Sylvie Guillem in Mats Ek’s Bye at Sadler’s Wells in London, which is where her final performances in Britain will take place. Photograph: Robbie Jack/Corbis

The Guardian has reported that Sylvie Guillem is ending her 39-year career after the end of her world tour. Ms. Guillem is recognized as one of the greatest Prima Ballerina’s of her generation. She was a Principal dancer with both Paris Opera Ballet and Royal Ballet will be retiring after her world tour. Ms. Guillem, who is 50, had supposedly gave a friend of hers a “license to kill” if she was to go on dance for too long. Ms. Guillem has stated she wanted to retire why she still had pride in her performance.

Friend Tamara Rojo, Artistic Director of the English National Ballet has tried to get the world renowned French Ballerina to change her mind. “She is such a gifted human being and it is a great loss for all of us,” she said. “Of course we don’t want her to stop; we want her to go on for ever. She said to me it had to happen at some point, why not now? To which I had many answers.”

Ms. Guillem, 42 at that time, told Julie Myerson in a 2008 interview “It would be nice to wake up and be able to walk to the bathroom,” referring to her extreme muscle stiffness each morning. But she says her stiffness isn’t much to do with age. Nearly every morning of her adult life has been like this, even when I was 20 and at the Paris Opera I had to crawl down the stairs; it is only when I start to work and stretch that my body begins to recover again.’

Alistair Spalding, chief executive and artistic director for Sadler’s Well, said: “She is the most significant ballerina of our time, no doubt about it. In the future, looking back, we’d say she was the one really. She is remarkable, a once-in-a-generation dancer.”

Recalling her training in Paris, where all the students were nicknamed “little rats” and obliged to bow to all teachers and dancers, Guillem said: “The dancers always seemed so solemn and aloof and whenever we were in a hurry they always seemed to appear out of nowhere, causing us to come to a skidding halt to take our bows. The very old floor, waxed and made slippery by skids from previous generations, made this task relatively dangerous.

“At full speed, we tried to hold, for at least half a second, the ‘bow’ – a genuflexion with arms stretched downwards in a V shape, palms down, back foot pointed behind the supporting leg. And, this done, off we went, trotting to the next class. These wobbling marks of respect were far from gracious, but for us it was a mission accomplished!”

Ms. Guillem’s world tour called Life in Progress will encapsulate her last performances. The tour begins in Modena, Italy, on 31 March, stopping at Sadler’s Wells in May and ending in Tokyo in December. It will include two new works by Akram Khan and Russell Maliphant as well as a solo piece written for her by Mats Ek, called Bye.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet’s Ivan Vasiliev in Asaf Messerer’s “Class Concert.” Photo: Stas Levshin

On Nov 18 and 19, 2014, the Mikhailovsky Ballet, accompanied by the full Mikhailovsky Orchestra, offered a program entitled Three Centuries of Russian Ballet. Located in St. Petersburg, the company has become a shining jewel in Russian ballet and has attracted such international stars as Natalia Osipova, Ivan Vasiliev and Angelina Vorontsova (all formerly of the Bolshoi Ballet) plus Leonid Sarafanov (former with the Kirov (Mariinsky) Ballet) and the Spanish born Nacho Duato became its resident choreographer in 2011

Ballet has been a part of the tapestry of Russian history since the 17^th Century. Tsar Alexis Mikhailovich (1645–1676), the second Russian tsar of the house of Romanov introduced ballet to Russia as part of his wedding festivities. Peter the Great (1672-1725) took a personal interest in ballet at his court, bringing in Western dances and taking part in them himself. While the Mikhailovsky Theatre, home to the Mikhailovsky Ballet, was founded by Czar Nicholas I in 1833.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet in Petipa’s “Le Halte de Cavalerie.” Photo: Stas Levshin

So when one of the major ballet companies of Russia offers a program entitled Three Centuries of Russian Ballet…a lot is to be expected and unfortunately it did not quite live up to its title. Offered were three one act ballets, Petipa from the 19^th century, Asaf Messerer from the 20^th century and Nacho Duato’s Prelude from the 21^st Century.

Premiering at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in 1975,  Le Halte de Cavalerie (The Cavalry Halt), with music by Ivan Armsheimer, is one of Marius Petipa’s short ballets. Originally created between his Swan Lake (1877) and Raymonda (1898), Le Halte de Cavalerie premiered in 1896 and was revived by Pyotr Gusev in 1968. This is a fun ballet, witty, humorous with nothing heavy or overly dramatic.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet’s Leonid Sarafanov in Petipa’s “Le Halte de Cavalerie.” Photo: Svetlana Avvakum

From the beginning antics in sue, in a local village two girls are in love with the Peter (Ivan Vasiliev). A tug of war is seen between Maria (Angelina Vorontsova) and Teresa (Olga Semyonova) but Peter (Mr. Vasiliev) already has given his heart to Maria.

A Hussar regiment arrives in the village and the Colonel in charge demands his soldiers are billeted. Alexey Malakhov portrayed a Colonel that just could not get his act together. He is ever amorous and turns his attention to Teresa (Ms. Semyonova) who hopes it will make Peter take notice. The village girls flirt with the men in uniforms to the outrage of their boyfriends…and it ends with a fairy tale like wedding in a castle between Peter and Maria.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet’s Angelina Vorontsova & Ivan Vasiliev in Petipa’s “Le Halte de Cavalerie.” Photo: Mikhailovsky Theatre

The choreography is what it is, plenty of pantomime mixed with some excellent Russian character dancing. But it had more fluff than substance but when created that was its goal…to entertain. Well, entertain it did, every thing about it was charming and I am richer for having seen if…it’s Petipa after all….

Asaf Messerer’s Class Concert, created during the Soviet era, was a head-scratcher…it’s not that I disliked the work it’s just that I did not find it memorable. The work was commissioned during the Soviet era (1963) as a performance exercise for graduates of the Bolshoi Academy. The score is a compilation of music by several Russian composers including Anatoly Lyadov, Anton Rubinstein, Alexander Glazunov and Dmitri Shostakovich.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet’s Anastasia Soboleva & Leonid Sarafanov in Asaf Messerer’s “Class Concert.” Photo: Stas Levshin

The works is set as if we are spectators watching a ballet class or a year-end recital. We see three young girls standing at a ballet barre ready to begin class. (The work utilized children and young adults from local ballet academies.) Similar scenes were seen as the girls and also boys increased in age and as the ages increased so did the difficulty of the exercises at the barre.

