PHOTO GALLERIES
ROMEO AND JULIET - DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET 2019
Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet revives Rudi van Dantzig's grand production of Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet, originally premiered in 1967 as the first evening-length ballet created in the Netherlands. Two casts were photographed on 9 October 2019 at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam. Qian Liu (Juliet), Semyon Velichko (Romeo), Edo Wijnen (Mercutio) and Jozef Varga (Tybalt); Salome Leverashvili (Juliet), Timothy van Poucke (Romeo), Edo Wijnen (Mercutio) and Jared Wright (Tybalt). Sets designed by Toer van Schayk. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2019 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
SWAN LAKE - DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET 2019
After a break of some 8 years Swan Lake in the acclaimed production by Rudi van Dantzig (1988) returns to the stage at Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Sets and costumes are designed by Toer van Schayk, lights by Jan Hofstra. Two casts were photographed during this revival at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam on 14 and 15 March 2019: Maia Makhateli and Daniel Camargo, Anna Tsygankova and Constantine Allen. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2019 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
CINDERELLA RETURNS TO AMSTERDAM
Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet revives the splendid production of Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella from Christopher Wheeldon, originally premiered at the Amsterdam Muziektheater on December 13, 2012. Two casts were photographed on 10 and 11 December 2018. The premiere cast was led by Anna Tsygankova (Cinderella), Constantine Allen (The Prince), Vera Tsyganova (Stepmother Hortensia), Emaounela Merdjanova (Stepsister Edwina), Suzanna Kaic (Stepsister Clementine) and Remi Wörtmeyer (Benjamin, friend of the Prince). A second cast was danced by Maia Makhateli, Artur Shesterikov, Emanouela Merdjanova, Erica Horwood, Milena Sidorova and Edo Wijnen. Sets and costumes were designed by Julian Crouch, lighting by Natasha Katz. Basil Twist created the tree and carriage scene. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA BAYADÈRE IN BERLIN
Alexei Ratmansky continues his reconstructions of the Marius Petipa classics with La Bayadère for the Berlin State Ballet/Staatsballett Berlin. The original choreography is reconstructed with the Stepanov notations preserved at the Sergeyev Collection at Harvard University, the spirit of the age with extensive archival research. The ballet was created in 1877, the notations were made during a revival in 1900. Sets and costumes are by Jérôme Kaplan, light design by Linus Fellbom. The premiere took place at the Berliner Staatsoper on 4 November 2018. Photography dating from November 2, with the premiere cast led by Polina Semionova (Nikiya), Alejandro Virelles (Solor) and Yolanda Correa (Gamzatti). More details about this production on the site of the Berlin State Ballet. Photos with kind permission of Berlin State Ballet/Staatsballett Berlin. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA DAME AUX CAMÉLIAS RETURNS TO AMSTERDAM
John Neumeier's La Dame aux Camélias/Kameliendame entered its second run at Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet in October 2018. Two casts were photographed (October 12) Igone de Jongh, Daniel Camargo, Constantine Allen, Vera Tsyganova, Qian Liu, Artur Shesterikov; (October 10) Anna Tsygankova, James Stout, Young Gyu Choi, Suzanna Kaic, Vera Tsyganova, Artur Shesterikov. Designs by Jürgen Rose, light design by John Neumeier. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
DUTCH DOUBLES
In Dutch Doubles dancemakers from the Netherlands or with strong links to the Dutch dance stage collaborate with artists from other disciplines to create new works. This second edition from Dutch Doubles by het Nationale Ballet introduced two world premieres: Impermanence from Ernst Meisner working with harpist/composer Remy van Kesteren, and Last Resistance from Annabelle Lopez Ochoa in close cooperation with singer Wende Snijders. Moreover two shorter pieces were revived: Two and Only from Wubkje Kuindersma set to music from Michael Benjamin, and Déjà Vu from Hans van Manen. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS 2018
The 2018 edition of Ensemble Productions' annual Russian Ballet Icons gala celebrated the 200th anniversary of the legendary Marius Petipa and was performed on February 25 at the London Coliseum. Dancers included Maria Alexandrova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Anna Tikhomirova, Artem Ovcharenko, Vladislav Lantratov (Bolshoi Ballet), Ekaterina Kondaurova, Viktoria Tereshkina, Vladimir Shklyarov, Kimin Kim, Xander Parish, Roman Belyakov (Mariinsky Ballet), Francesca Hayward, Mayara Magri, Federico Bonelli, Fernando Montaño, Stanislaw Wegrzyn (Royal Ballet), Sergio Bernal (Ballet Nacional de España), Claudia D'Antonio, Giuseppe Picone (Teatro di San Carlo Napoli), Polina Semionova and Alexei Orlenco (Berlin State Ballet). The evening brought two world premieres: Flashback from Ilya Zhivoy and Warrior of Light from Julian and Nicholas MacKay, performed by Maria Sascha Khan, Nadia Khan, Nicholas MacKay and Fernando Montaño. With kind permission of Olga Balakleets, Artistic Director, and special thanks to Yulia Milovanova. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
DON QUIXOTE RETURNS TO AMSTERDAM 2018
Alexei Ratmansky's superb staging of Don Quixote for the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet was premiered in Amsterdam in February 2010 and returns to the stage eight years later. Scenery and costume design by Jérôme Kaplan; lighting design by James F. Ingalls. The premiere cast of the revival run was photographed at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam (9 February 2018): Maia Makhateli as Kitri, Daniel Camargo as Basilio, Sasha Mukhamedov as Queen of the Dryads, Riho Sakamoto as Cupid, Vito Mazzeo as Gamache, Nicolas Rapaic as Don Quixote, Aya Okumura and Naira Agvanean as Flower girls. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2018 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY AWAKENS IN AMSTERDAM 2017
Revival of the eye-catching production and staging of The Sleeping Beauty from Sir Peter Wright (1981) for the winter holidays. Sets and costumes by Philip Prowse and lighting design by Jan Hofstra. Two casts were photographed at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam (7 and 8 December 2017): Anna Ol, Artur Shesterikov, Pascalle Paerel and Samantha Mednick (7/12); Sasha Mukhamedov, Jozef Varga, Erica Horwood and Igone de Jongh (8/12). Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2017 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
