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Mariinsky Theatre

Putin’s conductor stole millions from his own charity

29 April 2022 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Valery Gergievfoto: Marco Borggreve

Valery Gergiev has embezzled millions of euros from his own charity, the Valery Gergiev Charity Foundation, to build an extensive property portfolio, according to the Moscow-based Anti-Corruption … [Read more...] about Putin’s conductor stole millions from his own charity

Olga Smirnova leaves the Bolshoi Company for Amsterdam

16 March 2022 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Olga Smirnova As Nikiya In La Bayadére, Photo By Damir Yusupov 2018

The Russian principal dancer Olga Smirnova, an outspoken critic of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, has decided to leave the Bolshoi Ballet Company where she is one of its most popular and admired … [Read more...] about Olga Smirnova leaves the Bolshoi Company for Amsterdam

Bolshoi Ballet director on injury, race, harassment and a new theatre

1 August 2021 by Gramilano 13 Comments

Makhar Vaziev, artistic director of the Bolshoi Ballet company, talks about some of the most discussed problems in ballet today, as well as wanting a third theatre in Moscow for the Bolshoi opera and … [Read more...] about Bolshoi Ballet director on injury, race, harassment and a new theatre

Dancing in the museum: Diana Vishneva’s cross-media project ‘Imprint in Motion’

26 March 2021 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Dancers - Ancient Greece Art Hall - choreographer Konstantin Semenov

Diana Vishneva’s latest project - Imprint in Motion - is a cross-media project fusing the fine arts, contemporary dance, music, and film making, and focuses on the human body in a variety of … [Read more...] about Dancing in the museum: Diana Vishneva’s cross-media project ‘Imprint in Motion’

Russian Ballet: Quarantine, death, and the reality of performing during a pandemic

19 December 2020 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Igor Tsvirko in Spartacus, Bolshoi Ballet

Many ballet lovers – both online fans and offline friends – have been voicing their resentment that ballet in Europe and America is either not permitted, or has to comply with social distancing … [Read more...] about Russian Ballet: Quarantine, death, and the reality of performing during a pandemic

Pierina Legnani – more than 32 fouettés

15 November 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Pierina Legnani, 1891

Pierina Legnani was born in Milan on 30 September 1868. She spent ten years at La Scala’s ballet school, graduating in 1888, but then continued working on her technique at the private school of … [Read more...] about Pierina Legnani – more than 32 fouettés

Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers in quarantine

12 August 2020 by Gramilano 5 Comments

  Russian media outlet RBC is reporting that some artists of the Bolshoi and Mariinsky Theatres in Moscow and St Petersburg have been quarantined after testing positive for … [Read more...] about Bolshoi and Mariinsky dancers in quarantine

The Mariinsky Theatre opens its door to opera and ballet performances

11 July 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Mariinsky

After last night’s socially distanced concert by Denis Matsuev at the Mariinsky Theatre – which was streamed live on the theatre’s YouTube channel – the mini-season for the Stars of the White … [Read more...] about The Mariinsky Theatre opens its door to opera and ballet performances

Introducing 19-year-old Canadian dancer Shale Wagman: from Lausanne to ENB to the Mariinsky

29 August 2019 by Gramilano 5 Comments

Grand Pas Classique at English National Ballet, photo by Laurent Liotardo

Canadian dancer Shale Wagman turned 19 last May. Soon after he was guesting at the Mariinsky Theatre. What’s more, it was his first time dancing a principal role. Ever. Last season – his first as a … [Read more...] about Introducing 19-year-old Canadian dancer Shale Wagman: from Lausanne to ENB to the Mariinsky

Ballet dancer Sergei Vikharev died in his dentist’s chair

8 June 2017 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Sergei Vikharev

Sergei Vikharev, the former Russian dancer renowned for his reconstruction of ballets and who died last Friday at 55, will be celebrated in the foyer of the Mariinsky Theatre today, before being … [Read more...] about Ballet dancer Sergei Vikharev died in his dentist’s chair

Children banned from the Bolshoi Ballet

30 November 2016 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Crying girl

A week ago, a group of parents with their young children – 5-11 years-old – were refused entrance to a performance of Swan Lake, and without a refund being offered. The Bolshoi’s General Director, … [Read more...] about Children banned from the Bolshoi Ballet

