Vicki Paterson interviewed for 'Cupcakes & Conversation'

Cupcakes & Conversation with Vicki Paterson, Corp de ballet, The Estonian National Ballet

Photograph :  Patrick Baldwin

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
I get Monday's off, so I don’t think I have seen 8 am on a Monday morning for a while.

What are you looking forward to dancing in 2010 ?
We have just finished staging Coppelia which is so much fun. Also next season we are doing Manon which is going to be just amazing!

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?
I would enjoy dancing with anyone who enjoyed dancing with me too. I would love to dance The Nutcracker Pas De deux as I it was the first ballet I ever saw and it is still my favourite Ballet.

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
I darn the toe and tear the satin away from the toe, this just makes them last a little longer and then just jump around on them for a while to soften the sides.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
I don’t really have a routine; I like everyday to be a different day.

You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Whitney Houston of course! Julia Roberts, Zac Efron, Adam Brody, Tyra Banks and to be fair Eva Longoria for my boyfriend to talk too…

Photograph :  Patrick Baldwin

What would surprise people about you ?
That I am actually a really sensitive person even although might not come across as one.

What is your best piece of advice ?
“ What’s for you won’t go by you.” Something my mum would always say to me.

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I like to get to the theatre really early so I can take time on my makeup and also so there is not a mad rush to get hair done. Then I sit in my changing room and have a good chat with the girls who share with me, I have a coffee, then I go to stage and get warmed up and prepared.

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
We staged a new piece this year is called Symphony no 2. It is a neo-classical piece. The rehearsals were tedious but it was worth it just to get on stage and perform it. I have never really had the chance to perform a neo-classical piece, I have always done purely classical but I really loved learning this piece, it was a great experience.

What do you look for in a dance partner ?
Definitely good communication skills and someone that is willing to compromise

What is your favourite quote ?
“The past his history, The future is a mystery, but today is a gift that’s why we call it the present.”

Do you have a ‘signature step’ – one that comes naturally to you ?
I would say pirouettes come most naturally to me, I was forever getting told when I was younger to stop spinning around in ballet class. But I guess it helped!

A phrase I use far too often is ... ?
I say, ‘Oh my god’ all the time for no reason! I also say ‘literally ‘far too much.

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far ?
The last performance of Swan Lake this season. It was an incredible feeling.

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
I am really good at athletics and used to be a runner before I went to dance school

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now ?
Maybe somewhere a little hotter.

Photograph :  Patrick Baldwin

The Royal Ballet's James Wilkie

James Wilkie has been interviewed for Wiltshire Life, in their popular My Wiltshire column.  Regular readers will recall that I singled James out for praise in the Royal Ballet's recent new work As One.

Double click on the image to make it larger - and please do use the link to visit the Wiltshire Life website if you'd prefer to have a copy of the magazine.

Ellen Bar, Soloist with New York City Ballet, interviewed for 'Cupcakes & Conversation'

Cupcakes & Conversation with Ellen Bar, Soloist, New York City Ballet

'with my boyfriend, co-director Jody Lee Lipes

on the set of our film, NY Export :  Opus Jazz'

Photograph :  Joe Anderson

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
That would have to be a Tuesday morning, since Monday's are our day off. I don't really have trouble motivating to get to class and rehearsal; it's just a part of life. I save my self-motivational pep talks for harder things!

What are you looking forward to dancing this year ?
I love the Balanchine leotard ballet repertory that New York City Ballet is so famous for. I feel the most comfortable in that stuff, so Concerto Barocco and The Four Temperaments are two things that I'm looking forward to in this upcoming Spring season. I'm also looking forward to the premiere of Melissa Barak's new ballet as part of the Architecture of Dance Festival. She's a good friend and a really wonderful choreographer, so I'm excited for her.

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?
I'd like to do any part in Dances at a Gathering or The Concert, with a cast full of all my friends, including ones that aren't in the company any more.

Ellen Bar as The Lilac Fairy with Joaquin De Luz as The Prince (from Sleeping Beauty)

Photograph :  Paul Kolnik

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only in a theatre), where would you dance ?
I'd dance Viennese waltzes with the Angle brothers in a grand ballroom, preferably in a castle in Austria.

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
I put glue in the tips, I step on the box, and I bang them against a wall to reduce the noise. Besides sewing them, that's about it.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
Breakfast; ballet class; rehearsals. Some days I go to Columbia University, where I take academic classes in my spare time. I also produced a modern day film adaptation of a 1958 Jerome Robbins ballet, which just premiered on PBS Great Performances' series, called NY Export: Opus Jazz so I'm busy with that as well.

You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Jerome Robbins, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Julie Andrews, Warren Beatty, Larry McMurtry, and either Jenny Lewis or Neko Case. I think that would be a fun crowd.

Ellen Bar with Tyler Angle in I'm Old Fashioned

Photograph :  Paul Kolnik

What would surprise people about you ?
I love Korean ramen noodles, and the High School Musical series. I'm a sucker for movie musicals in general.

Who inspired you to dance ?
At first my mom – she was a ballet dancer in Odessa, and she is one of the best teachers in the world. Then it was all the dancers in New York City Ballet that I grew up watching; Kyra Nichols, Miranda Weese, Damien Woetzel, Peter Boal, the list could go on and on. Anyone dancing in City Ballet in the '90s, basically.

What is your best piece of advice ?
I believe in my friends and in their talent, so I'm usually telling people not to be hard on themselves and to just go for it. I don't usually listen to my own advice though.

'dancing the solo girl in Agon with Amar Ramasar and Seth Orza'

Photograph :  Paul Kolnik

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I don't eat a heavy meal; I save that as the after-show reward. I like to warm up in a studio by myself, where I can concentrate. I don't know how people can warm up backstage while the performance is going on, it's too distracting for me. If I'm nervous, I usually just try to remind myself that I'm lucky to be doing what I'm doing, and that the most important thing is to have a good time.

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
Concerto Barocco (soloist) was a huge challenge for me, not in the individual steps, but because it's such a marathon and requires so much stamina. My debut was the first night of the season, too, so I wasn't in "season shape" yet. It was very intimidating to be dancing next to Wendy Whelan, because I've been admiring her since I was in the school. She's well established in the role and so it was my responsibility to "fit" into it with her. Luckily, she's one of the nicest, most supportive and most honest people ever, so it was a fun and positive experience.