It is presented in a ballet class format,  barre work, then center of the floor work with adagio, turns, petit allégro (small jumps) and then grand allégro (big jumps). The dancers of the Mikhailovsky Ballet are excellent trained and their technique crisp and precise, turns impressive and their jumps amazing.

The Mikhailovsky Ballet’s Anastasia Soboleva & Victor Lebedev Asaf Messerer’s “Class Concert.” Photo: Stas Levshin

The question is was Asaf Messerer’s Class Concert the best work that could be shown from Russia’s soviet era? Russian ballet during the Soviet era is somewhat of a mystery to many westerners, besides the Bolshoi Ballet’s 1968 production of Spartacus, choreographed by Yury Grigorovich, little from that era has been seen outside Russia. Thus it was sadly a missed opportunity to really show stronger works from that era.

Nacho Duato’s Prelude is an interpretation of the emotions and impressions which Mr. Duato experienced at the start of a new period of his life – in Russia. It is not about one particular subject but a meeting of the classically trained dancers with Mr. Duato’s contemporary style of choreography. Does Prelude rank alongside some of his classis works such as his 1983 work Jardi Tuncat or Without Words created in 1988? Does it match the brilliance of Mr. Duato’s Duende from 1991 or Depak Ine, commissioned by the Martha Graham Dance Company and premiered at New York City Center earlier this year? For me it did not…

The Mikhailovsky Ballet in Nacho Duato’s “Prelude.” Photo: Nikolay Krusser

The score is a mixture of Handel, Beethoven and Britten. Prelude is broken into segments, for lack of a better word, with each segment announced or preceded with a change of scenery. It was somewhat surreal and not in a good way.

This work was created for the Mikhailovsky Ballet on the Mikhailovsky’s dancers but still it lacked a depth, a statement that I have always seen in Mr. Duato’s works. Prelude has a cast of 34 including a large corps de ballet.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s Terk Waters & Kelly Sneddon in Dwight Rhoden’s “Head Space.” Photo: Melissa Bartucci

I remember attending Complexions Contemporary Ballet very first performances at the Joyce Theater in the early to mid-90’s. I must admit, I was not impressed. The company was a hodge-podge of dancers with different ethnicities and body types. I found Dwight Rhoden’s choreography too busy, almost frantic as if he was trying way too hard. The only saving grace to the evening was the performances of Desmond Richardson.

Well, that was then and this is now. I now consider Complexions Contemporary Ballet one of my favorite small dance companies and I always make a point to attend their New York seasons . They practice what they preach, the company’s roster of the exquisitely 14 trained dancers come in a wide variety of colors, sizes and body types. My opinion of Mr. Rhoden’s choreography has changed as well.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s in Dwight Rhoden’s “Head Space.” Photo: Melissa Bartucci

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s 20^th Anniversary Gala at the Joyce Theater presented new works created just for this anniversary in addition to some of the company’s favorite pieces from the past 20 years.

With the World Premiere of Mr. Rhoden’s Head Space, we see the work of not just a choreographer but of an artist coming into his own. Head Space, with music by New Orleans Jazz musician Terrence Blanchard, is perhaps the most exciting work I have seen from Mr. Rhoden…and I can’t wait for the opportunity to see it again,

The work is ripe with Ms. Rhoden’s signature style of choreography.  A divine mix of the chaotic laced with sublime lyricism. In Head Space the dancers use their bodies to emphasis his extreme style, a style that pushes the dancers technically. Leg extensions lift to the heavens, especially Terk Waters; he has perhaps the longest legs of any male dancing to day.

Complexions Contemporary Ballet’s in Marcelo Gomes’ “Igaul.” Photo: Whitney Browne

I have said it before and I will say it again, I believe “greatness” resides in Terk Waters. He is not just a really good dancer but a dancer rare for his generation. He possesses the ability to make even the most difficult choreography into a seamless blend of artistry and technique. There is a special quality to his dancing in that he dances not with his body but instead with his whole soul. His stage presence, his movement capabilities, both remind me of some of the great male dancers from the early 80’s such as Fernando Bujones, Ivan Nagy, even Baryshnikov in his early years.

The New York City premiere of Igual, choreographed by American Ballet Theatre principal dancer; Marcelo Gomes, was also given. The work is set to an original score for two violins by acclaimed composer Ian Ng and played live by Tessa Lark and Charles Yang.  The work is inspired by marriage equality, “Igual” means “equal” in Portuguese.

American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland with Complexions’ Artist-in Residence, Clifford Williams in Dwight Rhoden’s “Ave Maria.” Photo: Melissa Bartucci

Four dancers, Ashley Mayeux, Kelly Sneddon, Addison Ector and Terk Waters wearing Eric Wintering’s costumes of turquoise crop tops and leggings wove themselves into intricate knots of interconnecting limbs. The dancers would break apart and come back together again.

It’s a wonderful work and I feel I need to see it again to really say anything about. Mr. Rhoden’s Head Space I found so exciting that anything following it was just not going to be able to get the full appreciation I am sure it deserves.

With Igaul, Mr. Gomes shows his continued growth as a choreographer. If you ever get the opportunity to attend a performance of his Paganini, set to Paganini’s Caprice in A minor (Op. 1, No. 24), that premiered in 2011 or his work Toccare, set to an excerpt from Ian Ng’s Grand Jeté for a Violin, that premiered in 2012….do so, you will not regret it!

American Ballet Theatre’s Misty Copeland with Complexions’ Artist-in Residence, Clifford Williams in Dwight Rhoden’s “Ave Maria.” Photo: Melissa Bartucci

Mr. Rhoden’s 1995 work, Ava Maria, was brilliantly performed by American Ballet Theater’s Soloist Misty Copeland and Complexions’ Artist-in Residence, Clifford Williams. Both Ms. Copeland and Mr. Williams energies blended perfectly and created an electrically charged performance. Bravo, bravo indeed.

The only disappointment I found in the evening’s performance was Mr. Rhoden’s excerpt from his work The Groove that was created in 2012 for the North Carolina Dance Theater and set to music of the Pet Shop boys. The audience loved it, but for me it was lacking something somewhere.

