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
Rome Opera Ballet
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…
More dancers decide to leave Italy… most never come back
Italy's Got Talent. Lots of it. Sometimes that talent finds it difficult to emerge - it's not always what you know but who you know - and sometimes there's not enough room for everyone to show what they can do, but talent there is.Italy bursts at the seams with paintings and monuments - a reminder that Italy Had Talent - and still today, in all creative fields, there are … [Read more...] about More dancers decide to leave Italy… most never come back
Carla Fracci, Claudio Coviello and the Prix Benois 2014
For more than twenty years the Benois Prize has been recognising talent with the most starry juries imaginable. The first year it consisted of Yury Grigorovich as its president, with Galina Ulanova (Russia), Carla Fracci (Italy), Kirsten Ralov (Denmark), Yvette Chauviré (France), Rudolf Nureyev (world citizen?) and John Neumeier (Germany). This year one of these, La Fracci, … [Read more...] about Carla Fracci, Claudio Coviello and the Prix Benois 2014
Carla Fracci returns to dance on Italy’s heel
Carla Fracci, now in her 78th year, will be opening in Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice tomorrow, at Lecce's Teatro Politeama Greco.The Italian ballet icon will be appearing with the Balletto del Sud in the numerous ballet interludes during the opera. Choreography is by the company's founder Fredy Franzutti. I interpret a character who comes to symbolise the concept of … [Read more...] about Carla Fracci returns to dance on Italy’s heel
Black Swan Gala with Bouder, de Luz and Picone, tours Italy
The title may make serious fans of ballet balk: Gran Gala Il Cigno Nero - Black Swan Gala. If Daniele Cipriani, the producer, wants to cash in on some of the publicity from the Darren Aronofsky film of the same name, the content of the gala has nothing to do with the superficiality of the film. Although climaxing with the Odile-Siegfried Swan Lake pas de deux, beforehand there … [Read more...] about Black Swan Gala with Bouder, de Luz and Picone, tours Italy
Maina Gielgud answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition
Q&A When did you start dancing? I took my first ballet classes when I was about 6 years old. It was in Brussels, and with a Russian teacher married to a Belgian. Her name was Mme de Zeum.After my first class she asked my mother to get me some pointe shoes for the next one, "Her legs are strong." Hence I got my first pair, black as I recall! Maybe because of that, … [Read more...] about Maina Gielgud answers the Gramilano Questionnaire… Dancers’ Edition