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Gramilano

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Mariinsky Ballet

Igor Zelensky leaves as director of the Bavarian State Ballet

4 April 2022 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Igor Zelensky

Igor Zelensky is stepping down as director of the Bavarian State Ballet (Bayerisches Staatsballett) from today for private family reasons. Running a ballet company demands absolute concentration … [Read more...] about Igor Zelensky leaves as director of the Bavarian State Ballet

Extraordinary dancers will dance for Ukraine in Naples and Milan

26 March 2022 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Ballet for Peace

Some of the dance names that have been making headlines recently will dance for Ukraine in two upcoming galas in Italy: Olga Smirnova, Victor Caixeta, Jacopo Tissi, Iana Salenko, Anastasia Matvienko … [Read more...] about Extraordinary dancers will dance for Ukraine in Naples and Milan

[VIDEO] Natalia Makarova’s return to dance with the Kirov Ballet in 1988

5 April 2020 by Gramilano 5 Comments

Natalia Makarova and Konstantin Zaklinsky in Swan Lake Act 2 adagio 3 1

In London in 1970 the 29-year-old prima ballerina Natalia Makarova, performing with Leningrad's Kirov Ballet (now St Petersburg's Mariinsky Ballet) defected to the West. Then in the summer of 1988 … [Read more...] about [VIDEO] Natalia Makarova’s return to dance with the Kirov Ballet in 1988

Dancing Times, August 2018 out now – including latest Danza in Italia column

29 July 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Dancing Times August 2018 cut down

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 … [Read more...] about Dancing Times, August 2018 out now – including latest Danza in Italia column

Exciting celebration of Rudolf Nureyev’s life with world ballet stars at Spoleto, tonight 28 July

28 July 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Xander Parish As Armand, Photo By N Razina 01

2018 marks 80 years since Rudolf Nureyev was born and 25 since he died. La Scala in Milan have marked the occasion with a series of Gala celebrations and performances of his Don Quixote, Manuel Legris … [Read more...] about Exciting celebration of Rudolf Nureyev’s life with world ballet stars at Spoleto, tonight 28 July

Marcelo Gomes to guest in Giselle with the Mariinsky Ballet

15 March 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Marcelo Gomes, Three World Premieres, The Outset

Marcelo Gomes will be guesting with the Mariinsky Ballet as Albrecht, with Yekaterina Osmolkina as Giselle. After his surprise departure from the American Ballet Theatre in December, he has been … [Read more...] about Marcelo Gomes to guest in Giselle with the Mariinsky Ballet

Saved by the corps! The Mariinsky under par for Swan Lake in Turin

19 December 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Oxana Skorik in Swan Lake by Natasha Razina © State Academic Mariinsky Theatre

  The buzz of anticipation in the theatre wasn’t matched by the Mariinsky Ballet’s performance at Turin’s Teatro Regio. Maybe the company decided not to field its top players because it … [Read more...] about Saved by the corps! The Mariinsky under par for Swan Lake in Turin

Xander Parish becomes a Principal Dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet

28 July 2017 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Xander Parish   photo by Katya Kravtsova cropped

Last night, on the stage of The Royal Opera House which he left eight years ago, Xander Parish was promoted to Principal Dancer of the Mariinsky Theatre. The Mariinsky are in London for a three … [Read more...] about Xander Parish becomes a Principal Dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet

Xander Parish on life with the Mariinsky Ballet

4 November 2016 by Gramilano 3 Comments

Xander Parish   photo by Katya Kravtsova cropped

You were recently promoted to First Soloist at the Mariinsky Ballet. Happy? Yes, I was promoted after a show of Giselle back in January and it was quite out of the blue! Leaving the corps Xander … [Read more...] about Xander Parish on life with the Mariinsky Ballet

Makhar Vaziev leaves La Scala to head the Bolshoi Ballet Company

26 October 2015 by Gramilano 10 Comments

Makhar Vaziev will leave his position as head of the La Scala Ballet Company and take over at the Bolshoi Ballet on 18 March 2016. The Director of the Bolshoi Theatre, Vladimir Urin, had already … [Read more...] about Makhar Vaziev leaves La Scala to head the Bolshoi Ballet Company

Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya dies at 89

2 May 2015 by Gramilano 7 Comments

Maya Plisetskaya died of a heart attack today in Munich. She was 89. The director of the Bolshoi Ballet, Vladimir Urin, said, She died of a severe heart attack. The doctors tried everything, but … [Read more...] about Russian ballerina Maya Plisetskaya dies at 89

Nominees announced for the 15th National Dance Awards

3 November 2014 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle has announced the nominations for the 15th National Dance Awards. The Critics' Circle is composed of five sections: Music, Theatre, Film, Dance and Visual … [Read more...] about Nominees announced for the 15th National Dance Awards

You choose it out of Love! Dancing with the Khan-MacKay family

31 December 2013 by Gramilano 9 Comments

Dancing, like acting and singing, often runs in the family. There are countless dancers whose parents danced: Zenaida Yanowsky (Royal Ballet), Yury Yanowsky (Boston Ballet) and Nadia Yanowsky (Het … [Read more...] about You choose it out of Love! Dancing with the Khan-MacKay family

Zach’s Diary part three: Balanchine, class and holidays

23 December 2013 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Zach’s Diary part one: Growing up dancing in Canada Zach’s Diary part two: Starting at Stuttgart’s John Cranko-Schule   Zach's Diary part three Christmastime in Germany is like a fairy … [Read more...] about Zach’s Diary part three: Balanchine, class and holidays

Russian Ministry says Vaganova letter against Tsiskaridze is forged

12 December 2013 by Gramilano 1 Comment

The Russian Ministry of Culture has said that the letter sent to Vladimir Putin by the staff of the Vaganova Academy, asking for the removal of Nikolai Tsiskaridze as its director, is a … [Read more...] about Russian Ministry says Vaganova letter against Tsiskaridze is forged

Russian Prime Minister congratulates Ulyana Lopatkina on her 40th birthday

23 October 2013 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Ulyana Lopatkina, Prima ballerina at the Mariinsky Ballet in St Petersburg, turns 40 today. A congratulatory telegram from Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev reads: You are among the stars of … [Read more...] about Russian Prime Minister congratulates Ulyana Lopatkina on her 40th birthday

Tonight Roberto Bolle and Friends alight at the 15,000-seater Roman Arena in Verona

23 July 2012 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Tonight Verona's famous Arena is sold out. All 15,000 seats will be full to watch Roberto Bolle and his 'friends' dance in the open air. It is a magical place. Italy's Il Sole 24 Ore (the … [Read more...] about Tonight Roberto Bolle and Friends alight at the 15,000-seater Roman Arena in Verona

Why are Alina Cojocaru, Natalia Osipova and Viengsay Valdés wearing green pointe shoes?

1 July 2012 by Gramilano 1 Comment

What have Alina Cojocaru, Natalia Osipova and Viengsay Valdés got in common? Well yes, they are all ballet dancers. And yes, they have all danced Giselle. But think more deeply... They've all got dark … [Read more...] about Why are Alina Cojocaru, Natalia Osipova and Viengsay Valdés wearing green pointe shoes?

Keenan Kampa of Boston Ballet to join Mariinsky

20 January 2012 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

One of Boston Ballet’s dancers Keenan Kampa will join Mariinsky Ballet over the next few months, US media say. An official announcement to this effect will be made at the John F Kennedy Center for … [Read more...] about Keenan Kampa of Boston Ballet to join Mariinsky

La Scala’s Raymonda “is a true banquet: pomp, circumstance, and an entire world on stage”, says the Financial Times

31 October 2011 by Gramilano 1 Comment

The Financial Times visited Milan's historic theatre to witness Sergei Vikharev’s reconstruction of Raymonda - a production which is sending ripples of interest and excitement around the ballet … [Read more...] about La Scala’s Raymonda “is a true banquet: pomp, circumstance, and an entire world on stage”, says the Financial Times