Lariska Dumbchenko (Raffaele Morra) as the Naiad & Mikhail Mypansarov (Ihaia Miller) as the Fisherman in “La Naïade et Le Pêcheur.” ©Yi-Chun Wu-001

Now every year I am so excited to witness the brilliance of Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo, a troupe of classical trained male dancers who fearlessly bourrée across the stage while wearing tutus and point shoes. The Trocks (as they are commonly known) are an all-male ballet troupe that parodies the great ballet classics en travesty and en pointe.

These gentlemen perform under such enticing names as Maya Thickenthighya (Ihaia Miller), Nina Immobilashvili (Alberto Pretto) and Tatiana Youbetyabootskaya (László Major). Each dancer, besides their challenging roles as Russian ballerina, also perform male roles, such as László Major is also Araf Legupski, Giovanni Goffredo performs the dual roles of Varvara Bratchikova and Sergey Legupski, Duane Gosa is also Helen Highwaters and Vladimir Legupski

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in “Swan Lake.” ©Sascha Vaughn.

It is noted in the program that all the Legupski listed, there are five of them, are brothers, but not really, though their first names are in fact Araf, Sergey and Vladimir. Unfortunately they do not the difference between a pirouette and a jeté, but they moved nicely and fit into the costumes.

Now, aside from the names and the clever backstories found in the program,  such as Ida Nevasayneva (Paul Ghiselin), who has just returned from the Varna International Ballet Competition where the judges, after having to sit through her performance, awarded her the plastic medal for Bad Taste. But, sadly, that was about the most humorous thing I found for the evenings performance.

Les Ballets Trockadero presented four works, a supposedly tongue-in-cheek rendition of Petipa’s classic Le Lac Des Cygnes (Swan Lake, Act II), Go for Borocco, an hommage to George Balanchine, the Le Corsaire Pas de Deux and Variations, plus a short ballet attributed to Jules Perrot and Marius Petipa with music by Cesare Pugni, La Naïade Et Le Pêcheur (The Niaid and the Fisherman).

The last time I saw Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo the company performed The Black Swan Pas De Deux as part of the 10^th Anniversary of the Fall for Dance Festival in 2013. It was brilliant, I laughed so hard I cried…but it was because of the understated humor. A somewhat diminutive Prince Siegfried, danced by Innokenti Smoktunmuchsky (Carlos Hopuy), was immediately entranced by a taller and stronger looking Odile performed by Yakatarina Verbosovich (Chase Johnson). It was just that Ms. Verbosovich was not so taken with Prince Siegfried.  The evil Von Rothbart as performed by Vytacheslav Legupski (Paolo Cervellera)  and ran interference anytime the bewildered Odette, danced by the noted and much respected ballerina Sonia Leftova (Boysie Dikobe), attempted to enter the stage, complete with a white tutu and her arms a ripple. Von Rothbart refused to have his Odile (Ms.Verbosovich ) upstage by Odette and simple refused let her on to the stage, steering her back to the wings, sometimes gently, most times not. I remember the performance like it was yesterday…I say again, it was sheer brilliance.

Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo in Marius Petipa’s Black Swan Pas De Deux

But what I saw in Program A of the Les Ballets Trockadero’s biennial three-week NYC engagement at the Joyce Theater, I sadly cannot say the same. There was too much hamming it up, to many obvious trips and falls that could have been very funny had they been cleverly staged.

The Le Corsaire Pas de Deux and Variations was somewhat better. The stand out in the performance was László Major who performed the slave variation with force and a surprising aerial or two. (…Mr. Major also should be granted the  award for the most hunkiest of the evening….just saying…)

Carlos Hopuy performing as Medora always impresses me with his abilities, but I must say after seeing his performance in this pas de deux, he raised the bar even higher. Mr. Hopuy was whipping out double fouettés turns, en pointe, better than a few real ballerinas I have known. It was a worthy performance for such an honored pas de deux but it seemed the focus was the dancing that was filled with difficult tricks as opposed to being a true parody.

For Le Lac Des Cygnes (Swan Lake, Act II), the dancers seemed to be camping it up more than needed. Everyone, especially Prince Siegfried (Giovanni Goffredo) had on way to much make-up. I was confused as to who was en travesty, Prince Siegfried or Odette (Robert Carter). The Prince sported deep blue eye shadow, a lot of it, cheek contouring and ruby red lips. I found it distracting.

Yakaterina Verbosovich (Chase Johnsey) & Nina Immobilianshvili (Alberto Pretto) in “La Naïade et Le Pêcheur.” ©Yi-Chun Wu-001

La Naïade Et Le Pêcheur needs to be completely reworked. It never went anywhere, during the performance I was bored and kept hoping it would end soon. Here also, the male characters in the piece, Matteo (Ihaia Miller) and the friends of Matteo (Jack Furlong, Jr. and Christopher Ouellette) had on to much make-up I that could not take the characters seriously at all. Jack Furlong and Christopher Ouellette looked as if they had just changed costumes and threw on a short haired wig. Both sported long (and I mean long) lashes and again bright ruby red lipstick.

Mr. Furlong looked more like his character, Guzella Verbitskaya, was in actuality a woman pretending to be a man as opposed to the opposite. I understand that costume changes between performances can get very tight in regards to timing…but still, the dancers could have taken off the eyelashes and wiped off the lipstick to at least some differentiation between male and female characters.

To be fair, this was the opening night for Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. Always opening nights are tricky, the dancers, no matter how rehearsed or how much they have already performed the repertory, opening nights everything seems new and nerves are a reality that has bested the most gifted of performers…

Royal Danish Ballet Principal Dancer Ulrik Birkkjaer in August Bournonville’s “A Folktale.” Photo: ©Costin Radu

Sixty years after The Royal Danish Ballet’s U.S. debut, principals and soloists from this internationally renowned company perform a fantastic program featuring excerpts from works by August Bournonville, the acclaimed 19th century Royal Danish Ballet choreographer and ballet master who created more than fifty works for the company. A highlight of the Joyce season, this engagement promises to be a memorable one.