MATA HARI IN AMSTERDAM 2017
Second run of this spectacular story ballet about the infamous Dutch spy Mata Hari at Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet, in a brilliant choreography by director Ted Brandsen and superb music by Tarik O'Regan. Costumes were designed by François-Noël Cherpin, the sets by Clement & Sanöu. Two casts were photographed at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam (11 and 13 October 2017): Igone de Jongh, Jozef Varga, James Stout and Marijn Rademaker (11/10); Maia Makhateli, Vito Mazzeo, Young Gyu Choi and Artur Shesterikov (13/10). Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2017 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
ONEGIN BACK IN AMSTERDAM
John Cranko's Onegin was after 15 years revived by Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. The company was coached by Jane Bourne, the production was supervised by Tamas Detrich. Two casts were photographed. Anna Tsygankova and Jozef Varga performed Tatyana and Onegin, with Remi Wörtmeyer and Qian Liu as Lensky and Olga on the premiere in the Amsterdam Muziektheater on 29 March. The second cast was headed by Anna Ol and Artur Shesterikov, and Edo Wijnen and Jessica Xuan. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2017 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS 2017
The 2017 edition of Ensemble Productions' annual Russian Ballet Icons gala was following in the steps of the Ballets Russes and took place on March 12 at the London Coliseum. Dancers included Krisitna Kretova, Maria Alexandrova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Dmitry Gudanov, Vladislav Lantratov (Bolshoi Ballet), Svetlana Lunkina (National Ballet of Canada), Yulia Makhalina, Vladimir Shklyarov, Xander Parish (Mariinsky Ballet), Tamara Rojo, Isaac Hernandez (English National Ballet), Sarah Lamb, Zenaida Yanowsky, Edward Watson, Steven McRae, Vadim Muntagirov (Royal Ballet), Liudmila Konovalova, Davide Dato (Vienna State Ballet), Iana Salenko (Berlin State Ballet), Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet), Tyler Angle (New York City Ballet), Lisa Hämäläinen, Alexis Oliveira (Ballets de Monte-Carlo), Lucia Lacarra, Marlon Dino (Dortmund Theater). The evening also saw the world premiere of Theatrum Vitae, conceived by Rafael Porzycki and choreographed by Xenia Wiest. A group of students from the Vaganova Academy in St. Petersburg (Vlada Borodulina, Polina Bualova, Oscar Frame, Pasha Mikheev, Alexandra Khiteyeva, Elya Sevenard, Alexandra Korshunova) performed excerpts from The Fairy Doll. With kind permission of Olga Balakleets, Artistic Director, and special thanks to Yulia Milovanova. All photographs © 2017 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
SWAN LAKE RECONSTRUCTED - LA SCALA
Alexei Ratmansky's reconstruction of the Petipa/Ivanov Swan Lake is a co-production between Teatro alla Scala and Opernhaus Zürich. The Milanese company premiered the ballet on 30 June 2016. The production was designed by Jérôme Kaplan and lit by Martin Gebhardt. Photos taken on tour in Paris, Palais des Congràs on 5 November 2016, with the original premiere cast headed by Nicoletta Manni, Timofej Andrijashenko, Mick Zeni and Christian Fagetti. With kind permission of Franceconcert. All photographs © 2016 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA BAYADÈRE IN AMSTERDAM
Natalia Makarova's production of Petipa's La Bayadàre was revived by Dutch National Ballet in October 2016. The company first danced the ballet in 2007. The current run was premiered at Amsterdam's Muziektheater on October 8 with Anna Tsygankova, Daniel Camargo and Sasha Mukhamedov in the main roles. A second cast was headed by Anna Ol, Artur Shesterikov and Suzanna Kaic. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2016 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
SWAN LAKE RECONSTRUCTED - ZÜRICH BALLET
Alexei Ratmansky continues his quest to bring us closer to the spirit of Marius Petipa and Lev Ivanov by reviving their 1895 Swan Lake as it emerges from the Stepanov notations preserved at the Sergeyev Collection at Harvard University. The reconstruction was premiered by the Zürich Ballet on 6 February 2016 at the Zürich Opera House. The production was designed by Jérôme Kaplan and lit by Martin Gebhardt. Photos taken with two casts on April 30 and May 1, 2016 at the Zürich Opera House. With kind permission of Ballett Zürich. Special thanks to Alexei Ratmansky and Nila Chea of the Zürich Opera House. All photographs © 2016 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA NUIT DES ETOILES, 2016
La Nuit des Etoiles, organised by David Makhateli and Denis Autier/D&D Art Productions, returned after two years to the Brussels Cirque Royal, on 20 March 2016. The dancers featured were Iana Salenko and Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Maria Florencia Chinellato and Matias Oberlin (Hamburg Ballet), Maia Makhateli and Artur Shesterikov (Dutch National Ballet), Myriam Ould Braham and Mickaël Lafon (Paris Opera Ballet), David Yudes, Vadim Muntagirov and Steven McRae (Royal Ballet), Daria Klimentova (formerly English National Ballet), and Rina Kanehara (English National Ballet). All photographs © 2016 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. Photos with kind permission of David Makhateli and Denis Autier. |
MATA HARI REVIVED IN AMSTERDAM
Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet brought the turbulent life of Dutch dancer and World War I spy Mata Hari to the stage in an eye-catching, large-scale new production, choreographed by director Ted Brandsen and scored by Tarik O'Regan. Costumes were designed by François-Noël Cherpin, the sets by Clement & Sanöu. Two casts were photographed at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam (4 and 5 February 2016). The world premiere on 6 February was danced by Anna Tsygankova, Jozef Varga, Casey Herd and Artur Shesterikov. The second cast was led by Igone de Jongh, Vito Mazzeo, James Stout and Martin ten Kortenaar. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2016 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
GISELLE IN AMSTERDAM
Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet revived its production of Giselle in October/November 2015. This beautiful traditional staging was created for the company by Rachel Beaujean and Ricardo Bustamante in 2009. Toer van Schayk designed sets and costumes. Two casts were photographed at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam (10 and 12 October 2015). The first featured Anna Tsygankova, Jozef Varga, Sasha Mukhamedov and James Stout in the leading roles, the second was headed by Maia Makhateli, Artur Shesterikov, Nadia Yanowsky and Roman Artyushkin. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