If you were asked to design your own ballet costume, what would you create ?
I like simple costumes, like leotards and tunics; I like feeling unencumbered. So, probably something really boring, a leotard in a pretty color with a flattering cut.

What do you look for in a dance partner ?
I don't dance pas de deux’s very often, I usually dance on my own. I like dancing with partners who are much more experienced than me, who instead of getting annoyed about it, take the opportunity to teach me something new. When I did Episodes with Philip Neal, he made it this amazing learning experience, when he would have been well within his rights to just roll his eyes and tell me what to do. People who are really good at what they do, I'm talking exceptional, are usually like that; they've gotten beyond ego, and care more about the art than about acting important.

Ellen Bar as The Lilac Fairy in Peter Martin's Sleeping Beauty

Photograph :  Paul Kolnik

What is your favourite quote ?
"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." Eleanor Roosevelt.

Do you have a ‘signature step’ – one that comes naturally to you ?
I'm a natural jumper, and that's what I feel most comfortable doing.

A phrase I use far too often is ... ?
"No good deed goes unpunished."

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far ?
That's a really tough question. Last year I debuted in Vienna Waltzes with one of my best friends, Jared Angle, and that was just pure delight. I love not having to worry about technique or pointe shoes; in something like Vienna, your only job is to enjoy the music and feel beautiful and elegant. In 2008 we went on tour to Copenhagen and Paris. It was my first tour back after a long injury. I would have felt lucky just to be able to go, but on top of that, I was given the opportunity to do some of my favorite roles ever. I danced the solo girl in Agon at Tivoli, and at the Bastille I danced the "Elegie" section of Tchaikovsky Suite #3 with Robert Fairchild (my favorite onstage love connection); and one of the principals in Episodes alongside Wendy Whelan, Maria Kowroski and Darci Kistler, who are all ballerinas I grew up admiring. I had Wendy's husband take a picture from backstage for my mom, I knew she was going to freak out when she saw me bowing alongside those incredible women!

'bowing in Episodes beside Wendy Whelan, Darci Kistler & Maria Kowroski'

Photograph :  David Michalek

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
I'm a good cook, and I have a really good memory for wine.

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now ?
I'd like to be doing exactly what I'm doing now; going to class and dancing with my best friends, performing roles I love at the company I love.

frame grab from NY Export : Opus Jazz

Photograph :  Jody Lee Lipes

danced by members of New York City Ballet

BALLET NEWS UPDATES

T-MOBILE BIG DANCE NEWS UPDATE

• BIG DANCE AWARDS £50,000 TO INSPIRING DANCE PROJECTS ACROSS LONDON

• SOUTHBANK CENTRE’S ‘DANCE ATLAS’ INSPIRES BIG WORLD DANCE

• BIG DANCE SCHOOLS PLEDGE MOBILISES SCHOOLS ACROSS THE WORLD

The T-Mobile Big Dance 2010 has awarded 50 grants to dance projects across the capital as part of its micro-grant scheme (see below for the full list). The successful projects will each receive £1,000 to help fund dance activities and events taking take place during the Big Dance week from 3 – 11 July 2010. Each grant will provide valuable support to artists and organisations.

Originally established by the Mayor of London’s Office in partnership with Arts Council England, The T-Mobile Big Dance 2010 is about promoting dance and increasing opportunities for more people to experience and participate in this extraordinarily wide-ranging artform and social activity.

London Mayor Boris Johnson says: 'Dance has reached the pinnacle of popularity, with celebs making ballroom cool again, awe inspiring street dance topping the TV talent shows, plus an astonishing array of styles on stage and brilliant choreographers working in the capital. We want to get as many people moving as possible – not just in July, but to 2012 and beyond - so give Big Dance a whirl.'

26 London boroughs will be benefit from the grants, by supporting London’s diverse communities.

Southbank Centre’s Dance Atlas launched on 1 April 2010. Members of the public as well as dance artists are invited to post videos of their favourite move onto the Dance Atlas from wherever they are around the world to contribute to an international collection of dance moves.

Luca Silvestrini, Artistic Director of Protein Dance will develop the choreography to the BIG WORLD DANCE inspired by the dance featured in the Dance Atlas to be performed by thousands of people on 10 July 2010. Silvistrini will draw on the material to create a dynamic and globally inspired routine. This choreography will be taught to thousands of people who will transform central London into a giant open air stage for an unmissable, show stopping dance on a gigantic scale, with the start line at Southbank Centre and the finishing line at Trafalgar Square.

The Big Dance Schools Pledge invites schools across London and around the world to take part in an extra 20 minutes of dance or physical activity each day from 5-9 July 2010. As part of the Big Dance Schools Pledge, all schools are encouraged to join worldwide to perform the Schools Pledge dance routine at 1pm on Friday 9 July as part of a Guinness World Record attempt. The choreography for this dance routine is available to download now and has been created by Hakeem Onibudo from Impact Dance. Available in four different skill levels, the routine has been designed to allow people of all ages and abilities to get involved

50 successful projects for the micro-grants:

Lauderdale House, Haringey
London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, Barking & Dagenham
Harlequins Rugby League Foundation and Combination, Richmond-upon-Thames
Carl Campbell Dance Company, Southwark
Etta Ermini Dance Theatre, Tower Hamlets
Combination Dance Company, Camden
Apsara Arts, Croydon
Montage Theatre Arts, Lewisham
Woodside School Sport partnership, Kent
Arts Depot, Barnet
Theatre Peckham, Southwark
Srishti Skills, Harrow
EPiC Arts, Tower Hamlets
Tropical Isles, Hackney
BOX SOCIAL theatre , Haringey
Thomas Goodwin& Petra Soor, exley
The Council of Asian people, Haringey
IRIE! Dance theatre, Lewisham
Shape, Wandsworth
Bromley Mytime, Bromley
Hypnotic, Brent
Hoxton Hall, Hackney/Newham
Annette Brandanger and Hayley Durwood, Southwark
Springs Dance Company, Lewisham
Entelechy Arts, Southwark
Camden School Sport Partnership, Camden
MIKS, Greenwich
Arte Latino Cultural Project, Greenwich
Chic Shake Shock, Greenwich
Community Link Up, Harrow
Granville Plus Youth Arts Centre, Brent
Union Dance Trust ltd., Westminster
Claremont Project, Islington
Chris Nash, Lewisham
Holborn Community Association, Camden
KNI Foundation, Waltham Forest
Hoop La la and Arabesque, Hackney
Dalston Tango, Hackney
Age Concern Hounslow, Hounslow
Rambert Dance Company, Hounslow
The Musical Museum, Hounslow
Battersea Arts Centre, Wandsworth
HIG HOOPS Hoola Hooping, Islington
Simon Rice, Camden
Pippa Emanuel, Wandsworth
Leanne Pero, Merton
Dream Arts, Harrow
London Borough of Hillingdon, Hillingdon
London Borough of Bromley, Bromley
Streatham Festival Association, Lambeth

 
I've decided to run again this press release from last year, just in case you haven't seen the link to the entire film, on the Chanel website.
 

