• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • HOME
  • POPULAR POSTS
    • DANCE
    • MUSIC & OPERA
    • PHOTOGRAPHY
  • QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
    • DANCERS
    • SINGERS
  • MY PHOTOS
  • CONTACT
gramilano logo

Gramilano

- dance, opera, photography...

Monica Mason

[Review] Mayerling in London and Paris on 30th anniversary of MacMillan’s death

31 October 2022 by Jonathan Gray 5 Comments

Vadim Muntagirov and Fumi Kaneko in Mayerling, photo by Andrej Uspenski, ROH 2022

Guest author Jonathan Gray looks at Kenneth MacMillan’s Mayerling in London and Paris TitleMayerlingCompanyThe Royal Ballet / Paris Opéra BalletVenueThe Royal Opera House, London / Palais Garnier, … [Read more...] about [Review] Mayerling in London and Paris on 30th anniversary of MacMillan’s death

[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

Anna Rose O’Sullivan – meeting the Royal Ballet’s newest star

26 January 2022 by Gramilano 3 Comments

Anna Rose O'Sullivan after her début as Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty, photo by Marcelino Sambé

It’s full steam ahead for The Royal Ballet’s Anna Rose O’Sullivan. Last year she was promoted to the rank of principal dancer with the company, in January of this year she made her debut as the Sugar … [Read more...] about Anna Rose O’Sullivan – meeting the Royal Ballet’s newest star

Countdown to Bayadère – casting and designs for La Scala’s opening

19 November 2021 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Costume design by Luisa Spinatelli (1)

La Bayadère, one of the key ballets in the classical repertoire, premiered in St Petersburg in 1877. Marius Petipa created a perfect harmony between mass scenes and protagonists, and it was the … [Read more...] about Countdown to Bayadère – casting and designs for La Scala’s opening

Dancing Times, the world’s oldest dance magazine, celebrates 110 years

1 October 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Dancing-Times-logo-1

1910 saw George V ascend to the throne, the trial and execution of Dr Crippen, the publication of E M Forster’s Howard’s End and the birth of Alice Marks, later Alicia Markova, the country’s first … [Read more...] about Dancing Times, the world’s oldest dance magazine, celebrates 110 years

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

2 May 2020 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Lauren Cuthbertson by Clive Barda

On 14 March 2020, The Royal Ballet’s principal dancer Lauren Cuthbertson was dancing Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty on the stage of the Mariinsky Theatre. A rare honour. She was partnered by former … [Read more...] about Interview with The Royal Ballet’s Lauren Cuthbertson – so much passion

Free reading from Dancing Times – the complete archive is available from 2000

1 April 2020 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Dancing Times

Dancing Times has opened up the last 20 years of its archives to all until 7 April. The monthly magazine has its think pieces, reviews, articles about technique, dance’s past and present, but I … [Read more...] about Free reading from Dancing Times – the complete archive is available from 2000

After 16 years, Thiago Soares leaves as Principal dancer with The Royal Ballet

21 January 2019 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Thiago Soares in Rehearsal by Andrej Uspenski. ROH, 2016. 2

Thiago Soares becomes Royal Ballet guest Principal for the 2019/20 Season After 16 years with The Royal Ballet, Thiago Soares has decided to make this Season his last as a Principal dancer with the … [Read more...] about After 16 years, Thiago Soares leaves as Principal dancer with The Royal Ballet

The Sleeping Beauty with Marianela Nuñez and Vladislav Lantratov at the Rome Opera Ballet

30 September 2018 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Marianela Nuñez and Vladislav Lantratov in The Sleeping Beauty, Rome Opera Ballet © Yasuko Kageyama

Jean-Guillaume Bart, former Étoile at the Paris Opera Ballet, created his version of The Sleeping Beauty for the Yacobson Ballet Theatre in St Petersburg in 2016. His POB colleague Eleonora Abbagnato … [Read more...] about The Sleeping Beauty with Marianela Nuñez and Vladislav Lantratov at the Rome Opera Ballet

Exclusive photo from Royal Opera House archives to remember Kenneth MacMillan

29 October 2017 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Rite of Spring Rehearsal with Monica Mason, Kenneth MacMillan, Simon Rice, Fiona Chadwick. ©ROH, 1987. Photo by Neil Libbert