All choreography by August Bournonville

The Flower Festival in Genzano (Pas de deux)

Music: H.S. Paulli

A Folktale (Pas de sept)

Music:  Niels V. Gade

Jockey Dance from Siberia to Moscow

Music: C.C. Møller

La Sylphide, Act II

Music:  Herman Løvenskiold

Napoli, Act III

Music: H.S. Paulli

Le Conservatoire (Pas de trios)

Music: H.S. Paulli

Royal Danish Ballet Principal Dancer Alban Lendorf in “Napoli.” Photo: ©Costin Radu

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The Mariinsky Ballet in Michel Fokine’s “Chopiniana” at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

Brooklyn Academy of Music recently presented The Mariinsky Ballet in a matinee performance of three works, all using music of Chopin entitled Chopin: Dances for Piano. The company ended a two-week season of three different programs, this week it moves on to the Kennedy Center in Washington with a program of late-19th- and early-20th-century choreography.

Michel Fokine was only 26 when he created Chopiniana and is the first plot-less ballet. Created in 1908 for the Mariinsky Theater, Chopin referred to his Chopiniana as a “reverie romantique.”  It is his first masterpiece and known as a crown jewel in his choreographic legacy. In this performance the dancers were accompanied by Alexandra Zhiliana on piano.

Dressed in ankle-length dresses of white tulle, a corps of ballerinas encircles a lone man on stage. It is wonderfully lyrical work and deeply emotion. The work intentionally lacks the great jumps, multiple turns or any showing tricks of the trade that were a must for ballet performances during that age.

Instead Fokine used the simplicity of beauty found within the classical vocabulary blended with lyrical movement. There is perfection to the work that can be found in the way the corps is moved about the stage and the use symmetry in the tableaus.

The Mariinsky Ballet’s Oxana Skorik & Timur Askerov in Michel Fokine’s “Chopiniana”at the BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

Oxana Skorik floated across the stage but Timur Askerov landed each jump with a load thud. I having been attending performances at BAM for years, so I know it was not because of the stage’s floor. Someone was simply not rolling through his feet when he lands!

Jerome Robbins‘ In The Night from 1970 was my least favorite of the three pieces shown. In this work I found the same problem I have with many of  ballets found in the repertory of the New York City Ballet and those specifically choreographed by George Balanchine.

The Mariinsky Ballet’ Yekaterina Kondaurova & Yevgeny Ivanchenko in Jerome Robbins’”In the Night” at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

It’s neo-classical ballet but the choreography maintains a certain rigidness of style, the men in 19th military style tunics with leggings and boots plus the women is skirts with corseted tops, that gave the work a formal aspect that I found strained. There were just too many elements I felt forced…

A wonderful surprise was Benjamin Millepied’s Without , a work for five couples. Mr. Millepied was recently named director of the Paris Opera Ballet.

Vladimir Lukasevich created a lighting design that bordered on almost to dark…and I don’t know if my age is catching up with me but it seemed to get dimmer as the work progressed…it is later that you come to realize that the dim lighting merges with music that created an ambience unique in itself.

There is a romance to the piece that is intrinsic. The work is for five couples that are in matching colors, one couple in blue, another in green and so forth. A couple would perform center stage as dancers ran on, off and through black drapes that encompassed the stage.

The Mariinsky Ballet’s Kristina Shapran & Andrei Yermakov in Benjamin Millepied’s “Without” at BAM Howard Gilman Opera House. Photo: Julieta Cervantes

But, it was the couple in red, Anastasia Matvienko and Konstantin Zverev, that grab and twisted the audience’s heartstrings. They performed with such fluidity of movement and true emotion that I did not want them to ever stop dancing.

The Mariinsky Ballet, known as the Kirov Ballet during the Soviet Era, has produced some of the Twentieth Century’s most noted dancers, Mikhail Baryshnikov, Natalia Dudinskaya, Natalia Makarova, and Rudolf Nureyev.

The Mariinsky Ballet is the parent company of the Vaganova Ballet Academy, a leading international ballet school in St. Petersburg. Over 250 years old the academy takes its name from Agrippina Vaganov, who brought perhaps the most important developments in modern Russian Ballet.

Once year the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet produces one of the most exciting, if not the most exciting event in dance in NYC, the Cedar Lake Installation. The company turns its spacious studio in Chelsea into a 360 degree performance space. No seating is provided; you are encouraged to walk amongst the dancers as they are performing.

When you enter the Cedar Lake studio, the dancers, all in black walk about the room stone faced. We the audience are none existent, the weave in and around us. It is evident from the start that we have entered their world, a world where surrealism is the norm and abstraction is a manner of expression.

The dancers are wearing pleated knee length skirts with each in a black top of their own choosing. Guillame Quéau is wearing a black motorcycle jacket; Joaquim de Santana has on a see-through mesh tee-shirt while Joseph Kudra is shirtless.

There is a blend of mystery and tension. For the audience does not know what to expect…that is the brilliance of the Cedar Lake Installation 2015….you never know what to expect….

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

CEDAR LAKE – INSTALLATION 2015 | Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet. Photo: Darrell Wood

Clifton Brown in Fredrick Earl Mosley’s ‘Dedications (Except)’ for the 4th Annual Dance Against Cancer. Photo: Christopher Duggan

Dance Against Cancer 2015

An Evening to Benefit

The American Cancer Society

Monday, April 27, 2015 at 7pm

at AXA Equitable Theater

787 Seventh Avenue (between 51^st and 52^nd Streets).

New York City Ballet’s Tiler Peck and Robert Fairchild in Liam Scarlett’s ‘Acheron.’ Part of the Fourth Annual Dance Against Cancer. Photo: Christopher Duggan

Producers Erin Fogarty and Daniel Ulbricht have partnered with the American Cancer Society to present the 5^th annual Dance Against Cancer on Monday, April 27, 2015 at the AXA Equitable Theater, VIP guests will enjoy cocktails and passed hors d’oeuvres at 6pm, followed by world premiere dance performances at 7pm from companies including

New York City Ballet,

American Ballet Theatre,

Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater,

Complexions Contemporary Ballet,

Gallim Dance,

As well as members of NYC’s Broadway community and more.

Michaela DePrince, Skyler Maxey-Wert & Jason Ambrose, in Jason Ambrose’s Leave-Taking for the Second Annual Dance Against Cancer. Photo by Erin Baiano

Tickets are available at dacny.org

$150 for General Admission

$300 for VIP

$500 for Preferred VIP with dress rehearsal access.