CHANEL AND THE BALLETS RUSSES

Karl Lagerfeld, Creative Director of CHANEL, has designed costumes for 'The Dying Swan' and ‘Apollo’ as part of English National Ballet's Ballets Russes season at Sadler's Wells in June 2009. This year marks the centenary of the first performance by Serge Diaghilev's ballet at the Théâtre du Châtelet in Paris.

Karl Lagerfeld has always had a personal interest in ballet and admires the creativity of English National Ballet. He comments that "...as a child I was already impressed by old images of Anna Pavlova dancing the ballet" adding that "...the Ballet Russes were an influence for me".

The costume that has been exclusively created for ‘The Dying Swan’ will be worn by English National Ballet’s Senior Principal Dancer, Elena Glurdjidze. She says "we always say that the look is 50% of how you are going to dance, so it is very important to have a beautiful costume".

The tutu was made in the Lemarie Atelier, one of the specialized Parisian workshops which Chanel acquired in 1996. With the acquisition of six further Métiers d'Art – Desrues (costume jewellery maker), Massaro (shoe maker), Michel (milliner), Lesage (embroiderer), Goossens (goldsmith) and Guillet (floral finery maker) - Chanel has shown its attachment to companies which share the same core values of quality, exclusivity and innovation.

The costume took 3 women over 100 hours to create and is made from tulle and a variety of different feathers – over 2500 in total. It will have its debut on stage at Sadler's Wells on 16 June 2009. It will then be seen at a performance in St Paul's Cathedral on 30 June as part of the City of London Festival before going to Barcelona for performances in September at the Gran Teatro del Liceu.

During her final fitting, Elena danced 'The Dying Swan' for Karl in the Haute Couture Salon in Paris. Karl filmed the performance himself.

CHANEL has a long association with the ballet: Coco Chanel herself designed costumes for both 'Le Train Bleu' in 1924 and 'Apollon Musagete' in 1929. Indeed it was Chanel herself who, in Lagerfeld's words, "helped Diaghilev to stage [his ballet] again after World War I in 1919".

In addition to the exclusive costume for ‘The Dying Swan’, Karl Lagerfeld has designed the costumes for ‘Apollo’, also being performed as part of English National Ballets season of Ballets Russes.

These costumes were originally designed for the Monte Carlo Ballet in 1997 but have been reinterpreted and refitted for Thomas Edur and Agnes Oaks, the stars of the company. Their performance of ‘Apollo’ will be one of their last ever as they are due to retire this summer. They will be joined by fellow Senior Principle Dancers Daria Klimentova and Erina Takahashi.

Karl Lagerfeld explains why the costumes for these two dances are so varied: "The Dying Swan and Apollo are very different ballets. I didn't want to make something complicated for Apollo. I like it very clean, pure".

Thomas Edur and Agnes Oaks said of their fitting with Karl: “It was an extraordinary experience for us, we felt very honored to be invited to Chanel, to have these beautiful costumes fitted for us. To dance for Karl was very special, we have never danced in a situation like this before, and very rarely give performances like that”.

The entire film is available on Chanel.com

Ballet Nacional de España visit London next week

La Leyenda

Photograph :  Jesus Vallinas

The Ballet Nacional de España are performing a triple bill this coming week in London, and despite their company name & the fact that the company is made up in the same way as a ballet company, you can see from the stunning photographs that this show is not ballet in the traditional sense. 

Nevertheless, I have seen authentic Spanish Flamenco shows in the past which have been stunning in atmosphere and visual imagery, and I think this will also be a show worth catching if you can. 

What's more, some of the performances of Romance de Luna will be danced by Royal Ballet Principal dancer Tamara Rojo - who began her ballet training in Spain.  It will be very interesting to see her take on a traditional Spanish style in a Spanish company, here in London.

Here are all the details you need :

Dualia / Romance de Luna / La Leyenda

Tuesday 27 April – Sunday 2 May 2010

Tickets: £15 - £55

During its 30 years, Ballet Nacional de España has performed in some of the most renowned theatres in the world and received some of the highest accolades including the Medalla de Oro al Mérito en las Bellas Artes, awarded to director José Antonio in 2005 by the Spanish Ministry of Culture. For their performances at the London Coliseum, the company will perform two of their best loved works Dualia and La Leyenda with an additional piece, Romance de Luna, starring Royal Ballet principal Tamara Rojo to be performed on 27 April, 1 May at 8pm and 2 May at 4pm.

World Premiere at the Teatro de La Zarzuela of Madrid on 15th of March 2007

by Ballet Nacional de España.

Photograph : Josep Aznar

DUALIA

“Our intention with Dualia was to deal with Spanish dance and breath in the youth and freshness of this generation with such a rich repertoire, reflecting ourselves in the colours of Sorolla’s paintings, seeking the complicity of pair dancing, interpreting the sensuality of looks, caresses, kisses, reminding ourselves of the great dancers our country has produced, to try to portray our meaning and feeling through the rasping of the castanets. Thank you José Antonio, we hold your air within, this one is for you, maestro”. Carlos Rodríguez and Ángel Rojas.

Dualia

Photograph :  Josep Aznar

Cast

Introduction - capas

José M. Benítez, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Cristian García, Ángel Lara, Álvaro Marbán, Alfredo Mérida

First Movement

Elena Algado, Esther Jurado, Aloña Alonso, Tamara López, Jéssica de Diego, Maribel Alonso, Sara Calero, Carmen Coy, Lola Maeso, Yumi Saeki, Mª José Ramón.

Sergio García, José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Jaime Cava, Francisco J. Caraballo, Antonio Correderas, Ángel Lara, Álvaro Marbán, Alfredo Mérida.

