
Ekaterina Maximova Arabesque Ballet Competition Gala in Honour of Marius Petipa and Lev Tolstoy – Perm
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…

Project Polunin – Icarus, The night before the Flight; Tea or Coffee; Narcissus and Echo – London
★★✰✰✰ I begin this notice with a codicil. Let this preamble show my unbounded admiration for the spirit and rationale of Project Polunin.

Bolshoi Ballet – Spartacus – New York
If there’s one thing you can say for Yuri Grigorovich’s 1968 ballet Spartacus, it’s that it gets its point across loud and clear.

Bolshoi Dancers – Napa Valley Festival del Sole – San Francisco
I don’t regret spending two afternoons in the warm sun before the unbelievably early performances ( 6 and 6:30 curtain times), but overall, the dancing, no matter how artistic or technically accomplished, is seriously hindered by the productions and/or venues.

Ivan Putrov – Men in Motion – London
After all the fuss about Sergei Polunin abruptly leaving the Royal Ballet, guess who stole the Men in Motion show? Daniel Proietto, in the AfterLight solo Russell Maliphant made for him in 2010. Admittedly, you could read the 15-minute solo as a warning of the fate awaiting a troubled dancer deprived of the support of a company of colleagues