita | Carmen | 5 Tangos

27 February 2026 by Matthew Paluch Leave a Comment

Anna Tsygankova and Giorgi Potskhishvili in Carmen - photo by Altin Kaftira (1)

Matthew Paluch sees Dutch National Ballet in Paquita | Carmen | 5 Tangos – we lucked out with the brilliant casting. TitlePaquita | Carmen | 5 TangosCompanyDutch National BalletVenueHet … [Read more...] about Review: Dutch National Ballet’s triple bill – Paquita | Carmen | 5 Tangos

Review: Ballet Icons Gala 2026 – a star-studded, celebratory evening of ballet

19 February 2026 by Georgina Butler Leave a Comment

Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko in Nutcracker Duet credit Jack Devant

Georgina Butler sees London's Ballet Icons Gala 2026 – an outstanding international cast of elite dancers from top-tier companies with a UK premiere and two world premieres. TitleBallet Icons Gala … [Read more...] about Review: Ballet Icons Gala 2026 – a star-studded, celebratory evening of ballet

Final lineup announced for Ballet Icons 20th anniversary gala

27 January 2026 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Ballet Icons Gala

The Ballet Icons Gala returns to the London Coliseum on 15 February with its customary lineup of international ballet stars. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the presentations at the … [Read more...] about Final lineup announced for Ballet Icons 20th anniversary gala

Choreographer Hans van Manen has died at 93

18 December 2025 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Het Nationale Ballet - Hans van Manen, photo by Jan Willem Kaldenbach, crop

Hans van Manen died yesterday, 17 December 2025, at the age of 93. Van Manen (b. 11 July 1932 in the Netherlands) was the best-known choreographer of the Netherlands for over sixty years and … [Read more...] about Choreographer Hans van Manen has died at 93

Review: Ballet Icons Gala 2025 – an outstanding international cast of star dancers

11 March 2025 by Georgina Butler Leave a Comment

Marianela Núñez and William Bracewell in The Sleeping Beauty, photo by Jack Devant3

Georgina Butler sees London's Ballet Icons Gala 2025 – an exceptional evening of ballet with a programme of sixteen works, including four UK premieres and a world premiere. TitleBallet Icons Gala … [Read more...] about Review: Ballet Icons Gala 2025 – an outstanding international cast of star dancers

Review: The Nutcracker with Rome Opera Ballet showing choreographer Paul Chalmer’s “wisdom, passion and finesse”

23 December 2024 by Donatella Bertozzi 1 Comment

The Nutcracker - photo by Fabrizio Sansoni, Opera di Roma (3)

Donatella Bertozzi sees The Nutcracker in Rome and finds in Paul Chalmer “a strong narrator and an expert dance maker”. TitleThe NutcrackerCompanyRome Opera Ballet VenueTeatro dell'Opera, RomeDate15 … [Read more...] about Review: The Nutcracker with Rome Opera Ballet showing choreographer Paul Chalmer’s “wisdom, passion and finesse”

Ballet Icons Gala 2025 arrives at the London Coliseum in March

19 December 2024 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko in Carmen - Nicholas MacKay MACKAY PRODUCTIONS

On 9 March 2025, the Ballet Icons Gala will fulfil its annual promise of presenting dancers from across the world to the London public. Many of the dancers are regulars on the ‘gala circuit’ but … [Read more...] about Ballet Icons Gala 2025 arrives at the London Coliseum in March

Review: Les Étoiles gala in Milan – 21 dancers, 17 pieces, 3 hours of starry dance

16 December 2024 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Diamonds - Polina Semionova, Martin Ten Kortenaar - Les Etoiles, Milano, foto Graham Spicer, Daniele Cipriani 2024-3

Writing about ballet galas is always a challenge and a review can easily turn into a shopping list... he did this, then they did that. The latest Les Étoiles gala from Daniele Cipriani was certainly … [Read more...] about Review: Les Étoiles gala in Milan – 21 dancers, 17 pieces, 3 hours of starry dance