Second Movement

Tamara López – José M. Buzón (Days 27 and 29 April, 1 (matinée) and 2 May)

Aloña Alonso – Jaime Cava (Days 28 and 30 April, 1 (evening) May)

Third Movement

Miguel Ángel Corbacho, Jesús Carmona

Fourth Movement

Miguel Ángel Corbacho, Jesús Carmona

Elena Algado – Esther Jurado

Fifth Movement

Sergio García, José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Jaime Cava, Francisco J. Caraballo, Antonio Correderas, Raúl González, Álvaro Marbán, Alfredo Mérida,.

Sixth Movement

Miguel Ángel Corbacho, Jesús Carmona

Elena Algado, Esther Jurado, Aloña Alonso, Tamara López, Jéssica de Diego, Maribel Alonso, Sara Calero, Carmen Coy, Lola Maeso, Yumi Saeki, Mª José Ramón.

Sergio García, José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Jaime Cava, Francisco J. Caraballo, Antonio Correderas, Cristian García, Álvaro Marbán, Alfredo Mérida,.

La Leyenda

Photograph :  Jesus Vallinas

ROMANCE DE LUNA

Cast

Tamara Rojo and Miguel A. Corbacho

La Leyenda

Photograph : Jesus Vallinas

LA LEYENDA

Of the artists and audiences who frequent today’s theatres, very few actually saw Carmen Amaya in a live performance. Those who did have that privilege define the experience with a single word: “strength”. Her dancing was, in fact, strong, intense, fast, stern. And all of this comes across in the pictures that have gradually forged this myth of Flamenco art, this universal symbol of Spanish temperament: Carmen on stage, arms back and head forward, as if ready to charge; Carmen dressed like a man; Carmen in typical flounced costume, flaunting her bare, incredibly muscular arms; Carmen kicking the train on her dress to heaven on high…

Those who like José Antonio knew her personally outside the clamour of the stage, however, can also attest to the fragility and humanity of this high-strung woman who was barely five feet tall. La Leyenda (“The Legend”) springs from these memories in a modest personal tribute, a piece created by José Antonio with affection and admiration.

The proposal harbours no biographic or mimetic intention – Carmen was so utterly unique that any attempt at imitation would be futile -, but simply designs to portray, in images, an allegory of certain moments of her life and art, her strength and frailty, her grandeur and solitude, a dichotomy to which she and only she could be the antithesis.

In this awareness, the choreographer has had to resort to duality, gemination, to splitting the woman into two personalities, both opposite and complementary: Carmen, the woman in flesh and blood and Carmen, the immortal artist who ventured from Barcelona’s “tablaos” to the fame of the American stage; only to suddenly and unexpectedly depart, leaving behind the afterglow of her endless train for us to embrace, forever. Rosalía Gómez.

Cast

Characters

Ella Mujer: Cristina Gómez

Ella Inmortal: Elena Algado

1.- Introduction

Elena Algado

Women: Jéssica de Diego, Esther Esteban, Tamara López, Maribel Alonso, Mercedes Burgos, Sara Calero, Carmen Coy, Frida Madeo

Men: Jesús Carmona, José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Francisco J. Caraballo, Jaime Cava, Antonio Correderas, Álvaro Marban, Alfredo Mérida

2.- Tangos

Cristina Gómez, Elena Algado

3.- Embrujo del Fandango

Cristina Gómez

4.- Rondeña

Rondeña Mujeres

Esther Jurado, Tamara López , Jéssica de Diego

Rondeña Hombres

Jesús Carmona (Days 27 and 29 April, 1 (matinée) and 2 May), José M Benítez (Days 28 and 30 April, 1 May (evening)), Eduardo Martínez, José M. Buzón, Álvaro Marban

Guitarists; Diego Losada, Enrique Bermúdez, Jonathan Bermúdez.

Singers; Sebastián Cruz (guest flamenco singer) Momi de Cádiz

Percussion; Amador Losada (guest percussion)

5.- Soleá

Miguel A. Corbacho, Isaac Tovar , José M. Benítez (Days 27 and 29 April, 1 (matinée) and 2 May)/ Jesús Carmona (Days 28 and 30 April, 1 May (evening))

6.- Alegrías

Cristina Gómez, Elena Algado

Guitarists; Diego Losada, Enrique Bermúdez, Jonathan Bermúdez,

Singers; Sebastián Cruz (guest flamenco singer) Momi de Cádiz

7.- Evolution

Aloña Alonso, Jéssica de Diego, Esther Esteban, Tamara López, Maribel Alonso, Mercedes Burgos, Sara Calero, Frida Madeo

José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Francisco J. Caraballo, Jaime Cava, Antonio Correderas, Álvaro Marban, Alfredo Mérida

8.- Memories (Ensueño)

Cristina Gómez, Elena Algado

9.- Rumba

Jéssica de Diego, Tamara López, Esther Esteban, Maribel Alonso, Mercedes Burgos, Frida Madeo

Miguel A.Corbacho, Jesús Carmona, José M. Benítez, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Francisco J Caraballo, Jaime Cava

10.- Seguiriya

Cristina Gómez, Elena Algado, Miguel A. Corbacho

Jéssica de Diego, Esther Esteban, Tamara López, Maribel Alonso, Mercedes Burgos, Sara Calero, Carmen Coy, Frida Madeo

Jesús Carmona, José M. Benítez, José M. Buzón, Eduardo Martínez, Isaac Tovar, Francisco J. Caraballo, Jaime Cava, Antonio Correderas, Álvaro Marban, Alfredo Mérida

11.- Epilogue

Please note that the company reserves the right to make changes to the cast.

BALLET NACIONAL DE ESPAÑA

Today, the Ballet Nacional de España (BNE) is facing a new creative period, with various projects and will take advantage of the opportunity to spread, preserve, and promote the extensive heritage of their already-historic repertoire under the direction of José Antonio, commissioned by the Ministry of Culture in 2004, being his second time as Director of the Ballet.

Founded by the Theatre and Entertainment General Direction of the Spanish Ministry of Culture in 1978, with the name of Ballet Nacional Español and with Antonio Gades as its first Artistic Director (1978-1980), the BNE has been directed by Antonio (Ruiz Soler) (1980-1983), María de Ávila (1983-1986), José Antonio (1986-1992), Aurora Pons, Nana Lorca y Victoria Eugenia (1993-1997), Aída Gómez (1998-2001) y Elvira Andrés (2001-2004).

