Amelia

Verdi's Les Vêpres Siciliennes, which opens on 17 October, was due to have a 40-minute ballet sequence: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/theatre-dance/news/turmoil-at-the-royal-opera-house-as-choreographer-pulls-out-of-giuseppe-verdis-les-vpres-siciliennes-8650306.html Now we learnt that due to “artistically differing approaches to the project” between the opera director Stefan Herheim and Johan Kobborg the latter has left the production and a new choreographer has been brought in, working with freelance dancers. In their joint statement Kevin O’Hare, Director of The Royal Ballet and Kasper Holten, Director of Opera said: “There will still be a strong element of dance in the production, however no longer featuring Artists from The Royal Ballet, The Royal Danish Ballet and students from The Royal Ballet School": http://www.classicalsource.com/db_control/db_news.php?id=2448 If the differencies were between Herheim and Kobborg, why should dancers be replaced by those from outside the Company? Out of curiosity I would like to ask if there has been such a precedent in the past when RB’s own members were replaced in the ROH production by freelance dancers?

“… he had been a member of the Royal Ballet, where he had languished in the corps de ballet for five seasons, growing increasingly frustrated as advancement passed him by.” http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/theatreblog/2011/aug/02/xander-parish-mariinsky-ballet-chopiniana I can imagine how proud and happy Xander felt knowing that his solo performance with Mariinsky was being watched in Britain.

Alison wrote: "Maybe worth trying?" Yes, Alison, I tried and was offered one seat in the Director's Box with restricted view for £79. No other seats were available.

Bolshoi Ballet brought ‘Le Corsaire’ and ‘The Bright Stream’ to Australia: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/dance/bolshoi-dancers-prove-real-men-do-ballet-20130527-2n70r.html http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/stage/bolshoi-principals-in-world-of-private-grief/story-fn9d344c-1226651699474 A photo gallery: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/gallery-e6frg8n6-1226651869269?page=1 A video: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-29/bolshoi-ballet-returns-to-australia-after-two/4721550?section=entertainment Masha Alexandrova: Backstage at the Bolshoi: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-05-31/backstage-at-the-bolshoi/4727018 BOLSHOI BALLET GALA OPENING EXQUISITE: Review http://universivt.blogspot.co.nz/2013/05/bolshoi-ballet-gala-opening-exquisite.html?showComment=1369996343600#c7788286022492489403 http://www.australianstage.com.au/201306026350/reviews/brisbane/le-corsaire-|-bolshoi-ballet.html Bolshoi Ballet delivers bravura and beauty http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/dance/bolshoi-ballet-delivers-bravura-and-beauty-20130531-2ng0c.html#ixzz2Uq4QyCha http://www.stagewhispers.com.au/reviews/le-corsaire http://www.dancehubmagazine.com.au/le-corsaire-bolshoi-ballet/ Changed layout.

A friend of mine asked the management at the Stanislavsky Theatre about casting for other dates. They replied: 12 July mat - Sobolevsky, N.Somova 12 July evn - Velichko, Mikirticheva 13 July evn - Velichko, N.Somova Edited for technical hick-up.

An interesting point from The Guardian: “Ironically, a key player in bringing Coppélia to London is the Danish choreographer Schaufuss and on Tuesday they were side by side with no obvious hard feelings. Schaufuss said: "Once in a while a dancer comes along who has special technique, special powers, special talent…” http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2013/may/28/ballet-star-sergei-polunin-coppelia

A new article about Sergei Polunin with a video: http://rbth.ru/arts/2013/05/27/russian_ballet_dancer_polunin_finds_freedom_in_moscow_theatre_26397.html

Moscow ballet: Top of the world for one British student. Daniel Dolan, a dance student from Great Britain http://rbth.ru/society/2013/05/27/moscow_ballet_top_of_the_world_for_one_british_student_26421.html Diary of a dancer: Xander Parish http://www.opendemocracy.net/od-russia/xander-parish/diary-of-dancer

It is not surprising if we remember what summer we had last year. Impresarios knew that London will be full of sport fans, it will be impossible for ballet companies to compete with the Olympics' appeal as well as to get fair accommodation rates. The Bolshoi is coming to London this year instead of 2012 for this particular reason. It is one-of-the-kind backlog of business.

"Coppelia" is clearly announced on Coliseum website: Roland Petit’s Coppelia MOSCOW STANISLAVSKY BALLET VISITING COMPANY http://www.eno.org/see-whats-on/productions/production-page.php?&itemid=2409#book

When I was buying my tickets today, I was warned: "Since this is a foreign company there will be no refunds."

Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Merkuriev in Modena and Parma: http://www.modenatoday.it/eventi/svetlana-zakharova-al-teatro-comunale-di-modena.html http://eventi.parma.it/allegato.asp?ID=852869 If someone saw these galas, please, tell us about them.

