Graham Spicer sees the Milanese edition of Daniele Cipriani’s Les Étoiles gala and enjoyed its varied offerings, with Natalia Osipova and Aurélie Dupont stepping in at the last minute. TitleLes … [Read more...] about Review: Les Étoiles in Milan – staging galas is not for the faint-hearted
Simone Repele
(A few) International Dance Day events – 29 April 2026
Today (some of) the world celebrates International Dance Day – Wednesday 29 April 2026 – and many initiatives have arrived in gramilano’s inbox over the last few days. Here is a selection. Siamo … [Read more...] about (A few) International Dance Day events – 29 April 2026
Les Étoiles 2026 in Milan 11-12 April with 2 new guests: Natalia Osipova and Aurélie Dupont
Les Étoiles, the well-known gala format seen across Italy, returns to the Teatro degli Arcimboldi in Milan this weekend – on 11 April at 9 pm and on 12 April at 5 pm. Unfortunately, Marianela … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles 2026 in Milan 11-12 April with 2 new guests: Natalia Osipova and Aurélie Dupont
Les Étoiles gala in Rome 2026: A Bridge for Peace… but without Zakharova
Auditorium Parco della Musica Ennio Morricone, Sala Santa Cecilia, Rome – 20 and 21 March These are times of conflict, and Les Étoiles – the international dance gala curated by Daniele Cipriani – … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles gala in Rome 2026: A Bridge for Peace… but without Zakharova
Review: Béjart Ballet with new works by Riva&Repele and Andonis Foniadakis – big, bold visions
Lydia Wharf sees Béjart Ballet Lausanne in a triple bill with works by Riva&Repele, Andonis Foniadakis and Maurice Béjart and finds "a company looking forward with confidence". TitleOskar | Real … [Read more...] about Review: Béjart Ballet with new works by Riva&Repele and Andonis Foniadakis – big, bold visions
Interview: English ballerina Georgie Rose, dancing on top of Rome
Royal Ballet School-trained ballerina Georgie Rose discusses dancing at Castel Sant’Angelo in Rome, her choreographer Sergio Bernal, and living with Tourette’s syndrome. Every 25 years, the … [Read more...] about Interview: English ballerina Georgie Rose, dancing on top of Rome
Les Étoiles Pour Homme, an all-male gala, concludes the Ravenna Festival
With a title that sounds like a men’s perfume – Les Étoiles Pour Homme – producer Daniele Cipriani throws down a gauntlet to George Balanchine who claimed that “Ballet is woman”. The gala to close … [Read more...] about Les Étoiles Pour Homme, an all-male gala, concludes the Ravenna Festival
Review: West Side Story at the Caracalla Baths in Rome – thoroughly enjoyable, but where was Robbins?
Donatella Bertozzi sees West Side Story in Rome with its strong and pervasive rhythmical sense of staging. TitleWest Side StoryCompanyTeatro dell'Opera, RomeVenueCaracalla Baths, RomeDate5 July … [Read more...] about Review: West Side Story at the Caracalla Baths in Rome – thoroughly enjoyable, but where was Robbins?
Review: Les Étoiles gala in Milan – 21 dancers, 17 pieces, 3 hours of starry dance
Writing about ballet galas is always a challenge and a review can easily turn into a shopping list... he did this, then they did that. The latest Les Étoiles gala from Daniele Cipriani was certainly … [Read more...] about Review: Les Étoiles gala in Milan – 21 dancers, 17 pieces, 3 hours of starry dance
Italy’s Les Étoiles galas arrive in Milan for the first time – from the moon to the stars
Italian producer Daniele Cipriani has been presenting his Les Étoiles galas in Italy and abroad since 2015, the first being in Rome with Svetlana Zakharova, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Marianela Nuñez, and … [Read more...] about Italy’s Les Étoiles galas arrive in Milan for the first time – from the moon to the stars
Review and Photos: Les Étoiles gala at Ravenna Festival – international ballet stars in a rarefied programme
Italian producer Daniele Cipriani’s Les Étoiles galas started out back in 2015 in Rome. Since then they have become an annual event in the capital moving from the 1,700-seater Auditorium Conciliazione … [Read more...] about Review and Photos: Les Étoiles gala at Ravenna Festival – international ballet stars in a rarefied programme
Review: Still I Rise gala in Milan – Alessio Carbone gathers dancers from Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Madrid and Italian companies for a charity event
Gala time. Oh dear, two in three days. No, no, I can’t face it. I’ll just go to the one in Ravenna and leave out Milan. Well, yes, I know it’s for a good cause. Yes, I know there are some interesting … [Read more...] about Review: Still I Rise gala in Milan – Alessio Carbone gathers dancers from Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Madrid and Italian companies for a charity event
[Review] Soirée Rachmaninoff – a sophisticated evening of music and dance at the Ravenna Festival
A sophisticated and poised evening of music and dance was proposed by Daniele Cipriani Entertainment for the Ravenna Festival 2023, having first been seen a couple of days earlier at the Nervi … [Read more...] about [Review] Soirée Rachmaninoff – a sophisticated evening of music and dance at the Ravenna Festival
Soirée Rachmaninoff – dance and music to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great composer
The double anniversary of Sergei Vasilyevich Rachmaninoff (1873-1943), 150 years after his birth and 80 years after his death, is being celebrated all over the world. A tribute called Soirée … [Read more...] about Soirée Rachmaninoff – dance and music to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of the great composer
Giulietta – a new programme of dance in Verona… where else?