The BNE is, among the projects of the National Institute for the Performing and Scenic Arts, one of the most known in the world, as ambassador of the Spanish culture. The Ballet has evolved in accordance with the new times and has known how to preserve its interest in all styles of Spanish dance, performing choreographies such as those of Escuela Bolera, flamenco and stylized Spanish dance. On the other hand, it has combined tradition and modernity, not forgeting main aspects as training and performing new projects.

During its 30 years, it has performed, in the most renowned theatres in the world, emblematic works as José Granero's “Medea”, Mariema's “Danza y Tronío”, Alberto Lorca's “Ritmos”, José Antonio's “Fandango de Soler”, Antonio's and José Antonio's versions of “El Sombrero de Tres Picos”, Pilar López's “El Concierto de Aranjuez”, and Antonio Gades's “Bodas de Sangre” and “Fuenteovejuna”.

The Ballet Nacional de España has been internationally acclaimed by audience and critics, obtaining various awards, such as Critics´ Prize for the Best Foreign Show during the 1988 season at the New York Metropolitan, the Japanese Critics´ Prize in 1991, the Critics´ Prize for the Best Spectacle at the Bellas Artes Theatre in Mexico City in 1994, a prize awarded by the Spanish newspaper, El País (Tentaciones), for “Poeta”, in 1999, and the Critics’ Prize as well as the Prize awarded by the audience at the VI Festival de Flamenco de Jerez de la Frontera (Spain), in 2002, for the choreography of “Fuenteovejuna” by Antonio Gades. In 2008, the BNE has obtained the prize “XVIII Teatro de Rojas (Toledo)” at Caprichos, Golpes da la Vida and Cambalache as well choreographies, awarded by the audience

Dualia was choreographed by two of flamenco’s hottest stars Rojas and Rodriguez, and explores the sensuality of looks and caresses through movement and music. La Leyenda (The Legend) was choreographed by the company’s artistic director José Antonio as a tribute to the famous flamenco star Carmen Amaya who died in 1963. The piece portrays images from her life – from the slums of Barcelona to the glamour of performing on the American stage in the 30s and 40s.

Tamara Rojo won the 2010 Olivier Award for Best New Dance Production with choreographer Kim Bandstrup for a collaboration at the Royal Opera House called Goldberg: The Brandstrup Rojo Project. The Spanish Prima Ballerina began her training in Madrid and joined The Royal Ballet as a Principal in September 2000.

BALLET NACIONAL DE ESPAÑA

Director
José Antonio

Principal Dancers
Elena Algado - Miguel A. Corbacho

First Dancer
Cristina Gómez - Esther Jurado - Jesús Carmona - Sergio García

Soloists
Aloña Alonso – Esther Esteban - Jéssica de Diego - Tamara López
José Manuel Benítez - José Manuel Buzón - Eduardo Martínez – Isaac Tovar

Ballet Corps
Maribel Alonso – Mercedes Burgos – Sara Calero – Lucía Campillo - Carmen Mª Coy – Frida Madeo - Lola Maeso Virginia Moro – Sara Nieto - Mª José Ramón - Yumi Saeki - Inmaculada Sánchez - Francisco Javier Caraballo - Jaime Cava - Antonio Correderas - Cristian García - José Manuel García – Alejandro García -Raúl González – Jonathan Guijarro – Antonio Jiménez - Ángel Lara - Álvaro Marbán - Alfredo Mérida

Ballet Masters
Elna Matamoros - Tino Morán - Raúl Tino

Master Rehearsal Director
Maribel Gallardo

Rehearsal Director
Juan Mata

Singers
Isabel Soto - Manuel Palacín – Momi de Cádiz

Guitars
Diego Losada - Enrique Bermúdez - Jonathan Bermúdez

Percussion
Samuel Flores

Pianists
Juan Álvarez - Juan José Sánchez

Director Assistant
Primitivo Daza

Carlos Acosta Premieres

If you haven't yet bought your tickets for Carlos Acosta's new show, more details have been announced.  The show runs at the London Coliseum from Wednesday 28th July - Saturday 7th August 2010.  There are only 8 performances and tickets are available from £10.

These performances are likely to be his most ambitious and revealing to date.  Premieres will see Carlos perform five works for the first time and on the largest stage in London.

The show includes :

-  a new commission by Danza Contemporanea de Cuba's George Cespedes

-  a Carlos debut in Russell Maliphant's Two (which was made famous by Sylvie Guillem) and is now reworked for Carlos

-  Zenaida Yanowsky will dance with Carlos in a work by Edwaard Liang

-  a new work choreographed by Carlos featuring a musical commission by Cuban violinist Omar Puente

-  a new mixed media collaboration with Ahh and the Pegasus Choir; this will be Carlos's physically most revealing piece
-  Zenaida Yanowsky dancing Kim Brandstrup's Footnote to Ashton

You can also call the box office on 0871 911 0200

Sara Mearns interviewed for Cupcakes & Conversation

Cupcakes & Conversation with Sara Mearns, Principal, New York City Ballet

Photograph :  Kyle Froman

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
Well, Tuesday is like our Monday; Monday is a dark day for us. But at 8am on Tuesday, I am still dreaming! I am a get up at the last minute and get out of the house fast kind of gal.

What are you looking forward to dancing this year ?
I am involved in three out of seven new ballets going this spring season, that is really exciting! Also Mozartiana and Barber Violin Concerto are going this season.

Photograph : Kyle Froman

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?
I feel like that dream has already come true. I performed Swan Lake with Jared Angle last season on the New York City Ballet stage. It was the highlight of my career thus far.

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only in a theatre), where would you dance ?
I heard it’s like a dream to dance outside in Athens. Outside theaters are always fun! Performing in Paris was amazing, we performed both at the Bastille and the Opera Garnier.

Photograph : Kyle Froman

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
I recently started pulling out half the shank because it gives me more support in the correct place when I am on pointe. Some girls get the shoemakers to do it but I like to do it myself! I also cut the fabric off the tips of the shoe so it’s not as slippery.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
Strangely enough, I don’t have a daily routine. I try to get in some kind of therapy, whether it be my chiropractor or physical therapy, and then I either go to the gym or Pilates, and of course class, and then whatever rehearsals I have. But every day is different! It’s hard to plan in our line of work.