Youth Grand Prix Europe (YGPE) finds a new Italian base in Vicenza, Italy

11 November 2024 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Nervi-Genoa 2024 - Jennifer Curry Wingrove and Sandra Bencicova for LK Studio, courtesy YAGP - 1

From 12 to 15 November 2024, the semi-finals at the Teatro Comunale, Vicenza Youth Grand Prix Europe (YGPE) returns to Italy with Vicenza as its new base. From 12 to 15 November 2024, the Teatro … [Read more...] about Youth Grand Prix Europe (YGPE) finds a new Italian base in Vicenza, Italy

Italy’s Les Étoiles galas arrive in Milan for the first time – from the moon to the stars

4 November 2024 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Le Parc with Eleonora Abbagnato and Julian MacKay - Les Étoiles - Ravenna Festival 2024 - Daniele Cipriani Entertainment, photo by Graham Spicer

Italian producer Daniele Cipriani has been presenting his Les Étoiles galas in Italy and abroad since 2015, the first being in Rome with Svetlana Zakharova, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Marianela Nuñez, and … [Read more...] about Italy’s Les Étoiles galas arrive in Milan for the first time – from the moon to the stars

Les Étoiles gala in Rome – the ‘Gala of Inclusivity’ with international stars of dance

15 March 2024 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Leroy Mokgatle - photo by Yan Revasov, Staatsballett Berlin

15 (eve), 16 (mat, eve), 17 (mat) March 2024 - Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone - Rome The annual Les Étoiles gala series in Rome kicks off tonight for a record four performances at … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles gala in Rome – the ‘Gala of Inclusivity’ with international stars of dance

Les Étoiles ballet gala on TV with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Kim, Simkin, Salenko, Bernal, Makhateli, Tissi, Kovaleva et al

29 December 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

LES ETOILES 2022 Vadim Muntagirov with Fumi Kaneko as the white swan, photo by Graham Spicer

On Italian television for New Year's Eve – Rai5 at 9.15 pm –arrives the ballet gala Les Étoiles. Producer Daniele Cipriani has been devising Les Étoiles galas in Rome since 2015 and this … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles ballet gala on TV with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Kim, Simkin, Salenko, Bernal, Makhateli, Tissi, Kovaleva et al

Paul Chalmer’s new Nutcracker for the Rome Opera Ballet

17 December 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The Nutcracker rehearsals - photo by Fabrizio Sansoni, Opera di Roma 2023

Unlike the UK or the States, Italy does not have a Nutcracker tradition. It is occasionally performed at Christmas, of course (though also at other times of the year) but if it’s put on at La Scala, … [Read more...] about Paul Chalmer’s new Nutcracker for the Rome Opera Ballet

[Review] Les Étoiles – international ballet stars woo and wow in Italy

8 April 2023 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Valentine Colasante and Paul Marque in Swan Lake - Les Etoiles, Bologna 2023

Gala Les Étoiles with Valentine Colasante and Paul Marque (Paris Opera Ballet); Tiler Peck and Roman Mejia (New York City Ballet); Sergio Bernal (formerly National Ballet of Spain); Silvia Azzoni, … [Read more...] about [Review] Les Étoiles – international ballet stars woo and wow in Italy

[Photo Album] London’s Ballet Icons Gala 2023

21 February 2023 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Nicoletta Manni and Timofej Andrijashenko in Carmen, photo by Nicholas MacKay MACKAY PRODUCTIONS

Below is a selection of photos of the star-studded cast of Ballet Icons 2023, with Dasa Wharton's informal photos of the press call, without makeup, sometimes without costumes, and some informal … [Read more...] about [Photo Album] London’s Ballet Icons Gala 2023

[Review] Ballet Icons Gala – the starry evening returns to the London Coliseum

20 February 2023 by Matthew Paluch 8 Comments

Le Corsaire - Margarita Fernandes and Antonio Casalinho - photo by Dasa Wharton

Matthew Paluch sees the Ballet Icons Gala 2023 in London TitleBallet Icons GalaVenueLondon ColiseumDate19 February 2023ReviewerMatthew Paluch “Ballet Average Dancers” doesn't have quite the same … [Read more...] about [Review] Ballet Icons Gala – the starry evening returns to the London Coliseum

