Ballet News | Straight from the stage – bringing you ballet insights

Alina’s Gala | Alina Cojocaru’s signed pointe shoes auctioned for her charity, Hospices of Hope Only Alina Cojocaru could open her Gala with the Rose Adage from The Sleeping Beauty. The music alone sends shivers of fear into the most professional of professional ballet dancers : not Cojocaru. Her supreme technicality aided by wonderfully smooth partnering from [...]

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS Director’s Choice A Tribute to George Balanchine Featuring Agon, Diamonds, and a World Premiere by Christopher Wheeldon   May 31-June 9, 2013 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109   7:30 pm on May 31, June 1, 6, 7 and 8 Matinees on June 1 at [...]

OLIVIER AWARDS WITH MASTERCARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED The winners of the most prestigious event in the UK theatrical calendar, the 37th Olivier Awards with MasterCard, were announced tonight (28 April 2013) at a glamorous ceremony at London’s Royal Opera House in front of a packed audience of illustrious guests including award presenters Kim Cattrall, Tom Hiddleston, [...]

THE ROYAL BALLET TAKES ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, SWAN LAKE AND A GALA PROGRAMME TO JAPAN   Friday 5 to Sunday 14 July 2013   The Royal Ballet returns to the Bunka Kaikan in Tokyo with three exciting programmes including the Asian premiere of Christopher Wheeldon’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Anthony Dowell’s production of [...]

BENOIS DE LA DANSE 2013: FOUR NOMINATIONS FOR THE DUTCH NATIONAL BALLET * Hans van Manen nominated for Variations for two couples. * Christopher Wheeldon nominated for Cinderella. * Principal Anna Tsygankova nominated for the title role in Cinderella. * Principal Matthew Golding nominated for the role of Prince Guillaume in Cinderella. * ‘Oscar of [...]

Dutch National Ballet | CINDERELLA IN CINEMAS ACROSS THE UK & AUSTRALIA FROM 28 APRIL * An original 21st century version of the  classic fairy story ballet by Christopher Wheeldon The Dutch National Ballet’sbrand-new Cinderella ballet, choreographed by the internationally acclaimed Christopher Wheeldon, will be screened in cinemas from 28 April 2013. Premiered at the [...]

The Royal Ballet’s Olivia Cowley | Pointe Shoes & Plasters There is nothing remotely glamorous about being a professional ballet dancer. As Olivia Cowley, a dancer in her 10th season with The Royal Ballet tells me, “people think it’s blisters but actually it’s not. It’s the nails, the bed of the nails, no matter how [...]

LEANNE BENJAMIN TO RETIRE AFTER 20 YEARS AS A PRINCIPAL DANCER WITH THE ROYAL BALLET After an outstanding 21 years dancing with The Royal Ballet, Principal Dancer Leanne Benjamin has announced her intention to retire in July 2013, at the end of the current season.  Her last performance will be in Tokyo on 10 July in [...]

PACIFIC NORTHWEST BALLET PRESENTS Director’s Choice                           Featuring two works by GEORGE BALANCHINE   And a world premiere by CHRISTOPHER WHEELDON   May 31-June 9, 2013 Marion Oliver McCaw Hall 321 Mercer Street, Seattle Center Seattle, WA 98109   7:30 pm on May [...]

The Royal Ballet announces 2013/14 season Today saw the launch of Artistic Director Kevin O’Hare’s second season at The Royal Ballet, and he was characteristically understated but also quietly confident that as his first season is going very well - the company is selling almost all of the tickets it offers - and is excited about the new season. Has [...]

The Royal Ballet in Brazil The Royal Opera House is to expand international links with Brazil through performances, education work and skills training in the city in Rio de Janeiro later this month. A two day symposium links dance teachers, schools, professional dance companies and others from Rio, in a partnership with Theatro Municipal and the [...]

Ballet News Reviews | Titian | Metamorphosis: A collaboration between The Royal Ballet and The National Gallery It’s not often that a book comes along that is so compelling that you find yourself totally absorbed within its pages for hours at a time. Titian | Metamorphosis is one such rarity. If you missed the Imagine : Dancing with Titian programme, [...]

Pacific Northwest Ballet receives NEA grant to support DIRECTOR’S CHOICE   Grant one of 832 Art Works grants totaling $23.3 million in funding nationwide   SEATTLE, WA — National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Chairman Rocco Landesman announced yesterday that Pacific Northwest Ballet is one of 832 non-profit organizations nationwide to receive an NEA Art [...]

Ballet PHOTOGRAPHS OF THE NEW YORK CITY BALLET BY HENRY LEUTWYLER 488-Page Hardcover Book Features Nearly 300 Photographs New York City’s Foley Gallery to Exhibit Photographs from Ballet November 28, 2012 through January 6, 2013 Ballet, Photographs of the New York City Ballet, is a book by Henry Leutwyler that is the culmination of four years [...]

The National Ballet of Canada | Principal Casting Announced for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland  Karen Kain, Artistic Director of The National Ballet of Canada, today announced the principal casting for Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland, the most highly anticipated production of the season. Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland is currently on tour to Los Angeles’ Music Center [...]

Cupcakes & Conversation with Sasha De Sola, Soloist, San Francisco Ballet What motivates you at 8am on a Monday morning ? My husband Josh! He is always there to love and encourage me and I am so grateful for that. I am also motivated by the prospect of working on any of the ballets that [...]

The National Ballet of Canada Tours to LA with Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland The National Ballet of Canada is preparing to tour the hit production of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland to Los Angeles’ Music Center for five performances, October 19 – 21, 2012. The engagement will mark the National Ballet’s first performance in LA in 35 [...]

Paris Opera Ballet join The Australian Ballet’s gala line-up! The Australian Ballet are delighted to announce even more sparkling international guest artists for its 50th anniversary gala, which opens on October 31 at Arts Centre Melbourne for five performances only. The company’s actual 50th birthday is on Friday 2 November. The world-renowned Paris Opera Ballet will be [...]

Darcey Bussell : A Life in Pictures Darcey Bussell needs no introduction.  Known throughout the ballet world and far beyond its structured borders, Bussell defines what it is to combine very rare talent with exxceptionally good manners : in other words, a prima ballerina and a really lovely lady to boot. Putting together this photographic memoir, partly so [...]

NEW YORK CITY BALLET PRESENTS 2012 FALL PERFORMANCES SEPTEMBER 18 – OCTOBER 14   Four-Week Fall Season to Open With Stravinsky/Balanchine: The Collaboration NYCB’s First-Ever All Stravinsky/All Balanchine Festival One-Time-Only Fall Gala Performance on September 20 To Celebrate Legendary Fashion Designer Valentino Garavani New Work by Justin Peck to a Score by Sufjan Stevens to [...]