You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Makarova(my idol), Johnny Depp (I mean, who wouldn’t want that beautiful man across the table from you!), Paula Dean (she is just too funny and her food is sinful) Ellen DeGeneres (freakin hilarious and real!), Oprah (yes, I am obsessed) and Rafael Nadal (one of the most hardworking athletes I have ever seen).

Photograph :  Gwyneth Muller

What would surprise people about you ?
I am really hard on myself in rehearsals. I don’t take compliments very well.

Who inspired you to dance ?
Well, when I was little, I didn’t really have someone that inspired me. But now I would have to say the people I work with every day. The fact that I get to dance with Wendy Whelan; enough said.

What is your best piece of advice ?
Don’t lose your inspiration for this art form. It is so beautiful and sometimes it can be masked with drama and competition but step back and remember why you love it and wouldn’t trade it for anything.

Photograph : Gwyneth Muller

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I guess I don’t really have a certain routine that I go through. I may have a snack, not a meal. I like to sew my shoes for the show before I start getting ready, it calms me and I think about the night to come. Physical therapy might be in store as well!

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
I would have to say Odette/Odile (from Swan Lake). It tests your ability to completely let yourself go and lose yourself in the moment. Obviously technically it is very challenging and then it has the acting component on top of that. I get very emotional after it is all done, realizing that I gave my soul to the stage and have nothing left.

If you were asked to design your own ballet costume, what would you create ?
I don’t think designing costumes is in my future. I love being a part of the creative process but I will leave the designing to the professionals!

Photograph :  Kyle Froman

What do you look for in a dance partner ?
The ability to let go and have fun! Also when we are out on stage, that he is really there with me, when I look into his eyes, no one exists. Then it translates to the audience.

What is your favourite quote ?
I have two for you...
"If better is possible, good is not enough"
"To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift"

Do you have a ‘signature step’ – one that comes naturally to you ?
A step up turn... "lame ducks" are pretty natural to me.

A phrase I use far too often is ... ?
"Fierce."

Photograph : Kyle Froman

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far ?
Wow, see that’s a hard one. I have a lot of memorable performances, but I don’t want to put the name "best" on any of those. I’m very critical of myself but I will never forget some performances and usually it’s because of the person I was dancing with and the ballet I was performing. To name a few...Swan Lake, Mozartiana, Barber Violin Concerto and Davidsbündlertänze.

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
I make bangin chocolate chip cookies!

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now ?
Honestly, I can’t think that far ahead...it is so unpredictable and that’s what I love about what I do...I never thought I would dancing and performing the ballets I get to today, so I am just thankful to be able to do what I love every day. I’m sure it will be exciting wherever, or whatever I am doing a year from now!

Photograph : Kyle Froman

Review of La Danse : The Paris Opera Ballet

La Danse : The Paris Opera Ballet

Released in the UK on 23rd April 2010
Running time 159 minutes

Still Photograph :  Soda Pictures

La Danse is a film that goes everywhere at the Paris Opera Ballet, one of the world’s greatest companies. Seven ballets are used as the basis of the film, showing you classes, rehearsals and performance footage. The ballet’s are : Paquita (Pierre Lacotte), The Nutcracker (Rudolph Nureyev), Genus (Wayne McGregor), Medea (Angelin Preljocaj), The House of Bernarda Alba (Mats Ek), Romeo & Juliet (Sasha Waltz) and Orpheus and Eurydyce (Pina Bausch). As you can see the selection is predominantely contemporary, something the Artistic Director picks up in one of her many meetings with staff and dancers when she says that she is “unsettled” as very few young people attend contemporary classes and yet they are the very classes where they could learn the technique. The company set their work three years ahead so that they can be rights cleared.

Frederick Wiseman’s film needs no explanation – and none is given – and so you find yourself staring down many a long, empty corridor or drainpipe, occasionally rising to the lofty heights of the beguiling Paris skyline and the beekeeper tending his hives on the roof.

If you are familiar with the Company then this approach of dumping you right in the action (or a long corridor) will work for you; if you are not then the subtitles are there to help with the French language but the rest of the work is largely left up to you. What will you get out of it ?

Still photograph :  Soda Pictures

The Étoiles (stars) featured are : Émilie Cozette|Aurélie Dupont|Dorothée Gilbert|Marie-Agnès Gillot|Agnès Letestu|Delphine Moussin|Clairemarie Osta|Laetitia Pujol| Kader Belarbi| Jérémie Belingard|Mathieu Ganio|Manuel Legris|Nicholas Le Riche|José Martinez|Hervé Moreau|Benjamin Pech|Wilfried Romoli|Isabelle Ciaravola|Mathias Heymann.

The film also features some of Les Premiers Danseurs (The First Dancers), who are : Nolwenn Daniel|Ève Grinsztajn|Mélanie Hurel|Myriam Ould-Braham|Stéphanie Romberg|Muriel Zusperreguy|Yann Bridard|Stéphanie Bullion|Christophe Duquenne|Karl Paquette|Stéphanie Phavorin|Emmanuel Thibault.
You may recognise some of the dancers names, for example Manuel Legris, who was seen recently in the UK dancing spectacularly well at the Nureyev gala.

The ballets and their choreography might be less familiar, but that’s what makes this film different, and worth watching. Wayne McGregor is a choreographer most people are familiar with and here you can see him in the rehearsal process, marking the timing with clicks and strange vocal sounds to keep the dancers on the music. He works with a female dancer with beautiful feet, as they practice a pas de deux over and over again.

For a lot of the time, there is no music, you just arrive in the middle of a class, or rehearsal - Laetitia (Pujol) being told “no arabesque!”, the aim of the choreographer being that “the final result has to be a gift to the public.”

Still Photograph :  Soda Pictures

I found the dancers wearing mostly very unattractive practice clothes and thought how wonderful the dancers in the UK dress for class and rehearsals by comparison. Their building is cluttered around the edges – though the auditorium and entrance are spectacular, in the studios my eye was continually distracted by the endless lines of detritus marking the perimeters.

The Artistic Director admits that the company is hierarchical in one meeting, talks to a dancer worried about her workload in another (and mentions that she has lost weight at the end of it), then we are off to the costume department where they are sewing, pining, cutting, dyeing and ironing. There is even a close up shot of a worker painstakingly applying jewels to a tutu with tweezers. On then to the canteen for lunch, where we are shown several plates of food, inexplicably not forgetting the baguette shredding machine !