The young Bolshoi ballerina Angelina Vorontsova made her debut in ‘Giselle’ at Nureyev International Ballet Festival in Kazan’ on 16th of May. Her Albert was her teacher at the Bolshoi Nikolai Tsiskaridze. According to a Moscow newspaper “MK” the ovation lasted for 20 minutes: http://kazan.mk.ru/news/2013/05/17/855622-nikolaya-tsiskaridze-v-kazani-ne-otpuskali-so-stsenyi-20-minut.html The “Elita” magazine displayed 24 photographs of that performance: http://www.elitat.ru/?rub=21&st=5627&type=3

Additionally, they have announced lectures as well: THE GOLDEN AGE OF RUSSIAN BALLET AND THEATRE DESIGN 18TH APRIL 2013 - 28TH JULY 2013 LECTURE SERIES RSVP info@saintpetersburggallery.com The lectures are interesting of course but the admission fees sweep off scale. Estimated, apparently, for the Russian Knightsbridge set.

DANCES WITH WOLVES by Todd Cole http://content.bitsontherun.com/videos/DfpMrQPi-g2POnbCj.mp4 http://tankmagazine.com/issue-58/fashion/dances-with-wolves Edited: the second link added.

“Famed Ballerina From the Bolshoi Ballet Still Has “Wonderment” in Her Dancing” http://www.towntopics.com/wordpress/2013/04/24/famed-ballerina-from-the-bolshoi-ballet-still-has-wonderment-in-her-dancing/ So sad to read.

Yes, Ian, I was also thinking of that smooth, sliding movement, which was always a hallmark of the ‘Berioska Ensemble’. (‘Berioska’ is an affectionate Russian word for a silver birch-tree.) The difference here is that the ballet dancers in R & J were not wearing the black ballroom dresses but were holding and even moving them away from their bodies, while the ‘Berioska’ girls are dancing in their full -length pinafores. Roll down this page to the third picture and click on the arrow to see the’Berioska’ dance. Beautifully choreographed: http://asaratov.livejournal.com/2388426.html

Svetlana Zakharova announced that her gala at the Bolshoi Theatre on 21 April will consist of 3 parts. In the first part she will dance with Sergei Polunin in Ashton’s ‘Marguerite & Armand’ performed by .the Stanislavsky Ballet. She danced this role before in La Scala. http://www.cultradio.ru/doc.html?id=440338&cid=46

Both Mark Monahan and Neil Norman give one star to "Midnight Express" and show their appreciation why Polunin and Zelensky abandoned this production. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/drama/9987866/Midnight-Express-Peter-Schaufuss-Ballet-London-Coliseum-review.html http://www.express.co.uk/entertainment/theatre/391311/Midnight-Express-London-Coliseum-Ballet-review I don't even remember one star being given to any other ballet (ballet?) production.

Then it is an outstanding self-generation, which managed to generate the additional involvement of two persons and two companies who had nothing to do with the Midnight Express saga.

When after his successful performances with Mikhailovsky Ballet in London Denis Matvienko returned to Kiev he learned that he had been relieved of the Artistic Director's duties and is now just a Soloist in the company. Ironically, it happened after he successfully produced Natalia Makarova's 'La Bayadere' in Kiev. I listened to Matvienko's press conference and couldn't help feeling sorry for him. The good thing is that he is a brilliant dancer and the best theatres want him. http://www.gramilano.com/2013/04/denis-matvienko-is-fired-as-artistic-director-of-the-kiev-ballet/

And look at what The Express wrote: "The Ukrainian dancer left bosses at the English National Ballet frantic after failing to turn up for rehearsals last week (begs01Apr13). The company's artistic director Tamara Rojo has now revealed Polunin is "in Moscow and is ok". In an interview with the BBC, she adds, "Sergei is an amazing artist and a complicated man. "Sometimes the price people have to pay for that level of artistry is that it is not consistent or predictable." Everything is in one pile: Midnight Express, Cervera, Polunin, English National Ballet, Schaufuss, Rojo.

Tamara Rojo told the BBC: "Sergei is an amazing artist and a complicated man. Sometimes the price people have to pay for that level of artistry is that it is not consistent or predictable." http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-22076802

Sim, on 08 Apr 2013 - 13:37, said: "it will be very interesting to see how Osipova interprets the MacMillan repertoire, as well as the more contemporarly pieces." I have no qualms about it. She danced MacMillan's 'R & J' with ABT to a great acclaim: I remember David Hallberg’s interview. He adored her and confessed that never he had such inspiration before and felt united with a stage partner - they felt like being one. She is brilliant in contemporary pieces. It is enough to remember her in MacGregor's duet with Edward Watson at a gala in CG on 30 October last year; also in Twyla Tharp’s ‘In the Upper Room’, in Petit’s ‘Passacaglia’, Forsythe’s ‘Herman Schmermann’, Ratmansky’s ‘Russian Seasons’ and many others. Here is her schedule up to July this year: http://www.ardani.com/tours-osipova.php

Mr. Kekhman breaks the news: The Principal of Mikhailovsky Theatre in St.Petersburg Natalya Osipova has become also a Principal of the Royal Ballet in Great Britain. The ‘Izvestiya’ newspaper was informed about it by the Director General of the Mikhailovsky Theatre Vladimir Kekhman. According to him, the official announcement will be made soon by the management of the Royal Ballet. At the same time Natalya Osipova will remain a Principal of the Mikhailovsky and will continue dancing on its stage in the earlier scheduled repertoire. http://izvestia.ru/news/548185#ixzz2Ps3pPK62 Edited to remove Russian script.