All proceeds from this event will benefit research initiatives as well as all patient and family service programs that American Cancer Society funds. Since its inauguration, Dance Against Cancer has raised over $325,000 in support of the American Cancer Society.

 Dance Against Cancer

Co-producers and longtime friends Erin Fogarty and Daniel Ulbricht conceived Dance Against Cancer in 2010.  They both have close ties to the cause as Ms. Fogarty lost her father in 2011 after a seven-year battle with colon cancer and Mr. Ulbricht’s mother is currently battling uterine cancer.  With so many of their close friends and family sharing stories of their own relation to the disease, the desire to do something grew into what is now a gala benefit for the incredible work that the American Cancer Society does through research initiatives as well as patient and family service programs. The benefit brings together artists from leading dance companies from New York City and beyond for a night of beautiful performances, world premieres and great company. Since its inauguration, Dance Against Cancer has raised over $325,000 in support of the American Cancer Society.

 About the American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society is a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers saving lives and fighting for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. As the largest voluntary health organization, the Society’s efforts have contributed to a 20 percent decline in cancer death rates in the U.S. since 1991, and a 50 percent drop in smoking rates. Thanks in part to our progress nearly 14 million Americans who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will celebrate more birthdays this year. We’re determined to finish the fight against cancer. We’re finding cures as the nation’s  largest private, not-for-profit investor in cancer research, ensuring people facing cancer have the help they need and continuing the fight for access to quality health care, lifesaving screenings, clean air, and more. For more information, to get help, or to join the fight, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

Bolshoi Ballet’s Evgenia Obraztsova and Semyon Chudin perform the Pas de Deux from “The Pharaoh’s Daughter.” Photo: VAG

One on the great pleasure in living in New York City is the annual appearance of the Youth America Grand Prix at Lincoln Center‘s David H. Koch Theater Each year YAGP presents two nights in which some of the best dancers in the world are put on display. First presented it the Final Rounds of the Youth America Grand Prix in which the young dancers that have made it to the final round of the competition perform Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala takes place the next evening. It is a much awaited for event in which the students showing the most potential perform alongside some of stars of today’s leading dance companies. The evening was hosted by Julie Kent from American Ballet Theater and Jared Angles from the New York City Ballet.

Of the sixty dancers that made it to the final rounds everal American dancers came away with top spots. Rio Anderson from San Francisco won 2nd place in the Senior Women’s Division and was also awarded a year round Scholarship to the Royal Ballet in London, as well as an apprenticeship with the Dutch National Ballet. New York native Juliette Bosco, age 12 and Maggie Chadbourne, age 13 from Orland actually tied for 1st Place in the Junior Women’s division.

When the curtain opened for the Final Rounds, Connor Hamilton, age 12, gave a stunning interpretation of the Variation from Giselle. She was so tiny, so petit and danced wonderfully. Shogo Hayami, age 18 from the John Cranko School in Germany performed an exciting tour-de-force performance of the Variation from Don Quixote. He is someone to watch….

It is customary during the Stars of Today Meet the Stars of Tomorrow Gala that the top ranking dancers chosen from the night before perform during the first half of the program. After the intermission dancers from some of the best dance companies in the world are presented.

YAGP first place winner in the Senior Men’s Division performed Shogo Hayami performing Mikis Theodorakis’ Solo for Diego. Photo: VAG

In the first half of the program, Stars of Tomorrow, Shogo Hayami, age 18, the first place winner in the Senior Men’s Division performed Mikis Theodorakis’ Solo for Diego. The piece calls for a certain level of drama that is still tongue-in-cheek, yet, the performer must have superb technical ability to full express the character being portrayed. I have seen this piece performed many times but rarely as smoothly as Mr. Hayami’s. I will be interesting to see where this gifted young man will begin his professional career.

Austen Acevedo, age 15, came in 6^th in the Senior Men’s Division. During the Final Rounds he and Kennedy Kallas, age 14 gave a riveting performance of Yuri Smekalov’s Who is My Shadow. Both dancers displayed a maturity far beyond their years. It is an intriguing contemporary duet that the couple had premiered at the Mariinsky Festival held in Russia at the Mariinsky Theatre. They are the first pre-professional American dancers to perform on the Mariinsky Theatre stage.

The Stars of Tomorrow opened with Calvin Royal III from American Ballet Theater and YAGP alumni with partner Katrina Shapran (Mariinsky Ballet) performing Anton Primonov Untitled. It was the work’s world premiere, presented as part of YAGP’s Emerging Choreographers Series. Though beautifully performed the piece itself felt somewhat lacking.

The Bolshoi stars Evgenia Obraztsova and Semyon Chudin performed a Pas de Deux from The Pharaoh’s Daughter which I was excited to see. Ms. Obraztsova was flawless but it was Mr. Chudin who grabbed the eye. I do not believe I have ever seen a male body more suited for dance. His line is lean and impeccable. He grabs you and pulls you into his performance.

Bolshoi Ballet’s Evgenia Obraztsova and Semyon Chudin perform the Pas de Deux from “The Pharaoh’s Daughter.” Photo: VAG

Xander Parish, the first and only British dancer with the Mariinsky Ballet, gave an athletic and rousing performance of the amusing Eric Gauthier’s Ballet 101. The work displayed Mr. Parish faultless technique and gave witness to why he was selected to dance with the Mariinsky Ballet.

The Youth America Grand Prix mission is to support and develop world-class dancers, ages 9-19, of all economic, ethnic, and geographic backgrounds by providing scholarship auditions, performance and education opportunities, and by serving as the global network of dance, connecting students, teachers, schools, dance companies, dancers, and audiences.

YAGP reaches over 7,000 dance students annually by holding workshops, scholarship auditions, master classes and audition classes in approximately 15 U.S cities and 5 international locations. Each season culminates in the week-long New York City Finals, where more than 1,200 of the world’s most promising dancers receive in-depth mentoring and greater scholarship, professional, and performance opportunities.

Only 300 of most promising young dancers representing 30 countries on 5 continents are chosen for the New York City Finals. Open to general public, the Final Round gives the New York audiences a unique opportunity to see 60 of the world’s best young dancers before they disperse around the world to study on scholarship at the world’s leading dance academies (over $300,000 in scholarships are presented annually at YAGP).

