InternationBalLET has arrived in Italy for two performances of its programme Passion, Love, Life...The newly-formed group is made up of dancers from the Hungarian State Ballet in Budapest but, remarkably, six of the twelve dancers are Italian, underlining something that this Italian-based blog has held to be true for a long time: Italians dance, they dance well, but to work … [Read more...] about Passion, Love, Life… InternationBalLET makes its debut in Italy
Rome Opera Ballet
Carla Fracci gives her first ever masterclass… Giselle
After years of refusing offers from all over the world to share her intimate knowledge of the characters she has portrayed, Carla Fracci has agreed to give her first masterclass.The Ecole Superieure de Danse de Cannes-Mougins Rosella Hightower, one of the world’s leading professional dance schools, has managed to persuade Fracci to share some of her insight into the … [Read more...] about Carla Fracci gives her first ever masterclass… Giselle
Carla Fracci is the ‘white lilac lady’ in Moscow tonight
Carla Fracci will perform in Moscow this evening in Lilacs, part of an evening dedicated to Sergei Rachmaninov. The concisely named Moscow State Musical Folklore Theatre Russkaya Pesnya (Russian Song), will host Mystery of the Ballet.Italian pianist Gregorio Nardi enters holding some white lilacs and offers them to Fracci who recites Ekaterina Beketova’s poem … [Read more...] about Carla Fracci is the ‘white lilac lady’ in Moscow tonight
Carla Fracci 79 (today) to Roberto Bolle 40
Today Carla Fracci turns 79∗ and during August, she has been performing once again. Roberto Bolle is half her age and at 40 shows no sign of ending his career on stage.In 2007 Bolle famously criticised Fracci – at the time she was the director of the Rome Opera Ballet – saying that it was time for her to retire and leave space for younger dancers. She counter-attacked, saying … [Read more...] about Carla Fracci 79 (today) to Roberto Bolle 40
MAB 2015 shows some exciting ballet talent and surprising choreography
The dance competition MAB (Maria Antonietta Berlusconi), has reached its sixth edition. It was born after the premature death of Silvio Berlusconi’s sister whose love for ballet led to her opening a large dancing school in Milan. Surprisingly, The Principessa Dancing School even has its own Artistic Director, Roberto Fascilla, who was a Principal at La Scala of the Fracci … [Read more...] about MAB 2015 shows some exciting ballet talent and surprising choreography
How to stage a ballet… Maina Gielgud explains
The indefatigable Maina Gielgud is a freelance stager, guest teacher and coach. In 1983, two years after leaving her successful and varied career as a dancer, she became Artistic Director of the Australian Ballet, where she stayed for a remarkable fourteen years. It was the beginning of a long second career in company administration and teaching. She later became Artistic … [Read more...] about How to stage a ballet… Maina Gielgud explains
Eleonora Abbagnato on being both an Étoile in Paris and a company director in Rome
I'm happy that the Mayor of Rome, Ignazio Marino, and Sovrintendente Fuortes, have had faith in my passion. My heart has always remained in Italy and this theatre needs people who believe passionately in dance.Eleonora Abbagnato was speaking at a press conference in Rome, her first appearance after her nomination as the Rome Opera Ballet’s new director. A previous director of … [Read more...] about Eleonora Abbagnato on being both an Étoile in Paris and a company director in Rome
Eleonora Abbagnato becomes director of the Rome Opera Ballet
Eleonora Abbagnato is to become the new director of the Rome Opera Ballet. The official announcement from the Rome Opera's sovrintendente is expected in the next few days. It is known that Rome's mayor, Ignazio Marino, had championed her nomination, saying that she is "an intelligent and capable woman".L'Opera di Roma has been adrift since Riccardo Muti left his post as … [Read more...] about Eleonora Abbagnato becomes director of the Rome Opera Ballet
Roberto Bolle on (not) retiring at forty
All the stars, the étoiles, have gone on dancing past pensionable age. Roughly speaking, that's 45 for a dancer. For most people this is about the right age, but it changes for those who have charisma. Nureyev, Baryshnikov, Ferri, Savignano, Fracci: they all went on dancing because they had that something extra that makes our profession become an art and not just an athletic … [Read more...] about Roberto Bolle on (not) retiring at forty
Les Étoiles in Rome: Zakharova, Nuñez, Lopatin, Soares…
A good old-fashioned ballet gala: Nutcracker, Don Q, Swan Lake, Le Corsaire… it’s sometimes just what the doctor ordered. Daniele Cipriani’s Les Étoiles injected the audience in Rome with a generous dose of positive energy administered by some of the world’s best dancers.It wasn't all cherries. Silvia Azzoni and Oleksandr Ryabko danced Hamburg Ballet repertoire with John … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles in Rome: Zakharova, Nuñez, Lopatin, Soares…