The 7th Vaganova-PRIX takes place in October… and now’s the time to apply

12 July 2016 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The Vaganova Ballet Academy is reviving the International Ballet Competition Vaganova-PRIX. This year will be the seventh time that the competition has been held and it will take place in St … [Read more...] about The 7th Vaganova-PRIX takes place in October… and now’s the time to apply

Vaganova Ballet Academy to open a new school in Vladivostok – 10,000 km from St Petersburg

23 June 2016 by Gramilano 3 Comments

by guest blogger Elizaveta Dilanyan On 18 June it was announced that Vaganova Ballet Academy will open a second campus in Vladivostok, the capital of the Primorsky Krai province, in far … [Read more...] about Vaganova Ballet Academy to open a new school in Vladivostok – 10,000 km from St Petersburg

Maya Plisetskaya’s 90th birthday celebrated in concerts and exhibitions

19 November 2015 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

20 November 2015 would have been Maya Plisetskaya's 90th birthday. The great Russian ballerina, who died on 2 May this year, will be remembered in a series of events in Moscow and St Petersburg. On … [Read more...] about Maya Plisetskaya’s 90th birthday celebrated in concerts and exhibitions

Cecilia Bartoli: “Contemporary composers can’t write for opera singers like me”

13 October 2014 by Gramilano 7 Comments

I've been following this project for eight years and I've been to St Petersburg many times in train or by ship, because I don't like flying; one of the most beautiful trips was on the icebreaker from … [Read more...] about Cecilia Bartoli: “Contemporary composers can’t write for opera singers like me”

Tsiskaridze’s reputation is not as high as state officials’ wives would have you believe

5 November 2013 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Earlier today, teachers at the Vaganova Ballet Academy published an open letter, written in four languages, to President Vladimir Putin asking him to reconsider the appointment of Nikolay … [Read more...] about Tsiskaridze’s reputation is not as high as state officials’ wives would have you believe

Tsiskaridze is Principal and Lopatkina the new Artistic Director of the Vaganova Academy

28 October 2013 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Nikolay Tsiskaridze has been appointed Principal of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, and Ulyana Lopatkina will be its new Artistic Director. Culture Minister Vladimir Medinsky told … [Read more...] about Tsiskaridze is Principal and Lopatkina the new Artistic Director of the Vaganova Academy

Being groomed for stardom: Italian ballerina Petra Conti

9 December 2011 by Gramilano 1 Comment

23 year-old Petra Conti is a dancer at La Scala in Milan, who is being slowly brought before the public by director (ex-director of the Mariinsky) Makhar Vaziev. He first saw her when she spent a … [Read more...] about Being groomed for stardom: Italian ballerina Petra Conti

Diana Vishneva celebrates her 15 years on stage with a ballet gala and exhibition in St Petersburg

21 June 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Diana Vishneva will celebrate the 15th anniversary of her dancing career later this week with an exhibition and a ballet gala. The exhibition, featuring photography and video material of Vishneva’s … [Read more...] about Diana Vishneva celebrates her 15 years on stage with a ballet gala and exhibition in St Petersburg

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NEWS

Pam Tanowitz’s Secret Things, her second world premiere for The Royal Ballet this season

Prix de Lausanne 2023 – the full lineup

Principal dancer Jared Angle to give final performance with NYCB

The Australian Ballet will tour to the Royal Opera House in August 2023

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

Alexei Ratmansky joins New York City Ballet as Artist in Residence

Ballet dancer Denis Vieira dies in Cyprus at 31

Bruno Vescovo, former principal dancer with the La Scala Ballet, has died at 73

In Memoriam 2022: Singers, Dancers, Actors, Writers, Directors

Sergei Polunin’s Rasputin show in Milan is cancelled

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Gregory Kunde as Otello, photo by Matthias Baus, Teatro alla Scala 2015

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Sergei Polunin on sex change, his new girlfriend, and manning up

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The Royal Ballet’s Steven McRae on injury: turning weakness into strength

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Interview with The Royal Ballet’s Lauren Cuthbertson – so much passion

English National Ballet in Derek Deane's Swan Lake, photo by ASH, Arnaud Stephenson, 2013

Derek Deane on 20 years of his Swan Lake ‘in the round’

Coppélia with Vadim Muntagirov and Marianela Nunez, photo by Bill Cooper ROH

Interview: The Royal Ballet’s Ballet Master, Christopher Carr, on mounting Coppélia, the company’s dancers and technique

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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