Kenneth MacMillan died of a heart attack on 29 October 1992. It happened during a performance of his 1978 ballet Mayerling. Jeremy Isaacs, then general director of the Royal Opera House, announced his … [Read more...] about Exclusive photo from Royal Opera House archives to remember Kenneth MacMillan

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

Photos of the first night cast of The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty with Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov

20 December 2016 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

The Sleeping Beauty © ROH, 2016 Photographed by Bill Cooper 009

The Sleeping Beauty holds a special place in The Royal Ballet’s repertory. It was the ballet with which the Company reopened the Royal Opera House in 1946 after World War II, its first production at … [Read more...] about Photos of the first night cast of The Royal Ballet’s The Sleeping Beauty with Sarah Lamb and Vadim Muntagirov

Royal Ballet’s 70th anniversary revival of The Sleeping Beauty – casting and photos

12 December 2016 by Gramilano 2 Comments

The Sleeping Beauty. Yasmine Naghdi, Tristan Dyer and Beatriz Stix Brunell in The Sleeping Beauty. cROH   Tristram Kenton, 2014 (2)

The Sleeping Beauty reopened the Royal Opera House after the war in February 1946 when the Company first took up residence in Covent Garden with Margot Fonteyn dancing the role of Princess … [Read more...] about Royal Ballet’s 70th anniversary revival of The Sleeping Beauty – casting and photos

Peter Wright answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dance Edition

15 July 2016 by Gramilano 5 Comments

Q&A When did you start dancing? Not until I was 16, as an apprentice with the Ballets Jooss. Why did you start dancing? I was always good at ballroom, and then my mother took me to see … [Read more...] about Peter Wright answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dance Edition

Yasmine Naghdi – the birth of a ballerina

29 September 2015 by Gramilano 3 Comments

Yasmine Naghdi was born on 25 March 1992 in London. Everyone I meet says, 'Where are you from?', and I say, 'I’m from London', and they say, 'No, where are you really from?'. Well, she has an exotic … [Read more...] about Yasmine Naghdi – the birth of a ballerina

Kevin O’Hare interview: It’s an exciting time for The Royal Ballet

4 September 2015 by Gramilano 3 Comments

Kevin O’Hare – photo © Joe Plimmer

This is an exciting time for The Royal Ballet, which has been on a roll for several years with an enthusiastic public for the sold-out performances at the Royal Opera House, the extremely popular live … [Read more...] about Kevin O’Hare interview: It’s an exciting time for The Royal Ballet

Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet: celebrating 17 years

17 August 2015 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet is a new book to celebrate Carlos Acosta’s 17 year career with The Royal Ballet from 1998 – 2015. The book, which captures some of his greatest performances as … [Read more...] about Carlos Acosta at The Royal Ballet: celebrating 17 years

Royal Ballet stalwart Derek Rencher dies at 82

20 December 2014 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Derek Rencher, one of the longest serving members of The Royal Ballet, has died at 82. Rencher was born in Birmingham on 6 June 1932. He joined the Sadler's Wells Ballet in 1953 and was promoted to … [Read more...] about Royal Ballet stalwart Derek Rencher dies at 82

Osipova, McRae and Watson in Marriott’s new Royal Ballet work Connectome

9 May 2014 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Alastair Marriott’s new work Connectome gets its world première as the centrepiece of the final programme of the Royal Ballet Season. It is sandwiched between two light-hearted classics: Ashton’s The … [Read more...] about Osipova, McRae and Watson in Marriott’s new Royal Ballet work Connectome

Portrait of Dame Monica Mason is unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery

27 March 2014 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

Copyright: Jorge Herrera Photography A newly commissioned portrait of Dame Monica Mason, by artist Saied Dai has been unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery. In the larger than life-size … [Read more...] about Portrait of Dame Monica Mason is unveiled at the National Portrait Gallery

Bennet Gartside answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

24 February 2013 by Gramilano 4 Comments

Q&A When did you start dan­cing? I was probably about 7 years old. Why did you start dan­cing? Apparently I was energetic as a child - I have no idea where that's gone now! My sister who's … [Read more...] about Bennet Gartside answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