GALA DES ETOILES, GRAND THEATRE LUXEMBOURG, 15 MAY 2015
The 2015 edition of the annual ballet gala in Luxembourg hosted by DanceXperience was centred around Svetlana Zakharova (Bolshoi Ballet). It also included Iana Salenko and Dinu Tamazlacaru (Berlin State Ballet), Elena Glurjidze (English National Ballet) and Matthew Golding (Royal Ballet), Myrna Kamara (Arena di Verona) and Luca Giaccio, Lusymay di Stefano and Claudio Coviello (Teatro alla Scala), Maria Eichwald and Filip Barankiewicz (formerly Stuttgart Ballet), Natasa Dudar and Dan Datcu (National Theatre Brno), and Sylvia Camarda. Music was performed by Igor Zapravdin (Vienna State Opera) and André Mergenthaler. Photos with kind permission of Georges Rischette. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA DAME AUX CAMELIAS IN AMSTERDAM
John Neumeier's Lady of the Camellias/Kameliendame entered the repertoire of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam on April 10, 2015. The opening night was performed by Igone de Jongh, Marijn Rademaker, Maia Makhateli, Artur Shesterikov, Vera Tsyganova, Young Gyu Choi and Erica Horwood. Designs by Jürgen Rose, light design by John Neumeier. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet/Het Nationale Ballet. Special thanks to Ted Brandsen and Richard Heideman. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS GALA - 10th ANNIVERSARY
The 10th Anniversary Edition of Ensemble Productions' Russian Ballet Icons Gala took place at the London Coliseum Theatre on March 8, 2015. Dancers included Ekaterina Kondaurova, Olesya Novikova, Ekaterina Osmolkina, Xander Parish, Kimin Kim (Mariinsky Ballet), Iana Salenko and Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Ekaterina Krysanova (Bolshoi Ballet), Alina Cojocaru and Daria Klimentova (English National Ballet), Dorothée Gilbert and Audric Bezard (Paris Opera Ballet), Maia Makhateli and Artur Shesterikov (Dutch National Ballet), Daria Makhateli and Kenneth Greve (Finnish National Ballet), Natalia Osipova, Roberta Marquez, Marianela Nunez, Thiago Soares, Vadim Muntagirov, Edward Watson, Alexander Campbell and Federico Bonelli (Royal Ballet), Igor Zelensky (AD of the Stanislavsky Ballet), and Johan Kobborg (AD of the National Romanian Ballet) Photos with kind permission of Ensemble Productions. Special thanks to Olga Balakleets, Director of The Russian Ballet Icons Gala, Julia Milovanova and David Makhateli, Artistic director. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LADY OF THE CAMELLIAS IN MUNICH
John Neumeier's classic Lady of the Camellias/Kameliendame based upon Alexandre Dumas's fils novel of the same name was created for Stuttgart in 1978 and has been in the repertory of the Bavarian State Ballet since 1997. The production was designed by Jürgen Rose. In the current revival, on 15 February 2015 at the Munich National Theatre, Daria Sukhorukova (Marguerite), Zuzana Zakhradniková (Prudence), Séverine Ferrolier (Manon), Maxim Chashchegorov (Des Grieux), Javier Amo (Gaston), Ilya Sarkisov (Count N.), Ivy Amista (Olympe) and Peter Jolesch (The Duke) were joined by Bolshoi Ballet principal guest Artem Ovcharenko (Armand). Photos with kind permission of the Bavarian State Ballet. Special thanks to Susanne Ullmann, head of the press office. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LA SCALA'S GISELLE
January 31 through February 8 La Scala's Ballet resided at the Palais des Congrès in Paris with their production of Giselle. Svetlana Zakharova of the Bolshoi Ballet and Friedemann Vogel of Stuttgart Ballet appeared as principal guests on 3, 4 and 6 February. Sets and costumes in this production are created by Angelo Sala and Cinzia Rosselli, based on the original Alexander Benois designs. This selection was photographed on 4 and 6 February. Photos with kind permission of Franceconcert. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
ROMEO AND JULIET IN MUNICH The Bavarian State Ballet keeps John Cranko's version of Sergei Prokofiev's Romeo and Juliet in the repertoire since 1968. Cranko originally staged his Romeo in Stuttgart in 1962. The current Munich revival also preserves the magnificent Renaissance-style designs from Jürgen Rose and was rehearsed by Georgette Tsinguirides. This selection was photographed at the 239th performance of the ballet on 24 January 2015 at the National Theatre in Munich. Katherina Markowskaja and Lukás Slavický shared the roles of Romeo and Juliet. Mercutio was danced by Javier Amo, Tybalt by Cyril Pierre, Paris by Maxim Chaschegorov, Lady Capulet by Séverine Ferrolier, Benvolio by Ilya Sarkisov, and Friar Laurence by Peter Jolesch. Photos with kind permission of the Bavarian State Ballet. Special thanks to Susanne Ullmann, head of the press office. All photographs © 2015 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
PETIPA'S PAQUITA REVIVED IN MUNICH
Alexei Ratmansky revived Marius Petipa's Paquita for the Bavarian State Ballet (Bayerisches Staatsballett) in Munich. Based on the Stepanov notations kept at the Sergeyev Collection at Harvard University, Ratmansky and dance and music historian Doug Fullington were able to reconstruct Petipa's choreography (from 1881, revised in 1892 in St. Petersburg), as it was written down in 1904, as close as possible. New sets and costumes were designed by Jérôme Kaplan. The premiere of Paquita took place at the Munich National Theatre on 13 December 2014. Daria Sukhorukova created the role of Paquita, Tigran Mikayelyan was Lucien d'Hervilly and Cyril Pierre was Inigo. Supporting roles consisted of Peter Jolesch as the Count d'Hervilly, Elaine Underwood as the Countess, Norbert Graf as Governor Don Lopez de Mendoza, Katherina Markowskaja, Javier Amo and Mai Kono in the Pas de trois. This selection was photographed at the dress rehearsal of December 10. Photos with kind permission of the Bavarian State Ballet. Special thanks to Susanne Ullmann, head of the press office. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
LES ÉTOILES DU 21e SIÈCLE, PARIS 2014
The 17th edition of the annual gala Étoiles du 21e Siècle took place at the Paris Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (12-14 September 2014). The dancers featured were Lucia Lacarra and Marlon Dino (Munich, Bavarian State Ballet), Isabella Boylston and James Whiteside (American Ballet Theater), Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet) and Joaquin de Luz (New York City Ballet), Oxana Skorik and Timur Askerov (Mariinsky Ballet), Manuela Navarro and Gian Carlo Perez (Cuban National Ballet), Aurélien Houette and Erwan Leroux (Incidence Chorégraphique / Danseurs de l'Opéra de Paris). Artistic director Nadia Veselova-Tencer. Production Richard Stéphant, Associated Producer Solomon Tencer. With kind permission of Richard Stéphant / Sherwood Productions and Franck Peyrinaud. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. |