Giulietta is the title of a new evening of dance for the Italian summer, and where better to open the mini tour than in Giulietta’s hometown: Verona. One of the Juliets of the evening was played by … [Read more...] about Giulietta – a new programme of dance in Verona… where else?
Giulietta – a new ballet with Eleonora Abbagnato, her daughter, and an imaginary friend
A modern-day Juliet, still a child, imagines herself as an adult. She imagines having a Romeo of her own, as in Shakespeare’s story. The young Juliet is played by ten-year-old Julia Balzaretti, and … [Read more...] about Giulietta – a new ballet with Eleonora Abbagnato, her daughter, and an imaginary friend
Étoile Eleonora Abbagnato to dance with her 10-year-old daughter
Eleonora Abbagnato, former étoile with the Paris Opera Ballet and director of the Rome Opera Ballet, has two children with her husband, the former footballer Federico Balzaretti – Julia, 10 years old, … [Read more...] about Étoile Eleonora Abbagnato to dance with her 10-year-old daughter
Extraordinary dancers will dance for Ukraine in Naples and Milan
Some of the dance names that have been making headlines recently will dance for Ukraine in two upcoming galas in Italy: Olga Smirnova, Victor Caixeta, Jacopo Tissi, Iana Salenko, Anastasia Matvienko … [Read more...] about Extraordinary dancers will dance for Ukraine in Naples and Milan
Dancing Times October 2021 edition
The end of an era The current edition of Dancing Times magazine features the last “Notes from New York” column from Jack Anderson, who has been contributing to the magazine for 50 years. He's … [Read more...] about Dancing Times October 2021 edition
A captivating dance tribute to Stravinsky at Italy’s Nervi Festival
A programme of dance dedicated to Igor Stravinsky on the 50th anniversary of his death launched the dance season at this year’s Nervi Music Ballet Festival. The pieces on the programme for … [Read more...] about A captivating dance tribute to Stravinsky at Italy’s Nervi Festival
Stravinsky celebrated in music and dance at Nervi, Ravenna and Rome festivals
On 8 July at the Nervi Music Ballet Festival 2021, a new programme of music and dance called Stravinsky’s Love will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the composer’s death*. The celebrated Russian … [Read more...] about Stravinsky celebrated in music and dance at Nervi, Ravenna and Rome festivals
Ballet treats to view online during the holidays
Dance programming for the festive period from companies all over the world are many: free, subscription and pay-per-view. Here are some that have caught my eye. Please feel free to signal in the … [Read more...] about Ballet treats to view online during the holidays
All male dance gala of ‘Duets and Solos’ streaming free from Modena
Duets and Solos is a Covid-safe dance gala idea devised by Italian producer Daniele Cipriani when the pandemic crippled the programming plans of the Italian open-air festivals. Social distancing for … [Read more...] about All male dance gala of ‘Duets and Solos’ streaming free from Modena
Dance in Italy – Spoleto Festival’s Dance Gala with Abbagnato, Vogel, Frola, Dato and many more on 30 June
There are many, many Italian dancers scattered around companies throughout the world. Some are in the corps de ballet, others are principal dancers, but all continue the tradition that made Italian … [Read more...] about Dance in Italy – Spoleto Festival’s Dance Gala with Abbagnato, Vogel, Frola, Dato and many more on 30 June