Kondaurova, Ermakov and the Mariinsky girls triumph in La Bayadère in Turin

27 October 2011 by Gramilano 1 Comment

The Mariinsky Ballet are entering their last week of a three-week run at Turin's Teatro Regio, after a week of their Fokine programme, a week of Bayadères, and now they start on their twelve Swan … [Read more...] about Kondaurova, Ermakov and the Mariinsky girls triumph in La Bayadère in Turin

Olesia Novikova and Friedemann Vogel in Raymonda from La Scala… Live (-ish)

27 October 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The reconstructed ballet Raymonda, that debuted earlier this month at Milan's La Scala, will be broadcast this evening at 21.30 on Rai5 in a delayed broadcast. Whether the hour and a half difference … [Read more...] about Olesia Novikova and Friedemann Vogel in Raymonda from La Scala… Live (-ish)

Olesia Novikova in the Raymonda Act III variation, joined by Friedemann Vogel for the coda

14 October 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Another clip from Sergei Vikharev’s newly recon­struc­ted ver­sion of Raymonda. Mari­in­sky baller­ina Olesia Novikova is joined by Stuttgart Ballet's Friedemann Vogel in the Act III variation and … [Read more...] about Olesia Novikova in the Raymonda Act III variation, joined by Friedemann Vogel for the coda

Olesya Novikova’s extraordinary thirty entrechat-quatre en pointe in Raymonda

12 October 2011 by Gramilano 68 Comments

The last great work from the glorious era of the Imperial ballets had never before been performed by the La Scala ballet until last night. The La Scala première marks the most faithful version of … [Read more...] about Olesya Novikova’s extraordinary thirty entrechat-quatre en pointe in Raymonda

La Scala’s Makhar Vaziev: It’s our first time in Oman, but we really hope it isn’t our last”

11 October 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

When Makhar Vaziev, the artistic director of Milan's Scala Ballet, first received an invitation for the company to perform at a new opera house in Muscat, he admits he drew a blank. Honestly, when we … [Read more...] about La Scala’s Makhar Vaziev: It’s our first time in Oman, but we really hope it isn’t our last”

Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, La Bayadère

19 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

  Strangely, most critics didn't attend the Mariinsky's signature ballet La Bayadère, the sixth and last of their 2011 London season. Well, it was mid-August and the beaches were calling. … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, La Bayadère

Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Don Quixote

15 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The third ballet programme brought to London by the Marrinsky Ballet was Don Quixote, the perennial crowd-pleaser with which the Bolshoi scored such a success a year ago. Strangely only two days of … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Don Quixote

Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Homage to Fokine

14 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The second of six programmes brought to London by the Mariinsky was a triple bill of Mikhail Fokine's choreography: Chopiniana, The Firebird and Scheherazade. The Times explained the programming: In … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Homage to Fokine

Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Swan Lake

11 August 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The Mariinsky kicked off their 3-week stay at the Royal Opera House with Swan Lake. An obvious, and right, choice, Immutable is the Mariinsky’s root foundation in classical tradition. Everything they … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Mariinsky at Covent Garden, Swan Lake

Critics’ Roundup: the Mariinsky in London, Swan Lake

27 July 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

In a splattering of mainly four and five-star reviews it was, perhaps surprisingly, the Financial Times's Clement Crisp, maybe the hardest critic to please, who showered compliments over the company … [Read more...] about Critics’ Roundup: the Mariinsky in London, Swan Lake

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GRAHAM SPICER

Writer, director and photographer in Milan, blogging (under the name ‘Gramilano’) about dance, opera, music and photography for people who are a bit like me and like some of the things I like. I was a regular columnist for Opera Now magazine and wrote for the BBC until transferring to Italy. My scribblings have appeared in various publications from Woman’s Weekly to Gay Times. I write the ‘Danza in Italia’ column for Dancing Times magazine.

You can find me on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, or follow my Facebook page.

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