DAVID DAWSON'S GISELLE IN DRESDEN
In April 2014 the Dresden Semperoper Ballett revived Giselle in the staging by David Dawson. Dawson created his remarkable version of the Romantic ballet for the Semperoper in March 2008. The current revival was marked by two farewells of leading ballerinas from the company: Natalia Sologub danced her final performance on April 17, while Yumiko Takeshima, creator of the role in 2008, took her final bow on April 23. Choreography and staging by David Dawson, sets by Arne Walther, costumes by Yumiko Takeshima, lighting design by Bert Dahlhuysen. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. Photos with kind permission of David Dawson and the Dresden Semperoper Ballet. Special thanks to Yugana Pskhatsieva and Christina Zimmermann. |
LA NUIT DES ETOILES, 2014
The 2nd edition of La Nuit des Etoiles, organised by David Makhateli and Denis Autier/D&D Art Productions, took place in the Brussels Cirque Royal on 22 March 2014. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. Photos with kind permission of David Makhateli/Artistic Director D&D Art Productions. |
DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET FAIRYTALES - PART II: THE FIREBIRD
In a double bill called "Fairytales" the Dutch National Ballet revived Frederick Ashton's 1964 classic ballet The Dream coupled with the European premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's rework of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird. "Fairytales" opened March 1, 2014 at the Amsterdam Muziektheater. Ratmansky created The Firebird for American Ballet Theater in 2012. The Dutch National's opening night's cast of The Firebird included Anna Tsygankova (The Firebird), Artur Shesterikov (Prince Ivan), Jurgita Dronina (Young woman) and Vito Mazzeo (Kaschei). Sets were designed by Simon Pastukh, costumes by Galina Solovyova. Lighting design was created by Brad Fields. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. All Rights Reserved. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet. |
DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET FAIRYTALES - PART I: THE DREAM
In a double bill called "Fairytales" the Dutch National Ballet revived Frederick Ashton's 1964 classic ballet The Dream coupled with the European premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's rework of Igor Stravinsky's Firebird. "Fairytales" opened March 1, 2014 at the Amsterdam Muziektheater. The opening night's cast of The Dream included Maia Makhateli (Titania), Jozef Varga (Oberon) and Remi Wörtmeyer (Puck). The production revived the designs by David Walker, was supervised by Anthony Dowell and rehearsed by Christopher Carr. All photographs © 2014 by Marc Haegeman. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet. |
LE GALA DES ETOILES, 2014
Second edition of the Gala des Etoiles under the artistic direction of Manuel Legris. Touring France and Belgium, on March 6 the gala was performed at the Centre for Fine Arts in Brussels (Bozar). The group included the following dancers: Anna Antonicheva, Ekaterina Krysanova and Dmitry Gudanov (Bolshoi Ballet), Anna Tsygankova and Matthew Golding (Dutch National Ballet/Royal Ballet), Kiyoka Hashimoto, Ketevan Papava, Kirill Kourlaev and Denys Cherevychko (Vienna State Ballet), Silvia Azzoni and Alexandre Riabko (Hamburg Ballet), Patrick De Bana (Nafas Dance Company), Dimo Kirilov Milev (International dancer), Danila Korsuntsev (Mariinsky Ballet). Photos with kind permission of Franceconcert. |
THE BOLSHOI BALLET IN PARIS, JANUARY 2014
The Bolshoi Ballet revived Alexei Ratmansky's ballet Lost Illusions on their tour to Paris, January 4-10, 2014. This gallery contains photos from the production, studio rehearsals, class and backstage at the Palais Garnier. Sets and costumes of Lost Illusions were designed by Jérôme Kaplan. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre and the Paris Opera, special thanks to Katya Novikova. |
THE BOLSHOI DANCES MARCO SPADA, 2013
The Bolshoi Ballet revived Pierre Lacotte's production of Marco Spada. The original Marco Spada, or the Bandit's Daughter (Marco Spada, ou la Fille du Bandit) was a three-act ballet-pantomime created at the Paris Opera in 1857 with choreography from Joseph Mazilier and music adapted from Daniel Auber's comic opera of the same name. Soon forgotten, the ballet was revived in 1981 with a brand new choreography by Pierre Lacotte for the Rome Opera, with Rudolf Nureyev as the 18th-century Italian bandit pretending to be an aristocrat, and Ghislaine Thesmar as his daughter Angela. At the Bolshoi, Marco Spada was premiered on the historic stage on November 8, 2013. Leading roles were performed by David Hallberg (Marco Spada), Evgenia Obraztsova (Angela), Olga Smirnova (Marchesa Sampietri), Semyon Chudin (Prince Frederici), and Igor Tsvirko (Count Pepinelli). Pierre Lacotte designed sets and costumes. The Bolshoi company was rehearsed by Lacotte and his asistants Anne Salmon and Gil Isoart. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre, special thanks to Katya Novikova. |
THE BOLSHOI BALLET IN LONDON, 2013
The Bolshoi Ballet returned to London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden for a three-week season (July 29-August 17). It was exactly 50 years ago since the famous Moscow-based company first performed at Covent Garden under the auspices of Victor and Lilian Hochhauser - who are still managing the tour today. The ballets shown were Swan Lake, La Bayadère, The Sleeping Beauty, Jewels and Flames of Paris. For three weeks or 21 performances the Bolshoi performed for a sold-out house, which means that some 47,000 people saw the company during that season. This gallery offers an impression of that season with pictures from performance, rehearsals, after-the-show and portraits. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre, special thanks to Katya Novikova. |
NUREYEV AND FRIENDS, PARIS 2013
