Press Release: Carlos Acosta: A Classical Selection, London Coliseum, 8 -13 December 2015

[Jan McNulty]

Carlos Acosta

A Classical Selection

London Coliseum, St. Martin’s Lane, WC2N

Tuesday 8 - Sunday 13 December 2015

Performances: Tues – Sat at 7.30pm, Sun at 5pm

Tickets: £19 - £90

Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com  

020 7845 9300 or www.eno.org

 

“Carlos Acosta is the great male ballet dancer of his generation, a virtuoso performer who could – from the moment we first saw him as a gauche 18 year old – soar across the stage as if suspended from the sky”The Telegraph

 

One of the greatest male dancers of this generation, Carlos Acosta returns to the London Coliseum for a limited run from Tuesday 8 - Sunday 13 December 2015, with A Classical Selection, presenting highlights from Carlos’ career in celebration of twenty-four years as a dancer on the London stage.  The production follows the popular format of his 2006 show Carlos Acosta with Guests of The Royal Ballet, for which he won an Olivier Award, this time featuring a new selection of classical works.

 

Carlos Acosta has thrilled audiences throughout the world with his breathtaking performances, including principal roles in many ballets in the classical repertoire.

 

Carlos has put together a programme with Guest Artists from The Royal Ballet, presenting some of his favourite pieces from the classical repertoire. At the London Coliseum, Carlos is joined by Marianela Nunez, Zenaida Yanowsky, Yuhui Choe, Tierney Heap, Anna Rose O’Sullivan, Thiago Soares, Valeri Hristov and Nehemiah Kish. The evening’s programme is accompanied by the ENO Orchestra conducted by Paul Murphy.

 

The performance includes a number of the most famous pas de deux from the classical and neo-classical canon. Extracts performed include Kenneth MacMillan’s Winter Dreams, George Balanchine’s Agon, August Bournonville’s La Sylphide and Diana & Acteon by Agrippina Vaganova.

 

Acosta trained at the National Ballet School of Cuba and won the Gold Medal at the Prix de Lausanne (1990). He was a principal with English National Ballet (1991–2), danced with National Ballet of Cuba under Alicia Alonso (1992–3) and was a principal with Houston Ballet under Ben Stevenson (1993–8). He joined The Royal Ballet in 1998 and became a Principal Guest Artist in 2003. Acosta has frequently appeared worldwide with companies including American Ballet Theatre, Paris Opera Ballet, Kirov, Bolshoi and Australian Ballet.

 

Acosta’s past productions have played to sell-out audiences and have been lauded by critics and audiences alike. He was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List in 2014 for his services to ballet and is passionate about nurturing and inspiring the next generation of dancers through the Carlos Acosta International Dance Foundation. The award marked the end of a remarkable year which had seen him stage a new production of Don Quixote at the Royal Opera House, release his debut novel Pig’s Foot, which was subsequently named as one of the Waterstone’s Eleven, an annual list of some of the most promising debut novels. This forthcoming season he also choreographs Carmen at the Royal Opera House and Chichester Festival Theatre’s new production of Guys and Dolls which is due to transfer to the West End at the end of 2015. At the National Dance Awards 2015 Acosta was awarded the De Valois Award for Lifetime Achievement.

 

Full programme details to be announced.

 

Co-produced by Sadler’s Wells and Valid Productions

Presented in association with Como No

 

 

Notes to editors

 

Listings information

Carlos Acosta

A Classical Selection

London Coliseum, St. Martin’s Lane, WC2N

Tuesday 8 - Sunday 13 December 2015

Performances: Tues – Sat at 7.30pm & Sun at 5pm

Tickets: £19 - £90

Ticket Office: 020 7863 8000 or www.sadlerswells.com or 020 7845 9300 or www.eno.org

 

ABOUT SADLER’S WELLS

Sadler's Wells is a world-leading dance house, committed to producing, commissioning and presenting new works and to bringing the very best international and UK dance to London and worldwide audiences. Under the Artistic Directorship of Alistair Spalding, the theatre’s acclaimed year-round programme spans dance of every kind, from contemporary to flamenco, Bollywood to ballet, salsa to street dance and tango to tap. Since 2005 it has helped to bring over 90 new dance works to the stage and its award-winning commissions and collaborative productions regularly tour internationally. Sadler’s Wells supports 16 Associate Artists, three Resident Companies and an Associate Company and nurtures the next generation of talent through hosting the National Youth Dance Company, its Summer University programme, Wild Card initiative and its New Wave Associates.

 

Located in Islington, north London, the current theatre is the sixth to have stood on the site since it was first built by Richard Sadler in 1683. The venue has played an illustrious role in the history of theatre ever since, with The Royal Ballet, Birmingham Royal Ballet and English National Opera all having started at Sadler’s Wells. 

 

Sadler’s Wells is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation and currently receives approximately 10% of its revenue from Arts Council England.

 

[LinMM]

I have to,be in London from the 9th to 13th December so definitely hope to catch this one evening then.

[cavycapers]

Woohoo, thank you so much for mentioning this. I would never have found it otherwise. Have booked ticket for the Sunday!

[Mummykool]

Me too!

[Don Q Fan]

I've got my ticket for the Sunday early evening - it has been very tricky finding trains to cope with this silly 5pm timing but just managed it by jumping through some hoops as hotel prices are through the roof!

Edited October 15, 2015 by Don Q Fan

[Mary]

I was pleased to get 20% off by booking this and ENB next triple bill at the same time through Sadlers Wells...it all helps...