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performing Boris Eifman’s Newest Ballet “Up & Down.” Photo: Michael Khoury

Boris Eifman Explores the Dark Side of the Jazz Age

The New York City Center presents the American premiere of the new ballet from renowned choreographer Boris Eifman. Adapted from the novel Tender is the Night by F. Scott Fitzgerald, with music by George Gershwin, Franz Schubert and Alban Berg.

The book, first published in 1934, tells the story of a young psychoanalyst and his wife, who is also his patient, and their doomed relationship. The action takes place in the south of France in the 1920s.

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performing Boris Eifman’s Newest Ballet “Up & Down.” Photo: Michael Khoury

The young psychoanalyst, Dick Diver is a charming, affluent socialite who is plunged into an existential crisis by the mental illness affecting his wife. Mr. Eifman has characterized the work as a “dazzling chronicle of a human dying spiritually”.

“Among a wide range of topics touched upon in this novel, I chose three main ones – preserving God’s gift; realizing oneself, one’s mission and one’s purpose; and jazz,” Eifman said in an interview with news agency Ria Novosti.

Boris Eifman was born in the Altai Territory in Siberia in 1946 and graduated from the Leningrad Conservatory. In 1977 he founded the Leningrad Ballet Ensemble, which later became known as the St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet.

For over three decades, the choreographer has staged works in his distinctive bold, emotion-driven style. Mr. Eifman’s unorthodox selections of themes and music for his ballets along with the body movements of his dancers has earned him the reputation of “a choreographic dissident.”

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performing Boris Eifman’s Newest Ballet “Up & Down.” Photo: Michael Khoury

In 2013, Eifman opened the Boris Eifman Dance Academy, which currently has a student body of 90 young dancers from across Russia. The Eifman Ballet currently does not have a permanent stage, but the Boris Eifman Dance Palace is currently under construction.

St. Petersburg Eifman Ballet

Fri, May 22 at 8pm

Sat, May 23 at 2pm & 8pm

Sun, May 24 at 2 pm

136 W 56th St.

BTW 6th & 7th Aves.

New York, NY 10019

212.581.1212

Tickets & Info

American Masters teams up with Emmy- and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Ric Burns to co-produce a new documentary about American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in honor of the ballet company’s 75th anniversary.

American Masters – American Ballet Theatre: A History …premieres nationwide Friday, May 15, 2015 at 9 p.m. on PBS (check local listings)…rthe rise of the company from its earliest days as a small, financially struggling collective, to its pinnacle as one of the most respected and revered dance companies in the world. Beginning film production in 2006, Burns was given unprecedented access to the company and shot hundreds of hours of original footage, including dramatic live performances in Paris and Havana, grueling rehearsals at ABT’s flagship studio in New York City and slow-motion captures at Kaatsbaan International Dance Center in Tivoli, N.Y.

The footage from Kaatsbaan features iconic dances by nine ABT dancers, including Copeland, Murphy, Seo, Gomes, Isabella Boylston, Herman Cornejo, Daniil Simkin, Joseph Gorak and Cory Stearns, chosen by McKenzie for their diversity and breadth of talent to illustrate the ABT dancers’ formidable technicality, intricate artistry and nuanced emotion. Shot by Emmy-winning cinematographer Buddy Squires and a 30-person crew using Phantom Flex cameras — which capture up to 2,500 frames per second and brings to life even the smallest of movements — the footage brings a new dimension to the understanding of the extraordinary efforts made in the perfection of form: from the delicate placement of a fingertip to the perfectly executed jeté.

American Masters on PBS

Friday, May 15, at 9 pm EST

(check local listings)

Filed under: Ballet, Dance History Tagged: ABT, ABT Studio, Ameican Masters, American Ballet Theater, American Ballet Theater 75th Anniversary Season, “American Ballet Theatre: A History”, “American Masters – American Ballet Theatre: A History”, Buddy Squires, Cory Stearns, Daniil Simkin, Gillian Murphy, Hee Seo, Herman Cornejo, Isabella Boylston, Joseph Gorak, Kaatsbaan International Dance Center, Kevin McKenzie, Marcelo Gomes, Misty Copeland, PBS, Ric Burns

Lyon Opera Ballet in Benjamin Millepied’s “Sarabande.” Photo: Michel Cavalca

Lyon Opera Ballet is not a traditional ballet company for missing from the company’s repertoire are the great White Ballets such as Swan Lake or Giselle. Instead this exceptional company it is committed to showcasing the work of significant contemporary choreographers by superbly trained and gift dancers.

The Lyon Opera Ballet’s program at the Joyce Theater, April 19-May 3, 2015 presented three works and all created within the last thirty years, Benjamin Millepied’s Sarabande (premiering in 2009), William Forsythe’s StepText (premiering in 1985) and the New York premiere of the Israeli-born, French-based choreographer Emanuel Gat’s Sunshine from 2014.

Lyon Opera Ballet in Benjamin Millepied’s “Sarabande.” Photo: Michel Cavalca

Benjamin Millepied’s Sarabande is a work for four male dancers wearing casual street attire. Paul Cox had the men in tan pants with each dancer wearing a plaid shirt but each shirt in a same but yet slightly altered color scheme.

Julian Nicosia began the piece by dancing solo to two extracts from Bach’s Partitas for Solo Flute while being accompanied on stage by flutist Stefan Ragnar Hoskuldsson. Mr. Nicosia is a most gifted dancer; he possesses a natural lyricism mixed with a wonderful sense of athleticism.

Lyon Opera Ballet in Benjamin Millepied’s “Sarabande.” Photo: Michel Cavalca

Mr. Millepied’s chorography is attentive to the music for it flows intrinsically from shape to phrase. There is a freedom to the work making it seemed improvised, of the moment. Quick transitions of weight are followed by rapid changes of direction and focus with astounding leaps and jumps. It is a delicious work that allows you, the viewer, to sit back and enjoy the beautiful simplicity of the piece.

Emanuel Gat’s Sunshine, for me and a few others in the audience (I know because I asked) was a bit of a head scratcher. After the serenity of Sarabande, Sunshine seemed chaotic with dancers running, jumping, sliding in various directions, sometimes to music, sometimes not.

Lyon Opera Ballet in Emanuel Gat’s “Sunshine.” Photo: Michel Cavalca

The score, which did not help the choreography in the least, is a recording of rehearsals of Handel’s Water Music. Mr. Gat did not incorporate the music in either the creation of the work or the rehearsal process but added it just days before the premiere. Sadly this showed….

