Serata van Manen – Petit, (Van Manen and Petit Evening) opens at La Scala on 23 January. The evening consists of five gems from Hans van Manen and Roland Petit. The three van Manen pieces are Adagio Hammerklavier, Sarcasmen and Kammerballett, while the Petit pieces are Le combat des anges (from his ballet Proust, ou les intermittences du coeur ) and Le Jeune homme et la Mort … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Rehearsal photos of La Scala’s new mixed bill with Roberto Bolle, Manni, Coviello, Arduino and company
Maria Celeste Losa
Manuel Legris’ Sylvia shows La Scala’s dancers on top form
Sylvia opened the 2019-2020 ballet season at La Scala. It is a co-production with the Wiener Staatsballett where it opened in November 2018. There have been no changes to Luisa Spinatelli’s sets and costumes or Manuel Legris’ choreography, which suggests that everyone was pleased with how it turned out in Vienna. However, while the overall evening is extremely pleasing, it is … [Read more...] about Manuel Legris’ Sylvia shows La Scala’s dancers on top form
Photo Album: First Night at La Scala with “Sylvia” in a New Production
Sylvia Photos of the opening night of Sylvia, with choreography by Manuel Legris, starring Martina Arduino, Claudio Coviello, Nicola Del Freo, Christian Fagetti, Maria Celeste Losa and company. Choreography Manuel Legris from Louis Mérante and others Dramaturgy and libretto Manuel Legris and Jean-François Vazelle from Jules Barbier and baron Jacques de … [Read more...] about Photo Album: First Night at La Scala with “Sylvia” in a New Production
Save the best until last – La Scala’s triple bill shows a company in excellent form
Save the best until last. Not a bad programming policy, and with La Scala’s recent triple bill, the last was Maurice Béjart’s Boléro. Obviously, with the first item on the programme being George Balanchine’s Symphony in C it can hardly be the best for many, but the Béjart is undoubtedly a crowd-pleaser and whoops and cheers went on for a long time after Ravel’s music had … [Read more...] about Save the best until last – La Scala’s triple bill shows a company in excellent form
Photo Album: Opening night at La Scala – Roberto Bolle in Bolero, Symphony in C, Petite Mort
BALANCHINE / KYLIÁN / BÉJART Opening night: Saturday 16 November 2019 SYMPHONY IN C Music Georges Bizet Choreography George Balanchine © School of American Ballet Revived by Patricia Neary Costumes Karinska Lights Andrea Giretti First movement Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo Second movement Nicoletta Manni, Marco Agostino Third movement Alessandra … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Opening night at La Scala – Roberto Bolle in Bolero, Symphony in C, Petite Mort
Review: Giselle at La Scala with Zakharova/Hallberg, Manni/Andrijashenko, Valerio/Coviello
Giselle is one of La Scala Ballet’s international calling cards. Together with Nureyev’s Don Quixote, this production has been seen all over the world, and rightly so. The company dances it beautifully, and its staging by Yvette Chauviré (based, of course, on the Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot choreography) would be difficult to better. It is clearly told, the story points … [Read more...] about Review: Giselle at La Scala with Zakharova/Hallberg, Manni/Andrijashenko, Valerio/Coviello
Photo Album: Giselle at La Scala with Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg
Opening Night - 17 September 2019 Giselle Svetlana Zakharova Albrecht David Hallberg Duke of Courland Alessandro Grillo Principess Bathilde Marta Romagna Giselle's mother Beatrice Carbone Hilarion Mick Zeni Wilfried Riccardo Massimi Hunter Massimo Garon Peasants Pas de deux Martina Arduino, Nicola Del Freo Giselle's friends Alessia Auriemma, Christelle … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Giselle at La Scala with Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg
Dancing Times, September edition – with Gramilano’s Danza in Italia column including Woolf Works at La Scala and a Glass triple bill in Rome
The latest issue of Dancing Times is out tomorrow. In September’s issue, I cover Wayne McGregor’s “amazing” Woolf Works at La Scala with Alessandra Ferri giving a “frighteningly intense” performance alongside an excellent cast from La Scala Ballet including “powerful and touching” performances from Timofej Andrijashenko as Septimus and Claudio Coviello as Evans, and Gioacchino … [Read more...] about Dancing Times, September edition – with Gramilano’s Danza in Italia column including Woolf Works at La Scala and a Glass triple bill in Rome
In with the old – La Scala returns to Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty
If there is a ballet that belongs to La Scala, it’s Rudolf Nureyev’s production of The Sleeping Beauty, created for the ballet company in 1966 with Carla Fracci and Nureyev in the main roles. It was performed 152 times until 2007, when Tchaikovsky’s score fell silent for eight years until awoken by Alexei Ratmansky when he brought his reconstructed version to Milan in September … [Read more...] about In with the old – La Scala returns to Nureyev’s Sleeping Beauty
McGregor’s Woolf Works thrills and enthralls at La Scala
The La Scala Ballet usually fields a first cast, and several alternative casts, but not with Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works – here it was very much a case of a first cast and a second cast. The first featured two guests from the original Royal Opera House production from 2015 – Alessandra Ferri and Federico Bonelli – and most of the company’s principal dancers; the second cast … [Read more...] about McGregor’s Woolf Works thrills and enthralls at La Scala
