Ballet Gala @ The London Coliseum, in homage to Rudolph Nureyev

A gala night is planned as a tribute to Nureyev in March.  As you can see, there are a great many dance stars who will be dancing on the night.  Don't miss the chance to see Igor Zelensky in London, and Polina Semionova will be back later in the summer to guest for English National Ballet in their production of Swan Lake in - the - round.  I should warn the uninitiated that the music accompanying Pierrot Lunaire is a challenge to the ears. Some would say an assault.  One of you will know the German for 'spoken song', but that is exactly what you get.  It's quite high pitched and difficult to listen too, but the dancing is worth watching.  The best way to get around the problem is to take ear muffs with you !  Ivan Putrov danced the title role at the Royal Opera House, and is unmatched.  I will keep you posted with developments.

Ballet Gala Homage to Rudolph Nureyev
English National Opera
21 March 2010, London Coliseum

Photography :  Frederika Davis

A Ballet Gala in memory of the legendary ballet star Rudolph Nureyev, celebrating his extraordinary career from Kirov soloist to masterly choreographer. After his defection to the West in 1961, Nureyev became a household name – delighting audiences with his electrifying and daring performances – but he never forgot his roots and did much to revive the Russian tradition. Perhaps the greatest male dancer since Nijinsky, his longstanding partnership with Dame Margot Fonteyn of the Royal Ballet was one of the most famous in the history of dance.

The programme of the gala concert will include extras from such masterpieces as La Bayadère, Romeo and Juliet, Manon, Swan Lake, Les Sylphides, Le Corsair, as well as the short ballets The Moor’s Pavane (choreography by C Limon), Afternoon of a Faun (choreography by Jerome Robbins) and the last movements from Pierrot Lunaire (Choreography by Glen Tetley).

Nureyev's dance and choreographic repertoire will be performed by international stars from the Bolshoi, Mariinsky, Royal Ballet, Paris Opera Ballet, Berlin Staatsballet and Wiener Staatsballet. Among them: Alina Cojocaru, Olga Esina, Mara Galeazzi, Dmitri Gruzdyev, Dmitri Gudanov, Nina Kaptsova, Johan Kobborg, Ivan Kozlov , Manuel Legris, Ulyana Lopatkina, David Makhateli, Roberta Marquez, Andrei Merkuriev, Marianela Nunez, Ivan Putrov, Gil Roman, Farukh Ruzimatov, Polina Semionova, Vladimir Shishlov, Thiago Soares, Inaki Urlezaga, Edward Watson, Svetlana Zakharova and Igor Zelensky.

Photography :  Frederika Davis

The Coliseum is home of the English National Opera and English National Ballet. The leading world opera and ballet companies have performed on this stage in the past. Many of Nureyev’s London triumphs took place on the Coliseum’s stage.

The gala evening will draw a link between Nureyev’s brilliant career in the West and his early years courtesy of the Rudolph Nureyev Classical Ballet Festival, Republic of Tatarstan, Russia.

Presented by Ensemble Productions in association with Alfa-Bank, The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Tatarstan, Kazan City Municipality and Stolichnaya-SPI.

21 March 2010 , 7 pm
Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, Trafalgar Square
London WC2N 4ES