The Artistic Director has many meetings where we burst in, in the middle of proceedings. In one such meeting she is explaining that people don’t understand the troupe, that to be a dancer you have to be “half nun, half dancer”, and that “the dancer is the race car and the driver”. Then she attends a company meeting with the dancers to discuss reform of the retirement system and how the dancers should regard the changes.

The film is a mash-up of a dancers daily life at the Paris Opera Ballet, and you get the sense that it’s very much like any other company – protective of its hard won reputation and employing dancers who will work extremely hard, often under a critical gaze, and come out smiling at the end of the day.

Cupcakes & Conversation with Kathryn Morgan, Soloist, New York City Ballet

Cupcakes & Conversation with Kathryn Morgan, Soloist, New York City Ballet

Kathryn and I share a passion for widening the reach of ballet; bringing ballet to people who, at the moment, just don't see what ballet has to offer them or why it's even relevant to their lives.  And so of course, I had to interview her to find out more.  Tweeting ballet dancers have been in the press recently, and social media is one way of de-mystifying what goes on in the ballet world to a wide audience.  The Cupcakes & Conversation series of interviews is another.  I hope you enjoy.

Kathryn Morgan in Dances at a Gathering

Photographs throughout :  Paul Kolnik

What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ?
Just starting a new day of dancing. Honestly, my passion for ballet is what constantly keeps me going, even though I am a morning person and get up easily anyway!

What are you looking forward to dancing this year ?
Many different ballets - because we tend to find out casting only two weeks before, it is hard to know for sure what I will be doing! However, things that are possibly coming up for me are Scotch Symphony, Divertimento No. 15, Who Cares, In the Night, and a new ballet by Peter Martins.

Who would you most like to dance with & what would you dance ?
My favorite person to dance with is Tyler Angle! So anything with him! But at some point in my career, I would love to dance Swan Lake, the MacMillan Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle. I also want to do as many Balanchine and Robbins ballets as I can. But I'm only 21, so I have time!

Kathryn Morgan in Romeo and Juliet with Seth Orza

If you could dance anywhere in the world (not only in a theatre), where would you dance ?
I want to dance all over the world - Covent Garden, La Scala, the Opera Garnier, to name a few. However, I am already dancing at my dream place - New York City Ballet!

How do you prepare your pointe shoes ?
First, depending on the ballet, I cut the shank. If I need a hard shoe, I only cut a fourth of the shank; if I can have a softer shoe, I cut half of the shank. Then I shave edges of the outer sole with a Stanley knife to give the shoe a more streamlined look. Then I simply sew on the ribbons and elastic. For performances, I always rosin my heel and toes before I put the shoe on. Then I scrape the bottom so I don't slip and rosin like crazy! It's a long process, but for me, it is worth the extra effort.

What is your daily routine at the moment ?
I wake up and eat breakfast while I check my email and read for a while. Then I have a little routine that consists of some yoga and Pilates mat work that I always do before I leave in the morning. We have 10:30 class for either an hour or hour and a half depending on the day. We then rehearse all day with an hour off somewhere until 6:00. If there is a performance, I grab a little something to eat, get physical therapy, do hair/makeup, and then perform at 7:30 or 8:00. If I don't, I usually just head home, eat dinner, and either watch television, workout, sew shoes, take an Epsom salts bath, get random things done, or all of the above! I try and always go to bed at a decent hour because I really need my sleep.

You can ask six famous people to dinner - who would you invite ?
Audrey Hepburn, George Balanchine, Darci Kistler, Fred Astaire, Coco Chanel, and HM Queen Elizabeth.

What would surprise people about you ?
My mom is my best friend. We really no longer have a mother - daughter relationship. I can tell her anything, and she is my rock.

Kathryn Morgan in Flower Festival in Genzano

Who inspired you to dance ?
I grew up watching many different dancers on videos - Alessandra Ferri, Darcey Bussell, Julie Kent, Darci Kistler, and so I was inspired by and looked up to all of them. But I think what really drove me to dance was not a 'who' but a 'what' - music. Even before I could walk, I was obsessed with music, especially classical, and it was as if I wanted to become the music itself. Dancing was the only way I knew how.

What is your best piece of advice ?
Although it is easier said than done, don't compare yourself to others. If you constantly worry about what other people are doing, you are letting time go by that you could be using to improve your own dancing. There is always going to be someone who can jump higher, turn more, and have better extension. Instead, work on what you need to improve and be proud of your own strengths. Believe in yourself!

How do you prepare in the hours before a show ?
I definitely have a little routine. I always shower so I feel fresh. I make sure I eat a little something to have energy but nothing too heavy to weigh me down. Then I always do my hair first and makeup second. I am a little obsessive about my makeup; it is actually somewhat of a stress-reliever for me and calms me down before a performance. Then I head down to the stage about an hour before I am scheduled to dance to stretch, warm-up, and get my shoes on. Then I get into costume at about the ten minute call so I can jump around onstage and practice a few things before curtain.

Kathryn Morgan and Tyler Angle in The Sleeping Beauty

Which role has tested you the most & how ?
Definitely Aurora in The Sleeping Beauty. It is the most technically challenging role I have ever done. The hardest part is knowing how to pace yourself throughout the course of the evening. It is not a role where you push as hard as you can for five minutes and then you're done. With Aurora, you carry the entire ballet and have to show not only pristine technique but the character change from an excited 16-year-old to a regal princess.

If you were asked to design your own ballet costume, what would you create ?
Either something long and flowing in a pastel color or a tutu with tons of sparkling jewels! Two totally different costumes, but I think both are 'me' in some way!

What do you look for in a dance partner ?
First off, someone I can completely trust. Also, someone who cares not just about the steps but about the music and artistry of whatever ballet we are doing. I think that is why Tyler Angle I and dance so well together. We both hear music the same way and have the same artistic approach to our roles. Most importantly, I trust him 200%.

What is your favourite quote ?
"Strive to be quietly excellent." - Rick Morgan - my dad! I grew up on this statement.

Do you have a ‘signature step’ – one that comes naturally to you ?
I am not really known for any one 'step' per se. My trademark is definitely my artistic side and lyricism. I love getting into character and acting onstage. I think this is because I am shy in real life, and ballet is my way of expressing my emotions. Even if the ballet I am doing has no story, I love finding something to convey in everything I dance.

Kathryn Morgan in Scotch Symphony with Robert Fairchild

A phrase I use far too often is ... ?
" I'm sorry". I'm always saying it in rehearsals!

