★★★★✰ A harmonious blending of music and dance, it proved seventy-five minutes of non-stop bliss!
Author - Margaret Willis
The occasion was the 15th anniversary of the Ekaterina Maximova Arabesque Ballet Competition named, since 2012, after the late and much-loved Bolshoi ballerina, and organised by her husband, Vladimir Vasiliev...
"It’s like a game of tennis – I hit the ball and she returns it.". Margaret Willis catches up with choreographer Patrick de Bana to talk about his choroegraphic life and latest project - contributing to Svetlana Zakharova's show Amore - which tours to the UK in November.
★★★✰✰ Nina Kaptsova and Ruslan Skvortsov reviewed - There were few dry eyes in the auditorium as the opulent gold and red curtains of the Bolshoi Theatre closed on the petite distraught figure of Pushkin’s heroine, Tatiana.
How do you review a world premiere that you have spent seven hours flying to, and then find that it has been postponed until you are back home after another eight hours of travel?
"I’ve never won a prize before..." on the day Laura Morera won an Outstanding award at the National Dance Awards, Margaret Willis had a long chat with the excited, and much loved, Royal Ballet principal...
Brooklyn Mack dances with Washington Ballet but has recently been wowing British audiences with English National Ballet in their wonderful "Le Corsaire". Margaret Willis, much impressed, caught up with him for a chat...
English National Ballet has been dancing this ever-popular Russian classic in various guises each holiday season for the past 50 years, delighting audiences and inspiring youngsters...
The company, based on the shores of the Caspian Sea, successfully toured the UK in 2013 and has returned again with 37 (from its full company of 65) dancers, offering the popular favourites including its latest "Don Quixote", which made for a most enjoyable evening.
Opening night cast of Celine Gittens and Tyrone Singleton reviewed + some thoughts on Delia Mathews and Brandon Lawrence...
Like the returning swallow, Acosta has again brought his own promise of summer sunshine to London with his unique brand of Caribbean culture.
The Royal Ballet's Zenaida Yanowsky talks about her long career and also about the joys of working with Carlos Acosta - part of which is appearing with him in 'Cubania' this summer...
Kuligina was the perfect foil for Vasiliev’s Colin (Colas) and the pair played off one another. There could be no better role for Vasiliev...
Margaret Willis has just been in St. Petersburg, catching up with the Dance Open Festival and also visiting the Vaganova Academy where she had some words with director Nikolai Tsiskaridze...
English National Ballet Nutcracker London, Coliseum 11 December 2014 Gallery of pictures by Dave Morgan www.ballet.org.uk You know that Christmas is really on its way when you see your first Nutcracker. And for me, it has to be a traditional one, from its classical dancing and scenario to brightly varied costumes and characters. Despite a few quirky moments, English National Ballet’s production...
This time, I made 15 trips to the theatres – there were performances at 5pm and 9pm each day - and saw 82 different full-length ballets or extracts in the eight days I was in Havana.
Viktoria Tereshkina has a warm personality and this enhances her dancing. She has long thin limbs and offers expansive port de bras, while her legs whip up effortlessly but with control.
Margaret Willis has been busy: in St. Petersburg at the Dance Open Festival Gala and 2 days later in Moscow at the Soul of Dance Ballet Gala. And important awards were given at both...
The 13th Dance Open Festival invited two European and very differently styled neo-classical-cum-modern companies – Malandain Ballet Biarritz and Dutch National Ballet - to perform as part of their celebrations in St. Petersburg.
The corps (in Chopiniana) must be congratulated for the ball-bearing precision in their soft gentle boureeing, gliding gently back to their original positions as the music ended. A real treat to see it done so beautifully.