The pièce de résistance for the evening was William Forsythe’s 1985 work Steptext. It is quartet for three males and one female dancer to Bach’s Chaconne for the Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D Minor.

Mr. Forsythe once famously said “The [classical] vocabulary is not and will never be old; it is the writing that can be dated.” So it is that with StepText he applies the classical vocabulary in ways that he is known for by the altering phrasing with unexpected combination of steps and body positioning.

Two men, in all black with their arms uncovered begin to move in almost darkness. It is the play of shadow and light of the dancers’ bare arms that draws your eye and first brings them to your notice.

They leave the stage as we hear a violin, but only briefly. Dorothée Delabie, wearing a red sleeveless body suit, walks on stage. She too starts to move just her arms in silence. Again the violins are heard but only for an instant.

A man walks up behinds and so begins the dance. Steptext was choreographed in 1985 just two years before Mr. Forsythe’s groundbreaking work In the Middle Somewhat Elevated. You can see the same use of extended limbs with balance off kilter.

Ms. Delabie was tossed and turned then tossed and turned again. Her every move was magical. If you have not seen William Forsythe’s StepText or the Lyon Opera Ballet in performance you are doing yourself a grave injustice.

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg in Boris Eifman’s “Up and Down.” Photo by Michael Khoury

No-one gives drama better than a Russian…so it came as no surprise to find Boris Eifman’s newest work UP & Down drama filled and a breaming with passion. This new ballet by Mr. Eifman, which premiered in Saint Petersburg in January of this year, plunges the audience into an atmosphere of the Roaring Twenties. The work was given its New York premiere as part of a nine-week North American tour at the New York City Center on May 22-24, 2015.

Using the music by George Gershwin, Franz Schubert and Alban Berg, Mr. Eifman recently speaking on his new production: ‘The ballet ‘Up & Down’ is a tragic and bright chronicle of a person’s spiritual death. The story about how a dream of happiness turns into a disaster, and an externally beautiful and carefree life flowing to the rhythms of jazz – into a nightmare.

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg in Boris Eifman’s “Up and Down.” Photo by Michael Khoury

The two-act ballet is a tale of a stern Psychiatrist (Sergey Volobuev) who falls in love and marries his beautiful but troubled patient (Anastasia Sitnikova). As the patient is pulled out of her madness the Psychiatrist finds himself pulled into madness. The Patient’s millionaire father, who forced his daughter into an incestuous relationship and is the cause of her madness, believes any problem can resolved it you throw enough money at it.

The work is ripe with the Mr. Eifman’s signature style of choreography, long lyrical phrases of movement with each movement acting as a catalyst for the next. With his choreographic choices he is able to accurately portray the soul of the characters he has created. He shows the pain and turmoil, the brief moments of joy and the languishing absence when love is replaced by longing…

The dancers in the Eifman Ballet are exceptional, each and every one. All are tall and lean with ridiculously long legs. Sergey Volobuev, in the role of the Psychiatrist was wonderful. Mr. Volobuev has an intrinsic lyricism that seems to be as natural to him as breathing. If you have not seen him perform, do so, it will be a treat….

Anastasia Sitnikova danced the fragile and damaged patient with finesse. Her scenes in the asylum pulls on your heartstrings as you witness her recede deeper into her psychosis; you feel the nightmares that haunt her. When dancing with Mr. Volobuev, Ms. Sitnikova gave the audience glimpses of the all to brief joy she found when with him, either as patient or bride.

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performing Boris Eifman’s Newest Ballet “Up & Down.” Photo: Michael Khoury

But as the ballet progresses we see Ms. Sitnikova darker side emerge. The side that is so like her abusive father, manipulative and wealth obsessed. As this side becomes more evident, the more Mr. Volobuev seems to slide away from her.

Oleg Markov, as the patient’s father is a brilliant technician who displays great emotion in his dancing. He was wonderful to watch but my only complaint is he looked far too young to be the patient’s father. So youthful did he look he could have easily been the patient’s younger brother.

The Eifman Ballet of St. Petersburg performing Boris Eifman’s Newest Ballet “Up & Down.” Photo: Michael Khoury

When vacationing on a beach in a very upscale resort Mr. Volobuev comes in contact with a beautiful and very seductive actress danced by the exquisite Maria Abashova. Ms. Abashova led Mr. Volobuev around by his nose…and honestly, Ms. Abashova is so remarkably beautiful she could probably lead men around by their noses in real life if she were so inclined.

Now did I find Mr. Eifman’s Up and Down as brilliant a work as I did his Rodin seen in 2012? Sadly no, Rodin is a rare work; a work of unquestionable genius where Up and Down, which has its own merits and I enjoyed every minute, lacked the depth of statement found in Rodin.

But I still stand by my conviction that Boris Eifman is one of the great choreographers working today…..

BalletNow™

Performances by

Roberto Bolle

Petra Conti

Marlon Dino

Maria Eichwald

Maria Kochetkova

Lucia Lacarra

Marijin Rademaker

Henry Sidford

Dinu Tamazlâcaru

Herman Cornejo

Mary Carmen Catoya

Erica Cornejo

Paloma Herrera

Juan Pablo Ledo

Carlos Molina

Luciana Paris

Kleber Rebello

Viengsay Valdes

CLICK HERE TO BUY TICKETS

Filed under: Ballet, Dance Tagged: “Voyage Into Beauty”, BalletNow, Carlos Molina, Dinu Tamazlacaru, Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, Erica Cornejo, Henry Sidford, Herman Cornejo, Juan Pablo Ledo, Kleber Rebello, Lucia Lacarra, Luciana Paris, Maria Eichwald, Maria Kochetkova, Marijin Rademaker, Marlon Dino, Mary Carmen Catoya, Paloma Herrera, Petra Conti, Roberto Bolle, Roberto Bolle “Voyage Into Beauty”, Viengsay Valdes

Ballet X. Sunset o639 Hours. (c)Alexander Iziliaev

The only thing that can be said, or at least I can say of BalletX and Sunset, o69 Hours, a Co-production by Matthew Neenan and Rosie Langabeer, is that it was odd, strange, puzzling and sometimes perplexing …but without a doubt downright brilliant.

