Royal Ballet School

In conversation with Marianela Nuñez

9 July 2020 by gramilano 7 Comments

The Royal Ballet’s Argentinian principal dancer, Marianela Nuñez, is in lockdown in Buenos Aires. She went there to be near her family and partner, because now home, for Nela, is London, which also happens to be home to her beloved company at The Royal Opera House.

We caught up via Skype in June: I was in my office in Milan, and Nela was 11,000 km away, sitting against an orange wall which steadily turned maroon then almost black as the day drew in.

Lockdown in Argentina! How’s that working out?

It’s very strict here. We started lockdown at the same time as England, pretty much – I know you in Italy started earlier. There were only a few cases, but obviously here there are more difficulties compared to Europe, and they were worried that the health system would collapse.

[Interview] Meet Nikisha Fogo, San Francisco Ballet’s new Principal Dancer

10 June 2020 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Swedish ballerina Nikisha Fogo will soon take up a new position in a new company when she becomes a principal dancer at San Francisco Ballet. After seven years with the Vienna State Ballet, passing through the ranks from the corps de ballet to first soloist, director Manuel Legris’ decision to leave the company after ten years (he will take over at La Scala in December 2020) was a stimulus for her to move on.

When the Opera House in Vienna cancelled its performances from the 11 March, Fogo stayed in Vienna, not knowing whether it would be possible to finish the season, not being able to go home to Sweden, or on to San Francisco to find an apartment and settle in

The 48th Prix de Lausanne kicks off with 77 dancers from 25 countries

4 February 2020 by gramilano Leave a Comment

The 77 participants of the 48th Prix de Lausanne will spend the week developing their skills and rehearsing their classical and contemporary variations with some of the world’s most respected teachers and coaches. On Friday 7 February, they will perform in front of the nine jury members in order to be selected for the Finals. […]

Photos and full programme of Margot Fonteyn, A Celebration with The Royal Ballet

9 June 2019 by gramilano 2 Comments

Last night, 8 June 2019, The Royal Ballet celebrated the centenary of the birth of its most famous ballerina, Dame Margot Fonteyn, who was born on 18 May 1919. A performance of The Firebird, currently in a triple bill, was followed by a gala of extracts from ballets representing some of Fonteyn’s most celebrated roles. […]

Interview with Alessandra Ferri: Maturing I find myself smiling more

6 April 2019 by gramilano Leave a Comment

I’m enjoying a new chapter in my life having the fortune to play women of my age and not romantic roles like the Giselles, Carmens, Juliets, Manons… all wonderful, but enough, they’re part of another Alessandra. Now I’m a 55-year-old with the knowledge of how extraordinary that is. Alessandra Ferri, now in Milan for a […]

Interview: For The Royal Ballet’s Yasmine Naghdi it’s “Ready, Steady, Go”!

25 November 2018 by gramilano 1 Comment

Interview with Yasmine Naghdi as she dances in the world premiere of Alastair Marriott’s The Unknown Soldier – with photos by Dasa Wharton I last interviewed Yasmine Naghdi in September of 2015 when she and Matthew Ball were preparing to dance Romeo and Juliet together. They were dancing the roles for the first time — […]

The Royal Ballet promotions for 2018/19 season: Matthew Ball has been promoted to Principal dancer

13 July 2018 by gramilano 1 Comment

Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet, has announced that Matthew Ball has been promoted to Principal Dancer. He said, I’m delighted that Matthew Ball will be a Principal dancer from the start of the 2018/19 Season. He has had a tremendous year with very exciting debuts in both classical and contemporary ballets across the […]

Lead Principal Aaron Robison to leave English National Ballet after one season

10 July 2018 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Lead Principal Aaron Robison has decided to leave English National Ballet at the end of the current season. Robison only joined English National Ballet in June last year and will be returning to San Francisco Ballet where he danced as a Principal from 2016-2017, prior to joining ENB. Before that he danced with Houston Ballet, […]

Former Royal Ballet principal Miyako Yoshida becomes Artistic Director of New National Ballet Tokyo

28 June 2018 by gramilano 1 Comment

Miyako Yoshida, former Principal Dancer with The Royal Ballet, has been appointed Artistic Director of the New National Ballet Tokyo. The Ballet Company is part of Tokyo’s New National Theatre, Japan’s most prestigious centre for the performing arts, taking in opera, ballet, contemporary dance and drama. This season celebrates its 20th anniversary. Yoshida will be the […]

English National Ballet announces promotions and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season

19 June 2018 by gramilano Leave a Comment

Tamara Rojo has announced promotions within English National Ballet and new joiners for the 2018/2019 season. Joiners and promotions Joining the Company will be Jeffrey Cirio who joins English National Ballet as Lead Principal following his recent guest performances in Song of the Earth, La Sylphide, Romeo & Juliet, Nutcracker and Akram Khan’s Giselle. Cirio […]