Rudolf Nureyev would have been 75 on 17 March 2013. He passed away on 6 January 1993. Two anniversaries that D&D Art Productions commemorated with a two-day gala at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, May 31-June 1, 2013. The programme included both works immortalized by Nureyev, and choreographed or staged by him. Dancers appearing at the gala were Iana Salenko and Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Evgenia Obraztsova and Dmitry Gudanov (Bolshoi Ballet), Aurélie Dupont, Myriam Ould-Braham and Mathias Heymann (Paris Opera Ballet), Daria Vasnetsova and Evgeni Ivanchenko (Mariinsky Ballet), Alexandra Timofeyeva (Kremlin Ballet), Tamara Rojo and Vadim Muntagirov (English National Ballet), Maia Makhateli and Remi Wörtmeyer (Dutch National Ballet), Federico Bonelli and Rupert Pennefather (Royal Ballet), and artists of the Ballet de Bordeaux. Special guests included Carla Fracci, Hans van Manen, Vladimir Vasiliev, among others. Artistic Direction by Charles Jude and David Makhateli. Photos with kind permission of D&D Art Productions. |
DANCE OPEN BALLET FESTIVAL, ST. PETERSBURG 2013
The 12th edition of the international Dance Open Ballet Festival, dubbed the most popular ballet festival in Russia, took place in St. Petersburg April 18-22, 2013. The following gallery show selections from the Night of One-Act Ballets at the Alexandrinsky Theatre and the Gala History of the Russian Ballet in the Oktyabrsky Concert Hall. The programme of One-Act Ballets included Le Sacre du printemps from Edward Clug, performed by the Slovene National Theatre of Maribor, Spazio-Tempo from Jacopo Godani, danced by the Semperoper Ballett Dresden, and Classical Symphony from Yuri Possokhov, performed by the Bolshoi Ballet. Photos with kind permission of the Dance Open Festival, special thanks to Olga Belenkis. |
THE MIKHAILOVSKY BALLET DANCES GISELLE
Selection from Giselle as danced by the Mikhailovsky Ballet, St. Petersburg. Traditional choreography by Jean Coralli, Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa. Production by Nikita Dolgushin, set and costume design by Vyacheslav Okunev, lighting design by Mikhail Mekler. This performance shown at the London Coliseum Theatre on March 29, 2013 featured Olesya Novikova as Giselle, Leonid Sarafanov as Albrecht, Irina Kosheleva as Myrtha. The peasant pas de deux was danced by Anna Kuligina and Andrei Yakhnyuk. Photos with kind permission of Mikhail Messerer, special thanks to Maria Egorova. |
LA NUIT DES ETOILES - BRUSSELS, 23 MARCH 2013
First edition of the Nuit des Etoiles at the Cirque Royal in Brussels, organised by David Makhateli and Denis Autier/D&D Art Productions. Artists included Alessio Carbone, Delphine Moussin (Paris Opera Ballet), Iana Salenko, Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Marianela Nunez, Thiago Soares (Royal Ballet), Aki Saito, Wim Vanlessen (Royal Ballet of Flanders), Maria Yakovleva, Kirill Kurlaev (Vienna State Ballet), Maia Makhateli, Jozef Varga (Dutch National Ballet), Igor Kolb (Mariinsky Ballet), Evgenia Obraztsova (Bolshoi Ballet), Alexandra Timofeyeva (Kremlin Ballet). Artistic Director David Makhateli/D&D Art Productions. Photos with kind permission of D&D Art Productions. |
VASLAV NIJINSKY GALA - RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS
The 8th edition of the Russian Ballet Icons gala organized by Ensemble Productions was dedicated to Vaslav Nijinsky at the London Coliseum Theatre, March 10, 2013. Artists included Leanne Benjamin, Alina Cojocaru, Marianela Nunez, Ivan Putrov, Thiago Soares, Edward Watson, Thomas Whitehead (Royal Ballet), Elena Glurjidze, Dmitry Gruzdev, Fernanda Oliveira, Arionel Vargas (English National Ballet), Maria Yakovleva, Kirill Kourlaev (Vienna State Ballet), Sofia Gumerova (Mariinsky Ballet), Dmitry Gudanov, Ekaterina Krysanova, Evgenia Obraztsova, Artem Ovcharenko, Marianna Ryzhkina (Bolshoi Ballet), J'aime Crandall, Alban Lendorf (Royal Danish Ballet), Giuseppe Picone. Artistic Director Wayne Eagling. |
GISELLLE IN ROME, 2013
Photo selection from Rome's Teatro dell' Opera production of Giselle. The traditional choreography from Jean Coralli and Jules Perrot was staged by Patrice Bart. Sets and costumes were designed by Anna Anni. Lighting by Mario De Amicis. The cast of this revival from 9 February 2013 included Bolshoi ballerina Svetlana Zakharova as Giselle, Friedemann Vogel (from Stuttgart Ballet) as Albrecht, Alessandra Amato as Myrtha, Manuel Paruccini as Wilfred, Riccardo Di Cosmo as Hilarion, Alessia Gay and Alessio Rezza danced the Peasant pas de deux. With special thanks to Filippo Arriva and Cosimo Manicone of the press department of the Teatro dell' Opera. |
DON QUIXOTE IN ROME, 2013
Photo selection from Rome's Teatro dell' Opera production of Don Quixote. The traditional choreography from Marius Petipa and Alexander Gorsky was staged by Mikhail Messerer. Sets were designed by Francesco Zito and Antonella Conte, costumes by Francesco Zito. Lighting by Agostini Angelini. The cast of this revival from 5 January 2013 included Alessandra Amato as Kitri, Vito Mazzeo (from San Francisco Ballet) as Basilio, Mauro Murri as Don Quixote, Antonello Mastrangelo as Sancho Panza, Giuseppe Depalo as Espada, and Marianna Suriano as the Queen of the Dryads. With special thanks to Filippo Arriva and Cosimo Manicone of the press department of the Teatro dell' Opera. |
THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET DANCES CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON'S CINDERELLA
Photo selection from the Dutch National Ballet's new version of Sergei Prokofiev's Cinderella with a choreography by Christopher Wheeldon. Cinderella, following a libretto by Wheeldon and Craig Lucas was premiered at the Amsterdam Muziektheater on December 13, 2012. The premiere cast included Anna Tsygankova (Cinderella), Matthew Golding (The Prince), Larissa Lezhnina (Stepmother Hortensia), Megan Zimny Gray (Stepsister Edwina), Nadia Yanowsky (Stepsister Clementine) Remi Wörtmeyer (Benjamin, friend of the Prince) and Alexander Zhembrovsky (Cinderella's father). Sets and costumes were designed by Julian Crouch, lighting by Natasha Katz. Basil Twist created the tree and carriage scene. Christopher Wheeldon was assisted by Jackie Barrett. |
THE SAN FRANCISCO BALLET IN LONDON, 14-23 September 2012
Photo selection from two programmes presented by the San Francisco Ballet on their London stint, at Sadler's Wells Theatre, 14-23 September 2012. Programme A included Divertimento No. 15 from George Balanchine (costume design after Karinska), Symphonic Dances from Edwaard Liang (costume design by Mark Zappone) and Number Nine from Christopher Wheeldon (costume design by Holly Hynes). Programme B consisted of Trio from Helgi Tomasson, Ghosts from Christopher Wheeldon (both with costume design by Mark Zappone), and Guide to Strange Places from Ashley Page (design by John Morell). |
LES ÉTOILES DU 21e SIÈCLE, PARIS 2012