Critics round-up: Royal Ballet’s “Birthday Offering”, “A Month in the Country” and “Noces”

9 July 2012 by Gramilano 1 Comment

Monica Mason's last pickings from the Royal Ballet repertoire before leaving her post as the company's director included two works by the Royal Ballet’s founder choreographer, Frederick Ashton … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Royal Ballet’s “Birthday Offering”, “A Month in the Country” and “Noces”

Royal Ballet’s incoming director Kevin O’Hare leaves his first interview

16 March 2012 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Although Kevin O’Hare's appointment as the next director of the Royal Ballet was announced months ago, it is only now that he has spoken about his new role. Up until now he has rightly let Monica … [Read more...] about Royal Ballet’s incoming director Kevin O’Hare leaves his first interview

Wayne Eagling will leave the English National Ballet this summer

20 February 2012 by Gramilano 2 Comments

Wayne Eagling will step down artistic director of English National Ballet, with no clues as to his replacement, said The Times. English National Ballet has announced that Wayne Eagling, who has … [Read more...] about Wayne Eagling will leave the English National Ballet this summer

Young ballet star Sergei Polunin’s shock resignation from the Royal Ballet

25 January 2012 by Gramilano 1 Comment

It was with considerable surprise that the ballet world received the news of the departure of 21-year-old Ukrainian Sergei Polunin from the Royal Ballet. He was promoted to principal just two years … [Read more...] about Young ballet star Sergei Polunin’s shock resignation from the Royal Ballet

Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty

9 November 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

In 2006 Monica Mason decided to go back to the beginning with the Royal Ballet's signature ballet, The Sleeping Beauty: consign the 2003 Makarova disaster ("dramatically shapeless and emotionally … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Sleeping Beauty

Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Limen/Marguerite and Armand/Requiem

12 October 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

It seems that the Royal Ballet can't go wrong. The company has been on a winning streak, which is continuing, justly, into Monica Mason's final season as director. This triple bill succeeds in … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet’s Limen/Marguerite and Armand/Requiem

Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet in Jewels

22 September 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

This production opens Monica Mason's last season as director of the Royal Ballet. To recall the company as it was 10 years ago, after the dreadful year in which Ross Stretton’s directorship had … [Read more...] about Critics Round-up: Royal Ballet in Jewels

Critics round-up: Royal Ballet Triple Bill – Scènes de ballet – Voluntaries – Rite of Spring

15 June 2011 by Gramilano Leave a Comment

"Whether you regard the triple bill as an evening of highlights or an insubstantial pageant depends on the programme," - says the Daily Express, before going  on to review the Royal Ballet's latest … [Read more...] about Critics round-up: Royal Ballet Triple Bill – Scènes de ballet – Voluntaries – Rite of Spring

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

SUBSCRIBE

Gramilano newsletter 2019

CATEGORIES

FOLLOW

  • 20,900 Subscribers
  • 26,149 Followers
  • 236k Followers
  • 602 Subscribers
  • 3,390 Followers
  • 19,798 Followers

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

FEATURED POSTS

Francesco Gabriele Frola. Photo By Karolina Kuras, 2016 01

Meet Francesco Gabriele Frola — National Ballet of Canada and English National Ballet’s new Principal Dancer

Yasmine Naghdi in rehearsal for Tarantella, The Royal Ballet © 2017 ROH. Photograph by Bill Cooper

[Interview] The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi: a time to reflect

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

Top opera singers discuss how they choose and prepare new roles

Vadim Muntagirov answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition

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’

Luca Pisaroni as Leporello in Don Giovanni at Glyndebourne   photo by Bill Cooper

In conversation with Luca Pisaroni: back to Milan with his La Scala debut

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

Lauren Cuthbertson by Clive Barda

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

The Tricks of the Trocks: powder, ice and pointe shoes

Lawrence Brownlee & Michael Spyres crop

[Interview] Michael Spyres and Lawrence Brownlee on their new Rossini album

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.

Referred-to-by

SEARCH

Copyright © 2023 · Gramilano · All rights reserved

about me · contact me · privacy and cookies

Would you like to receive an email whenever we publish a new post?

SUBSCRIBE