First night photographs from La Scala Wednesday 17 October – 8pm – Premiere ManonSvetlana ZakharovaDes GrieuxRoberto BolleLescautNicola Del FreoMonsieur G.M.Alessandro GrilloLescaut’s mistress Martina ArduinoMadameDeborah GismondiThe gaolerMick ZeniThe beggar chief Federico FresiThe courtesans Vittoria Valerio, Agnese Di Clemente,Francesca Podini, Gaia Andreanò, … [Read more...] about Photo Album: Manon opening night at La Scala with Zakharova and Bolle
Mattia Semperboni
Designer Luisa Spinatelli’s Le Corsaire team fêted in Milan
The Amici della Scala association (Friends of La Scala) are always ready to celebrate: maybe it's a question and answer session with Antonio Pappano, a talk by Placido Domingo, a presentation of one of the association's newly published books (they have an extensive collection) - whatever, evenings always finish with an upheld glass and the cutting of a cake. The occasion this … [Read more...] about Designer Luisa Spinatelli’s Le Corsaire team fêted in Milan
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 to mark the 80 years since he … [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
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 organised a celebration with the Vienna State Ballet, and many more tributes have been staged to doff a hat to the transfixing force of nature that was Nureyev. At 9.15pm today, … [Read more...] about Exciting celebration of Rudolf Nureyev’s life with world ballet stars at Spoleto, tonight 28 July
Notes on Le Corsaire at La Scala… an alternative cast
The success of Le Corsaire’s first night cast at La Scala was reviewed here previously, but no less was an alternative cast which had a shining beacon in Martina Arduino as Medora. She is a lovely dancer who was thrust into the spotlight when Alexei Ratmansky plucked her from the corps — she was not even on a permanent contract — and cast her as his Odette/Odile. She was just … [Read more...] about Notes on Le Corsaire at La Scala… an alternative cast
Le Corsaire docks at La Scala – many delights with a company on top form
Anna-Marie Holmes created her version of Le Corsaire for Boston ballet in 1997. A year later it arrived in New York when it was loaned out to the American Ballet Theatre. Italian dancer Giuseppe Picone played the romantic hero, Conrad, opposite Nina Ananiashvili as Medora. Holmes has mounted her version — and versions of her version! — from Hungary to Hong Kong, with … [Read more...] about Le Corsaire docks at La Scala – many delights with a company on top form
Emerging young talent at La Scala excel in Petit, Béjart and Preljocaj
The Ballet School of La Scala’s Academy have just finished a short run of their “end of year” show. For many, it will be their last appearance as students. An effective défilé by the school (and La Scala Ballet Company) director Frédéric Olivieri set to the march from Tannhäuser was followed by Roland Petit’s Gymnopédie. The piece is extracted from his 1986 work Ma Pavlova, … [Read more...] about Emerging young talent at La Scala excel in Petit, Béjart and Preljocaj
Photo Album 2: Le Corsaire opens tonight at La Scala – here are some preview photos of this lavish new production
Italian designer Luisa Spinatelli has created scenes and designed 180 costumes for a new production of Le Corsaire at La Scala. [see PHOTO ALBUM 1 - LE CORSAIRE] Anne-Marie Holmes first staged the ballet for Boston in 1997, and it marked the first time that a non-Russian company had danced the piece. A year later she produced the well-known version for the American Ballet … [Read more...] about Photo Album 2: Le Corsaire opens tonight at La Scala – here are some preview photos of this lavish new production
Photo album: A first look at La Scala’s new production of Le Corsaire (opens 20 April)
Italian designer Luisa Spinatelli has created scenes and designed 180 costumes for a new production of Le Corsaire at La Scala. Anna-Marie Holmes, who has already staged the ballet at the American Ballet Theatre and English National Ballet, now brings a version to Milan, which opens on Friday 20 April. The ballet will be transmitted live in cinemas on 16 May (and later on … [Read more...] about Photo album: A first look at La Scala’s new production of Le Corsaire (opens 20 April)
Martina Arduino and Claudio Coviello as the star-crossed lovers at La Scala
The roles of Romeo and Juliet are unexpectedly hard to bring off in ballet. In the play, the timbre of the voice and meaning of the text explain what the two are thinking and feeling, whereas, using just body movements, it is difficult to hit the right tone, and during Kenneth MacMillan's masterpiece at La Scala, it was sometimes a little off-pitch. Romeo is the easier role of … [Read more...] about Martina Arduino and Claudio Coviello as the star-crossed lovers at La Scala