Photo selection of the annual gala Etoiles du 21e Siècle at the Paris Théâtre des Champs-Élysées (21-23 September 2012). This 15th jubilee edition featured the following artists: Hélène Bouchet and Thiago Bordin (Hamburg Ballet); Victoria Jaiani and Fabrice Calmels (Joffrey Ballet); Jason Janas et Jumaane Taylor (New York Tap Stars); Julien Lestel and Gilles Porte (Compagnie Julien Lestel); Aki Saito and Wim Vanlessen (Royal Ballet of Flanders); Iana Salenko (Berlin State Ballet) and Vladimir Shklyarov (Mariinsky Ballet); Polina Semionova (American Ballet Theatre) and Dmitry Semionov (Berlin State Ballet); Rasta Thomas; Svetlana Zakharova and Andrei Merkuriev (Bolshoi Ballet). Artistic director Nadia Veselova-Tenser. Production Richard Stéphant, Associated Producer Solomon Tenser. With kind permission of Richard Stéphant / Sherwood Productions and Franck Peyrinaud. |
RAYMONDA AT THE BOLSHOI, 2012
Alexander Glazunov's Raymonda was first performed at the Bolshoi Theatre in January 1900, two years after its St. Petersburg premiere. The current production was staged and choreographed by Yuri Grigorovich in 1984, revised in 2003. Sets and costumes were designed by Simon Virsaladze. This series was shot during a revival on June 23-24, 2012 at the Bolshoi new stage. Leading roles were danced by Maria Allash (Raymonda), Nikolai Tsiskaridze (Jean de Brienne), Mikhail Lobukhin (Abderakhman) on June 23, Maria Alexandrova (Raymonda), Ruslan Skvortsov (Jean de Brienne) and Pavel Dmitrichenko (Abderakhman) on June 24. The latter performance was filmed in HD and shown in theatres worldwide. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. |
ONEGIN, ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS/KONINKLIJK BALLET VAN VLAANDEREN, 2012
John Cranko's ballet Onegin based on Alexander Pushkin's novel in verse was staged for the Royal Ballet of Flanders and premiered at the Flemish Opera in Antwerp on June 18, 2011. At the premiere the production was supervised by Reid Anderson and rehearsed by Jane Bourne. New sets and costumes were designed by Thomas Mika, light by Steen Bjarke. The following series was shot at the revival in Antwerp, in June 2012, featuring Aki Saito (Tatyana), Wim Vanlessen (Onegin), Yurie Matsuura (Olga), Wei Chen (Lensky) and Ricardo Amarante (Gremin). Photos by kind permission of Kathryn Bennetts, artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. |
BALANCHINE'S JEWELS AT THE BOLSHOI, 2012
The Bolshoi Ballet acquired George Balanchine's triptych Jewels (1967). The production was given new sets (by Alyona Pikalova) and costumes (Elena Zaytseva) and premiered at the Bolshoi Theatre on May 5, 2012. Jewels was staged by Sandra Jennings (Emeralds and Rubies) and by Paul Boos and Merrill Ashley (Diamonds) from the Balanchine Trust. The premiere cast was danced by Evgenia Obraztsova, Vladislav Lantratov, Anna Tikhomirova, Alexander Volchkov (Emeralds), Ekaterina Krysanova, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Ekaterina Shipulina (Rubies), Olga Smirnova and Semyon Chudin (Diamonds). A second cast included Anastasia Stashkevich, Dmitry Gudanov (Emeralds), Nina Kaptsova, Andrei Bolotin, Yulia Grebenshchikova (Rubies), Ekaterina Krysanova and Alexander Volchkov (Diamonds). Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. Gallery 1 - Gallery 2 |
BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH - ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS, 2012
A triple bill called "Between heaven and earth" including Serenade from George Balanchine, After The Rain from Christopher Wheeldon and the world premiere of Jorma Elo's Killer Sweet. After The Rain was originally created by New York City Ballet on January 22, 2005, with costumes by Holly Hynes and lights by Mark Stanley. The costumes for Killer Sweet were designed by Yumiko Takeshima, light and set design were created by Mikki Kunttu. "Between heaven and earth" was premiered at the Flemish Opera in Antwerp on April 6, 2012. Photos with kind permission of Kathryn Bennetts, artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. |
ANNA PAVLOVA GALA - RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS
The 7th edition of the Russian Ballet Icons gala organized by Ensemble Productions was dedicated to Anna Pavlova at the London Coliseum Theatre, March 4, 2012. Artists included Alessio Carbone, Myriam Ould-Braham (Paris Opera Ballet), Iana Salenko, Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Alina Cojocaru, Tamara Rojo (Royal Ballet), Marat Shemiunov (Mikhailovsky Ballet), Marlon Dino, Lucia Lacarra (Bavarian State Ballet), Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov (English National Ballet), Alexander Ryabko (Hamburg Ballet), Irina Dvorovenko, Maxim Beloserkovsky (American Ballet Theatre), Alina Somova, Uliana Lopatkina (Mariinsky Ballet), Svetlana Zakharova, Andrei Merkuriev, Anastasia Stashkevich, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Evgenia Obraztsova (Bolshoi Ballet), Giuseppe Picone, David Makhateli, Sergei Polunin. Artistic Director Wayne Eagling. |
PRESENT/S, DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET 2012
If the Dutch say they are going to celebrate, they mean it. For its 50th anniversary director Ted Brandsen offered the Dutch National Ballet (and its audience) a special gift in the shape of no less than nine creations spread over a two-day programme. Aptly called "Present/s" the programme included short pieces by (in order of performance) Krzysztof Pastor (Chapters), Hans van Manen (Variations for Two Couples), Juanjo Arqués (Consequence), Christopher Wheeldon (Duet), Ted Brandsen (Rai), Ton Simons (The Nature of Difference), Alexei Ratmansky (Souvenir d'un lieu cher), Sol Léon and Paul Lightfoot (Short Time Together), David Dawson (day4). Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet. |
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY, ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS/KONINKLIJK BALLET VAN VLAANDEREN, 2012
Piotr Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty was staged for the Royal Ballet of Flanders by Marcia Haydée in June 2006. Sets and costumes were designed by Pablo Nuñez. Light design by Nuñez and Haydéâe. The following series was photographed during the revival of the production in Antwerp, January 2012. The leading roles were performed by Altea Nuñez (Princess Aurora), Ernesto Boada (Prince Désiré), Alain Honorez (Carabosse) and Maria Seletskaya (Lilac Fairy). Photos with kind permission of Kathryn Bennetts, artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. |
LES ÉTOILES DU 21e SIÈCLE, PARIS 2012
Photo selection from the annual ballet gala Etoiles du XXIe Siècle at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (13-15 January 2012). The 14th edition featured Alezsja Popova and Maté Bako (Hungarian National Ballet), Lali Kandelaki and Vasil Akhmeteli (Ballet of the Opera of Tbilisi), Davit Galstyan (Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse), Alys Shee (Canadian Ballet Theatre), Evan McKie (Stuttgart Ballet), Elisa Carrillo Cabrera, Yana Salenko, Mikhail Kaniskin, Marian Walter (Berlin State Ballet), Yolanda Correa and Yoel Carreno (Ballet of the Opera of Oslo) Photos with kind permission of Richard Stéphant / Sherwood Productions and Franck Peyrinaud, Ovation & Cie. |
