Spring Dance at the London Coliseum

Askonas Holt, Raymond Gubbay and Sadler’s Wells present

SPRING DANCE AT THE LONDON COLISEUM

Ballet Nacional de Cuba

Photo : Stardust Theatre

• Ballet Nacional de Cuba to make its debut at the London Coliseum as part of Spring Dance at the Coliseum in 2010.

• Carlos Acosta to dance with Ballet Nacional de Cuba for the first time in the UK.

• Birmingham Royal Ballet also announced as part of the 2010 Spring Dance at the Coliseum season.

Following The Royal Ballet’s first visit to Cuba in July this year, principal guest artist Carlos Acosta will appear with Ballet Nacional de Cuba in London as part of Spring Dance at the London Coliseum in 2010. It will be the first time the Cuban company has performed at the London Coliseum and the first time Cuban superstar Carlos Acosta has performed with the whole company in the UK.

Founded and directed by Cuban ballet legend Alicia Alonso, Ballet Nacional de Cuba is renowned internationally for its unparalleled technique. Carlos Acosta, arguably the greatest male ballet dancer of his generation, was Alonso’s student before beginning his international career. The company will perform two programmes as part of Spring Dance at the Coliseum from 30 March to 11 April 2010; Magia de la Danza, a mixed bill which brings together extracts from seven of the company's most famous ballets and Swan Lake. Carlos Acosta will perform with the company on 30 March and 1, 7 and 8 April.

The 2010 Spring Dance at the Coliseum season will also include performances from Birmingham Royal Ballet. Following a successful debut season in 2009, Birmingham Royal Ballet will return next year to present the timeless family classic, Sleeping Beauty.

Spring Dance at the Coliseum runs from March 30th.

Ballet Nacional de Cuba

Swan Lake / Magia de la Danza
Tuesday 30 March - Sunday 11 April 2010
tickets: £15 - £65

Making its long-awaited debut at the London Coliseum, Ballet Nacional de Cuba presents two programmes, which showcase the company’s unparalleled technique and extraordinary flair for invigorating Western ballets with vivid Cuban passion.

Swan Lake was the first ballet to be performed by Ballet Nacional de Cuba, when Alicia Alonso established the company in 1948. Performed with drama and style, this classic production features world-class performances from the full company of dancers. Magia de la Danza is a mixed bill which brings together extracts from seven of the company's most famous ballets including the Nutcracker, Coppélia and Swan Lake.

These performances feature a full live orchestra and four special guest appearances from international superstar Carlos Acosta, who performs with the company on 30 March and 1, 7 and 8 April. This will be the first time Acosta has ever danced with the entire Ballet Nacional de Cuba company in the UK.


Birmingham Royal Ballet

The Sleeping Beauty
Tuesday 20 – Saturday 24 April 2010
Tickets: £15 - £60

On her christening day Princess Aurora is cursed by the wicked fairy Carabosse: one day the Princess will prick her finger on a spindle and die. But the kind Lilac Fairy tempers the curse so the Princess will instead fall asleep for a hundred years.

With a classical score by Tchaikovsky and original choreography by Marius Petipa, The Sleeping Beauty is considered one of the greatest ballets from Imperial Russia. This thrilling production is by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s former director Sir Peter Wright, creator of the Company's popular production of The Nutcracker. With its romantic finale packed with every fairytale character imaginable, The Sleeping Beauty is as engaging now as when she first fell asleep, over a hundred years ago.