Les Étoiles – the starry Rome gala at the end of January, now with two programmes

8 January 2023 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Anna Rose O'Sullivan and Marcelino Sambé in Romeo and Juliet - photo by Helen Maybanks, ROH 2019

On 28 and 29 January 2023 at the Auditorium Parco della Musica in Rome the latest edition of the annual Les Étoiles gala will offer two programmes for the first time. This gives the possibility of … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles – the starry Rome gala at the end of January, now with two programmes

Attimo, sei bello! in Rome – a photographic exhibition celebrating the beauty of dance

12 December 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

LES ETOILES 2022 Vadim Muntagirov with Fumi Kaneko as the white swan, photo by Graham Spicer

“Fragments of eternity that tell of beauty, strength, even pain. Shots snatched from the fluid and passionate movement of dance and framed to become 'forever'.” So runs the blurb of the … [Read more...] about Attimo, sei bello! in Rome – a photographic exhibition celebrating the beauty of dance

Les Étoiles 2023 – the cast of the annual Rome dance gala is announced

20 October 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Marianela Nunez and Vadim Muntagirov, Le Corsaire, photo © Graham Spicer

Producer Daniele Cipriani’s annual international gala of dance returns to Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica on 28 (eve) and 29 January (mat, eve) 2023. “Virtuosismi in volo e sulle punte” … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles 2023 – the cast of the annual Rome dance gala is announced

[Review] Nureyev Legend and Legacy – a programme full of ‘wow wee’ moments

7 September 2022 by Matthew Paluch 8 Comments

Natalia Osipova in Laurencia Nureyev Legend and Legacy, photo by Andrej Uspenski

Welcome to this new collaboration between Gramilano and me, Matthew Paluch, to be known affectionately as London Calling. I'm honoured to share reviews and discussions here focusing on the London … [Read more...] about [Review] Nureyev Legend and Legacy – a programme full of ‘wow wee’ moments

Rudolf Nureyev Legend and Legacy – a starry celebration in London

18 August 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Merle Park and Rudolf Nureyev in rehearsal for Flower Festival in Genzano, photo by Francette Levieux

Rudolf Nureyev’s life and career will be celebrated in London with five performances at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, which is where Nureyev made his London debut. Former Royal Ballet principal … [Read more...] about Rudolf Nureyev Legend and Legacy – a starry celebration in London

Rome Opera Ballet – Season 2022-2023

23 July 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Bolero - choreography by Pastor Polski, Balet Narodowy, photo Ewa Krasucka 2

The new ballet season of the Teatro dell'Opera in Roma has been announced by the company's director, Eleonora Abbagnato. Don Quixote by Laurent Hilaire Rome Opera Ballet opens its season with … [Read more...] about Rome Opera Ballet – Season 2022-2023

[Photo Album] Le Corsaire in Rome with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Tissi and Makhateli

10 May 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

13 - Le Corsaire, Marianela Nuñez (Medora), Vadim Muntagirov (Conrad), photo by Fabrizio Sansoni, Opera Roma 2022

Tonight, Tuesday 10 May, until 15 May, the curtain of the Teatro Costanzi in Rome rises on Le Corsaire, a version that José Carlos Martínez created for the Rome Opera Ballet in 2020 but which had its … [Read more...] about [Photo Album] Le Corsaire in Rome with Nuñez, Muntagirov, Tissi and Makhateli

Free stream of Les Étoiles ballet gala in Rome from Friday 29 April

28 April 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

LES ÉTOILES 2022 - Daniil Simkin and Maia Makhateli in Don Quixote © Graham Spicer - 4597

A free streaming of the Les Étoiles gala from Rome, filmed earlier this year, will be available from tomorrow, 29 April, on ITsART – the streaming platform for Italian art and culture. ITsART … [Read more...] about Free stream of Les Étoiles ballet gala in Rome from Friday 29 April