THE SLEEPING BEAUTY - BOLSHOI BALLET 2011
The first ballet performed in the renovated Bolshoi Theatre was Peter Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty in a new staging by Yuri Grigorovich. Sets were designed by Ezio Frigerio, costumes by Franca Squarciapino. Light design by Vinicio Cheli. Music direction by Vasili Sinaisky. The premiere took place on 18 November 2011 and featured Svetlana Zakharova and David Hallberg in the main roles. A second cast was headed by Nina Kaptsova and Alexander Volchkov. At the issue of the performance on 19 November Kaptsova was promoted to principal ballerina by director Sergei Filin. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. Gallery 1 - Gallery 2 |
SWAN LAKE - DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET 2011
The Dutch National Ballet is 50 years young. To mark this great anniversary some of the company's most acclaimed classical productions are revived. Swan Lake in the production by Rudi van Dantzig (1988) is considered a landmark in the history of dance in Holland. Sets and costumes are designed by Toer van Schayk, lights by Jan Hofstra. The premiere of this revival took place at the Muziektheater in Amsterdam on 17 October 2011. Photos with kind permission of the Dutch National Ballet. |
THE PORTRAIT GALLERY
Dancers seen from a different angle and through a different objective. Including portraits of Jurgita Dronina, Daria Khokhlova, Ekaterina Krysanova, Viktoria Litvinova, Andrei Merkuriev, Evgenia Obraztsova, Anna Okuneva and Natalia Osipova. |
SYMPHONY OF PSALMS, BOLSHOI BALLET - 2011
Jirí Kylián's Symphony of Psalms (1978) set to music by Igor Stravinsky was staged at the Bolshoi in a triple bill which also included George Balanchine's Rubies and Wayne McGregor's Chroma. The premiere took place on the New Stage of the Bolshoi Theatre on July 21, 2011. The ballet was rehearsed by Cora Bos-Kroese and Ken Ossola. Set design by William Katz, costumes by Joop Stokvis, light design by Joop Caboort, adapted by Kees Tjebbes. The premiere cast consisted of Chinara Alizade, Anna Balukova, Yulia Grebenshchikova, Yulia Lunkina, Maria Prorvich, Anna Rebetskaya, Anna Tikhomirova, Anzhelina Vorontsova, Yuri Baranov, Dmitry Dorokhov, Artem Ovcharenko, Anton Savichev, Alexander Smoliyaninov, Alexei Torgunakov, Igor Tsvirko and Dmitry Zagrebin. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. |
CHROMA, BOLSHOI BALLET - 2011
Wayne McGregor staged his Chroma (created for the Royal Ballet in November 2006) for the Bolshoi Ballet. The premiere took place in Moscow on 21 July 2011 in a triple bill, which also included George Balanchine's Rubies and Jiri Kylian's Symphony of Psalms. Set design for Chroma is by John Pawson, costumes by Moritz Junge, lighting design by Lucy Carter. The premiere cast of Chroma featured Ekaterina Krysanova, Svetlana Lunkina, Ekaterina Shipulina, Viktoria Litvinova, Yan Godovsky, Maksim Surov, Vladislav Lantratov, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Artem Ovcharenko and Igor Tsvirko. The second cast featured Svetlana Lunkina, Anastasia Meskova, Anna Okuneva, Anastasia Stashkevich, Karim Abdullin, Dmitry Dorokhov, Alexei Koryagin, Vyacheslav Lopatin, Denis Savin and Aleksander Smolyaninov. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. |
ONEGIN, ROYAL BALLET OF FLANDERS/KONINKLIJK BALLET VAN VLAANDEREN - 2011
John Cranko's ballet Onegin, based on Alexander Pushkin's famous novel in verse, was staged for the Royal Ballet of Flanders and premiered at the Flemish Opera in Antwerp on June 18, 2011. The new production was supervised by Reid Anderson and rehearsed by Jane Bourne. New sets and costumes were designed by Thomas Mika, light by Steen Bjarke. The premiere was danced by Aki Saito (Tatyana), Wim Vanlessen (Onegin), Yurie Matsuura (Olga), Wei Chen (Lensky) and Ricardo Amarante (Gremin). Photos by kind permission of Kathryn Bennetts, artistic director of the Royal Ballet of Flanders. |
LES ETOILES POUR LE JAPON, MAY 31, 2011
International charity dance evening at the Palais des Congrès in Paris, organized to raise funds for the victims of the earthquake in Japan. The participants were: Carlos Acosta (Royal Ballet London), Michael Banzhaf (Berlin State Ballet), Ashley Bouder (New York City Ballet), Jiri Bubenicek (Semperoper Ballet Dresden), Otto Bubenicek (Hamburg Ballet), Elisa Carrillo Cabrera (Berlin State Ballet), Isabelle Ciaravola (Opéra National de Paris), Marlon Dino (Munich State Ballet), Olga Esina (Vienna State Opera Ballet), Julien Favreau (Bejart Ballet Lausanne), Mathieu Ganio (Opéra National de Paris), Dimitri Gruzdev (English National Ballet), Sue Jin Kang (Stuttgart Ballet), Mikhail Kaninskin (Berlin State Ballet), Maria Kochetkova (San Francisco Ballet), Igor Kolb (Mariinsky Theatre), Elena Kuzmina (Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg), Lucia Lacarra (Munich State Ballet), Roman Lazik (Vienna State Opera Ballet), Andrei Merkuriev (Bolshoi Theatre), Shoko Nakamura (Berlin State Ballet), Fernanda Oliveira (English National Ballet), Sergei Polunin (Royal Ballet London), Marijn Rademaker (Stuttgart Ballet), Jason Reilly (Stuttgart Ballet), Kateryna Shalkina (Bejart Ballet Lausanne), Friedemann Vogel (Stuttgart Ballet), Igor Zelensky (Mariinsky Theatre), pupils of the Ecole de l'Opéra de Paris. |
ULANOVA 100th ANNIVERSARY GALA - LONDON, MAY 15, 2011
The 6th edition of the Russian Ballet Icons organized by Ensemble Productions commemorated the 100th anniversary of Galina Sergeyevna Ulanova at the London Coliseum Theatre on May 15, 2011. Artists included Svetlana Zakharova, Svetlana Lunkina, Ekaterina Krysanova, Daria Khokhlova, Dmitri Gudanov, Vladislav Lantratov, Andrei Uvarov (Bolshoi Ballet), Uliana Lopatkina, Evgenia Obraztsova, Igor Zelensky (Mariinsky Ballet), Marat Shemiunov (Mikhailovsky Ballet), Nadia Saidakova, Vladimir Malakhov (Berlin State Ballet), Daria Klimentova, Vadim Muntagirov (English National Ballet), Olga Smirnova, Sergei Strelkov (Vaganova Ballet Academy), Tatiana Gorokhova (Novosibirsk State Opera and Ballet Theatre), Dorothée Gilbert (Paris Opera Ballet), David Makhateli, Thiago Soares (Royal Ballet), Bernice Coppieters and Alexis Oliveira (Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo). Gallery 1 - Gallery 2 |
EVGENIA OBRAZTSOVA IN SWAN LAKE - STANISLAVSKY BALLET