What’s been your best on-stage moment so far ?
I believe it would have to be dancing Juliet (from Romeo & Juliet). It is the most fulfilling ballet to dance because it allows you to feel every emotion anyone could ever have. My debut was so exciting and will be something I will never forget. However, I have loved developing the role over time and finding a different story with every Romeo I dance with - I've had three!

Do you have a secret skill which no-one knows about ?
Well it's not a secret, but I play the piano. I took lessons for seven years.

Kathryn Morgan in Peter Martins' Stabat Mater

In terms of your ballet career, where would you like to be in a year from now ?
I hope to just be dancing as much as I can. I would love to guest and perform in many places and do a wide variety of roles. I hope to keep improving both my technique and artistry and challenge myself to be the best dancer I can. One other thing I hope to do is bring ballet to people who, right now, might not know anything about it. That is why I enjoy using facebook, twitter, and other technology, to expose the world to ballet.

BALLET NEWS UPDATES

Hi everyone,

I'm going to start off with news about Darcey Bussell, who became Godmother to a ship last week - and launched it in some style, with four outfits.

Next I wanted to stare with you a new video from The Royal Opera House, on the upcoming triple bill - Electric Counterpoint/New Scarlett/Carmen.

Tamara Rojo

Photograph :  Bernardo Doral

Now for some exciting news of Royal Ballet Principal Tamara Rojo, who will be performing a Spanish dance duet called Romance de Luna, with Ballet Nacional de Espana’s principal bailarin Miguel A. Corbacho, at the London Coliseum later this month.

Romance de Luna was originally created in 1989 for star ballerina Natalia Makarova when she returned to the Mariinsky theatre. It is choreographed by Ballet Nacional de Espana’s artistic director Jose Antonio.

Choreography: José Antonio
Music: José Nieto
Lighting Design and Dress Design: José Antonio
Lighting Production: Carlos Guerrero and Rafael Yunta
Costume Production: Peris

Tamara dances on Tuesday 27th April (7.30pm), Saturday 1st May (7.30pm) and Sunday 2nd May (4pm).

Tamara Rojo

Photograph :  Bernardo Doral

Birmingham Royal Ballet offers you the chance to see the quite spectacular 'The Centre and it's Opposite', and I hope that you will not miss it if you are in the north or east.

Media release:  BIRMINGHAM ROYAL BALLET’S 2010 SPLIT-TOUR

COMPANY AND ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA SPLIT IN HALF TO PERFORM IN MID-SCALE VENUES ACROSS THE UK

Grosse Fuge

Kevin O'Hare, Joseph Cipolla, Wolfgang Stollwitzer, Andrew Murphy

Photograph :  Bill Cooper

Between 25 May and 5 June 2010, Birmingham Royal Ballet once again embarks upon a tour of mid-scale venues throughout the UK. In its 20th anniversary year the company will divide into two with half of the company travelling to the southwest of the country and the remaining half travelling to the north and east. This year, the split tour will see the company perform in Sheffield, York, Durham and Kings Lynn in the north and east and Cheltenham, Poole and Truro in the southwest.

The split-tour initiative, now in its seventh year, enables the company to present full-scale works with orchestral accompaniment in venues not normally associated with a company of this size. The works to be performed have been carefully chosen to demonstrate the versatility of the company, ensuring that audiences have access to the highest quality of dance performances available in the UK today.

In the north and east the triple bill will celebrate pieces by company Director David Bintley, Australian Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Garry Stewart and celebrated choreographer Hans van Manen. In the southwest choreography by David Bintley, George Balanchine and John Cranko will delight audiences.

Brouillards

Photograph :  Bill Cooper

Performing in the north and east, Allegri diversi is a short piece by David Bintley, choreographed for Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet (now Birmingham Royal Ballet) in 1987. The effortless elegance of the dance gives life to Rossini’s light and playful score. Grosse Fuge is choreographed by Hans van Manen and sees delicate interplay between groups of men and women to the music of Ludwig van Beethoven. The Centre and its Opposite by Australian Dance Theatre’s Artistic Director Garry Stewart sees the dancers directly competing for the attention of the audience, fusing classical ballet with hard-edged contemporary dance to music by Huey Benjamin.

In the southwest the triple bill includes Brouillards with choreography by John Cranko. The piece is based upon nine of composer Claude Debussy’s piano preludes. The title of the piece, Brouillards means ‘mists’, and it is this image that bookends the choreography of the ballet, with the dancers appearing and disappearing from the stage leaving behind nothing but memories. The Dance House by Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Director David Bintley was created following the death of a friend and is set to Shostakovich’s Concerto for Piano, Trumpet and Strings. Slaughter on Tenth Avenue is a crazy comedic piece from the 1930s musical On Your Toes with choreography from George Balanchine and music by Richard Rodgers.

Allegri Diversi

Photograph : Brian Slater

North and East venues

25 &26 May Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield Box Office: 0114 249 6000
28 & 29 May Theatre Royal, York Box Office: 01904 623568
1 & 2 June Gala Theatre, Durham Box Office: 0191 332 4041
4 & 5 June Corn Exchange, Kings Lynn Box Office: 01553 764864

Southwest venues

25 & 26 May Everyman, Cheltenham Box Office: 01242 572573
28 & 29 May The Lighthouse, Poole Box Office: 0844 4068666
4 & 5 June Hall For Cornwall, Truro Box Office: 01872 262466

Royal Ballet Principal Lauren Cuthbertson

(who has been off stage due to illness since last summer)

Finally, to thrill you into the weekend, here is an update on my last post on the outdoor performance by some of the dancers of The Royal Ballet in France later this summer.

I can tell you that some of the rep will include excerpts from :

Wayne McGregor's Chroma danced by Mara Galeazzi, Edward Watson, Steven McRae, Ludovic Ondiviela and Johannes Stepanek;

George Balanchine's Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux danced by Marianela Nuñez and Thiago Soares

Marius Petipa's Le Corsaire Pas de Deux danced by Yuhui Choe and Sergei Polunin.

Wayne McGregor's Chroma for The Royal Ballet

Photograph :  Johan Persson

There is also some more information on the ticket pricing (tickets will be available later this month).  You have two very appealling choices - tickets are 33 euros for the performance itself or 100 euros for the performance, private reception with the dancers, food and drink.

Further details of a limited number of subsidised tickets for students, children and others will be released shortly.

Royal Ballet Principal Thiago Soares

Photograph :  Johan Persson