Top dancers provided thrills and emotion for Les Étoiles gala in a time of pandemic

15 February 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

LES ÉTOILES 2022 - Sergio Bernal and Calvin Royal III in Touché © Graham Spicer - 2947

The annual Les Étoiles gala in Rome invites top dancers from all over the world to give the Italian public a taste of what can be found outside Italy’s borders. Rarely are Italian dancers included in … [Read more...] about Top dancers provided thrills and emotion for Les Étoiles gala in a time of pandemic

Rome Opera Ballet announces 2021-2022 season

20 July 2021 by Gramilano 2 Comments

The Nutcracker with Rebecca Bianchi, Rome Opera Ballet, photo by Yasuko Kageyama

The Nutcracker opens on 19 December and runs until 2 January in a contemporary reinterpretation created by Giuliano Peparini for the Rome Opera Ballet in 2015. Company étoiles Alessandra Amato and … [Read more...] about Rome Opera Ballet announces 2021-2022 season

Rome Opera summer season: opera and ballet programme 2021

19 May 2021 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Circo Massimo 2020, photo by Kimberley Ross

Trovatore inaugurates the Rome Opera summer season followed by Madama Butterfly and La bohème Programme of dance features Swan Lake and Roberto Bolle Twenty-six evenings of opera, ballet and … [Read more...] about Rome Opera summer season: opera and ballet programme 2021

Marijn Rademaker answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

19 December 2013 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Q&A When did you start dancing? My soccer coach told me I was a ballet dancer on the field. So according to him around 6; but with actual dancing, amateur-wise, at the age of 8. Why did you … [Read more...] about Marijn Rademaker answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

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Gramilano newsletter 2019

INTERVIEWS

Jakub Józef Orliński

In conversation with Jakub Józef Orliński

Anna Netrebko and Yusif Eyvazov in cover art for the Romanza album

Interview with Anna Netrebko on her son, his autism and his abandonment by his father Erwin Schrott

Eleonora Abbagnato © Alessandro Treves crop

Eleonora Abbagnato: Rome Opera Ballet is at an international level through my enthusiasm and dedication

Sergei Polunin, Romeo and Juliet, Verona 2019

Interview with Sergei Polunin – Verona’s new Romeo

Interview with Roberto Bolle – I am more confident now, not just as an artist but also as a person

2015 Giovanna d'Arco, photo Brescia e Amisano © Teatro alla Scala crop

[Interview] Tenor Francesco Meli – 20 years of “not taking anything for granted”

Nureyevs The Sleeping Beauty La Scala 1966 theatre programme collection Carlo Orlandi

Nureyev on staging the “ballet of ballets” The Sleeping Beauty

Yasmine Naghdi prepares for Gamzatti, photo by Dasa Wharton 16

Interviews with 3 Royal Ballet principals: Nuñez, Cuthbertson, Naghdi

G-100x100

GRAMILANO

Graham Spicer, aka 'Gramilano', is a writer, director and photographer based in Milan. He was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. His articles have appeared in various publications from Woman's Weekly to Gay Times, and he wrote the Danza in Italia column for Dancing Times magazine. Graham was the historical advisor on Codice Carla, the 2023 documentary on Carla Fracci.

Graham also works as a dance photographer, and his photos have appeared in books, theatre programmes, and magazines, including Dancing Times, Dance Spirit and Ballet2000, as well as all the major Italian newspapers.

He is a member of the Dance Section of The Critics’ Circle.

Since 2022, Gramilano has been pleased to welcome guest authors: Paul Arrowsmith, Donatella Bertozzi, Georgina Butler, Kathrina Farrugia-Kriel, Jonathan Gray, Marina Harss, Ann Haskins, Lily Hyde, Marta Mele, Matthew Paluch, Jann Parry, Lucía Piquero, Graham Watts, Deborah Weiss, and Lydia Wharf.

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