The anticipated debut of Evgenia Obraztsova in Swan Lake took place in Moscow with the Stanislavsky Ballet. One of the most remarkable ballerinas of the Mariinsky Ballet, so far Obraztsova has been denied the much coveted role of Odette-Odile by her home company. Seeing her perform at the Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theatre on 23 April 2011 made that refusal look utterly pointless. Evgenia Obraztsova was joined by Semyon Chudin as Siegfried, Anton Domashev as Rothbart, and artists of the Stanislavsky Ballet. Choreography and staging by Vladimir Bourmeister. Choreography of the 2nd Act by Lev Ivanov, revived by Pyotr Gusev. Set design by Vladimir Arefiev. Photos with kind permission of V.G. Urin, General Director, and the artistic staff of the Stanislavsky Theatre. With special thanks to Vladimir Vasiliev and Marina Panfilovich. |
LOST ILLUSIONS - BOLSHOI BALLET
The world premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's ballet Lost Illusions, with a new score by Leonid Desyatnikov, set and costume design by Jérôme Kaplan and light design by Vincent Millet, took place at the Bolshoi Theatre on April 24, 2011. This 3-act ballet uses themes from the libretto by Vladimir Dmitriev (based on the novel by Honoré de Balzac), originally written for the 1936 production at the Kirov Theatre, with choreography by Rostislav Zakharov and music by Boris Asafiev. The premiere cast included Ivan Vasiliev (Lucien), Natalia Osipova (Coralie), Artem Ovcharenko (premier danseur) and Ekaterina Krysanova (Florine). A second cast was headed by Vladislav Lantratov, Svetlana Lunkina, Alexander Volchkov, and Ekaterina Shipulina. Photos with kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. Special thanks to Katerina Novikova. |
LES SAISONS RUSSES DU XXIe SIÈCLE
Homage to the Ballets Russes at the Theâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (March-April 2011), organized by the Maris Liepa Foundation, SAV Entertainment and the Kremlin Ballet Company. Artistic Direction Andris Liepa and Andrei Petrov. This edition contained three ballets from Mikhail Fokine - Chopiniana, Petrushka and the Polovtsian Dances from Alexander Borodin's Prince Igor. Artists of the Kremlin Ballet were joined by veteran star Vladimir Derevianko, Bolshoi Ballet principals Marianna Ryzhkina and Nikolai Tsiskaridze, and soloist Angelina Vorontsova. From the Mariinsky Ballet, Sergei Kokonenko performed with Ilze Liepa the Polovtsian Dances. Photos with kind permission of Richard Stéphant/Sherwood Productions and Franck Peyrinaud. |
AKI SAITO & WIM VANLESSEN
Aki Saito and Wim Vanlessen are principal dancers with the Royal Ballet of Flanders in Belgium. Graduates from the Royal Ballet School in Antwerp, they both have been dancing with the company since 1994 and were promoted to principals in 2004. Their repertory encompasses the great classics as well as contemporary work, including ballets from Maurice Béjart, William Forsythe, Jorma Elo, David Dawson, among others. Dancing together since their school days, Saito and Vanlessen developed a remarkable partnership which can also be appreciated in international galas. |
A LA RUSSE - DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET 2011
Dutch National Ballet paid homage to Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev and Stravinsky with a quadruple bill featuring George Balanchine's Serenade and Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Krzysztof Pastor's Dumbarton Dances and the company premiere of Alexei Ratmansky's On The Dnieper, a ballet originally created for American Ballet Theatre in 2009. On The Dnieper received its Amsterdam premiere in the Muziektheater on 8 February 2011. Leading roles were performed by Igone de Jongh, Casey Herd, Anna Tsygankova, and Tamás Nagy. Photos with kind permission of Dutch National Ballet. |
PRAGUE BALLET GALA 2011
6th edition of the Prague Ballet Gala taking place in the Prague Opera House, January 7 and 8, 2011. This year the event starred Jurgita Dronina, Tamas Nagy and Anna Tsygankova, (Dutch National Ballet), Nina Kaptsova and Artem Ovcharenko (Bolshoi Ballet), Aki Saito and Wim Vanlessen (Royal Ballet of Flanders), Davit Galstyan (Ballet du Capitole de Toulouse), Adeline Pastor (Aalto Ballett Theater Essen), Isabelle Ciaravola and Yann Saïz (Paris Opera Ballet). With special thanks to Jana Kurova, director and artistic director of the Prague Ballet Gala. |
MAYA PLISETSKAYA 85
Homage to Maya Plisetskaya, prima ballerina assoluta turning 85. Gala evening hosted by the Maris Liepa Foundation at the Paris Théâtre des Champs-Elysées, 6 December 2010. Guests included Maria Alexandrova, Ilze Liepa, Mikhail Lobukhin, Andrei Merkuriev, Nikolai Tsiskaridze (Bolshoi Ballet), Alexandra Timofeyeva (Kremlin Ballet), Andrei Batalov (Mariinsky Ballet), Semyon Chudin (Stanislavsky Ballet), Ludmilla Konovalova (Vienna State Ballet), Ludmila Pagliero and Christophe Duquenne (Paris Opera Ballet). With special thanks to Richard Stéphant/Sherwood Productions and Franck Peyrinaud. |
NATALIA OSIPOVA & IVAN VASILIEV IN THE REHEARSAL STUDIO The Bolshoi Ballet's young stars Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev rehearsing Don Quixote in the studio. |
ÉTOILES DU XXIe SIÈCLE - PARIS, 2010 Selections from the gala-performances Etoiles du XXIe Siècle at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris (17-19 September 2010), featuring some of today's most brilliant and acclaimed artists in the field. Featuring Bin Hao, Ekaterina Krysanova, Aleksandra Liashenko, Ilja Louwen, Egor Menshikov, Andrei Merkuriev, Leo Mujic, Lucia Lacarra, Cyril Pierre, Iana Salenko, Daniil Simkin and Jian Zhang. With kind permission of Richard Stéphant / Sherwood Productions. |
THE BOLSHOI BALLET IN LONDON 2010 Following its highly acclaimed 2006 and 2007 seasons the Bolshoi Ballet returned to London's Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, 19 July - 8 August 2010, bringing 6 different programmes or 9 ballets. By the hazards of casting the bulk of this London season was largely carried by young stars Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev, who moreover performed in all photoshoots. Their prominence in this selection is therefore purely coincidental. With kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. |
THE BOLSHOI BALLET'S PETRUSHKA Libretto by Igor Stravinsky and Alexandre Benois. Choreography by Mikhail Fokin (1911). Sets and Costumes by Alexandre Benois (for the production at the Bolshoi Theatre in 1921). Staging and new choreographic version: Sergei Vikharev. Sets reproduction by Boris Kaminsky, costumes reproduction by Yelena Zaitseva. Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov. Premiere at the Bolshoi Theatre on July 2, 2010. With kind permission of the Bolshoi Theatre. |