Everything about the production was an unexpected and a very well received surprise, and not just for me. I have been attending performances of at the Joyce for over 30 years…way back when the theater was home to the Eliot Feld Ballet…but I have never witnessed such a standing ovation as was given to BalletX after their performance of Sunset, o69 Hours…literally every single person in the audience were on their feet, applauding, yelling, a few even hooted…

Sunset, o69 Hours, is the tragic tale of the first airmail service flight between Now Zealand and United States that took place in 1938 …air travel in the early parts of the 20^th Century were fraught with peril hence the tragedy of the tale. Known for his meticulous attention to safety Captain Edwin Musick and a crew of six were surprised to find that shortly after their departure from Pago Pago an oil leak was discovered. Deciding to dump the fuel and return to Pago Pago for repairs the plane unexpectedly exploded in mid-air, killing all.

Ballet X. Sunset o639 Hours. (c)Alexander Iziliaev

Now it sounds a bit dreary but the production is anything but. Lighting Designer Drew Billiau and Set Designer Maiko Matsushima must both be commended for creating a world that allows one’s imagination to soar. You experienced the thrill of that period’s cabaret and the crews welcoming after landing in America Samoa and Pago Pago.

The music and/or soundscape was the brilliant invention of Nick Kourtides and Neil Feather. While the New Zealand composer and musician Rosie Langabeer portrayed a cabaret chanteuse whose enchanting voice was a delight…

Interwoven throughout the work are read love letters from that period as well official administrative correspondence concerning the flight and its significance mail delivery world-wide.

Matthew Neenan’s genius shines in his choreographic choices. His approach and use of the body in space is anything but ordinary. The dancers would one moment be moving with assured elegance and then unexpected become birdlike, heads jutting forward, one should raises while the other is lowered. Arms start to swing like propellers of an airplane then bodies lie prone on the floor with the spine arched, arms extended to the side with feet raised as if in mimicry of an airplane in flight.

There is a delightful childlike quality, a seeming innocence if you will, that was found in the piece as if the creators were reminding the audience not to take this too seriously, to just sit back and enjoy. (…I kept expecting a cart to come rolling down the aisle with stewardesses offering beverage choices…)

Ballet X. Sunset o639 Hours. (c)Alexander Iziliaev

The music is colorful, full of life in and of itself. It is the sounds of the an age, melodic yet percussive and with a hint of Tango here and there.

Everything about the performance of BalletX was superb. Edgar Anido and Richard Villaverde must be commended on their outstanding performances as well as Caili Quan who moved with such delicious lyricism and strength.

“The mission of UnderTheRainbow’s New York International Ballet Trainee Program is to provide opportunities for young, talented artists to access high quality ballet training to enable them to cultivate their talents to the highest level”

Our goal is to help young artists obtain scholarships and apprenticeships in our program and in other international dance programs that would allow them to continue pursuing their dreams. Under the guidance of renowed Principle dancer and Creative Director Ramon Thielen and former Belshoi ballerina and Artistic Associate Tatiana Berenova our program offers intensive training with some of ballets most respected professionals who will guide them in developing their technique while broadening their understanding of ballet as an artform.

Under the Rainbow will collaborate with all sectors and groups that share our common vision of creative expression, advocacy and education.

Sept 2, 2015 @ 8 Pm

Alvin Ailey City Group Theater

405 W 55th St

New York, NY 10019

TICKETS

presents

A Ballerina’s Tale

Directed by Nelson George

In Theaters & on VOD

October 14, 2015

Iconic ballerina Misty Copeland made history when she became the first African-American woman to be named principal dancer of the legendary American Ballet Theater. Get the incredible, behind-the-scenes story of how she overcame a tumultuous upbringing and near career-ending injuries to become one of the most revered dancers of her generation. More than just a ballet success story, Copeland’s journey is a hugely inspirational, universal tale of perseverance.

For the World Ballet Day on Oct 1, 2015, five of the world’s leading ballet companies including The Royal Ballet will unite for a day of live-streamed rehearsals, interviews and insights.

The Royal Ballet’s live-stream as part of World Ballet Day, 2014 © ROH. Photo by Sim Canetty-Clarke, 2014.

Following the success of last year’s unprecedented collaboration, five of the world’s leading ballet companies will again come together for World Ballet Day, a day of live-streaming via YouTube on 1 October 2015.

The Australian Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, The Royal Ballet, The National Ballet of Canada, and San Francisco Ballet will again partner to provide viewers around the world with an inside look at professional ballet companies in the studio, on tour, and in performance.

The Royal Ballet’s section of the day will feature exclusive backstage footage from across the Royal Opera House. As well as showing segments of morning class live, filming will follow the preparation and off-stage action from a matinee performance of Kenneth MacMillan’s Romeo and Juliet featuring Lauren Cuthbertson and Federico Bonelli. Rehearsals for the world premiere of Carlos Acosta’s Carmen which opens in October will be broadcast alongside exclusive footage of Royal Ballet Principals preparing for the 2015/16 Season. Further details of the five hours hosted by The Royal Ballet will be announced in due course.

In addition to behind-the-scenes streaming from Melbourne, Moscow, London, Montréal and San Francisco, the day will  feature pre-recorded footage from a range of regional dance organizations who are based close to the five companies. These companies include Bangarra Dance Theatre, Birmingham Royal Ballet, Dutch National Ballet, English National Ballet, Hamburg Ballet, Houston Ballet, Northern Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, and Scottish Ballet.

Throughout the day, viewers will be invited to enter a ‘Dance Anywhere’ contest by submitting a video or photograph via social media of themselves dancing in front of regional landmarks. Entries may be posted using Facebook, Twitter or Instagram and should be tagged with #WorldBalletDay. The best ones will be broadcast to a global audience during the day.

The broadcast schedule is as follows:

• 3-8am BST: The Australian Ballet live from Melbourne
• 8-11am BST: The Bolshoi Ballet live from Moscow
• 11am-4pm BST: The Royal Ballet live from London
• 4-9pm BST: The National Ballet of Canada live from Montréal
• 9pm-2am BST: San Francisco Ballet live from San Francisco.

Further information, including the content of all participating companies’ segments is available from worldballetday.com. We will also publish further details on our World Ballet Day pages.

World Ballet Day will be available to watch via the official website and YouTube. Please note that all details are subject to change.