Tuesday 12 June 2012

Maya Plisetskaya Dances. Documentary.

Watch The Documentary Here:

Anna Karenina. BB. 1980.


Watch The Performance Here:

Don Quichot. DNB. 2010.


Watch The Performance Here:

Watch The Extras Here:

The Sleeping Beauty. RB. 2006.


Watch The Sleeping Beauty Here:

Tchaikovsky's The Sleeping Beauty is one of the best loved of classical ballets,
combining in a single work all the enchantment and virtuosity that ballet has to offer.
The royal court, the panoramic journey of the Prince to the overgrown castle,
and the great celebratory dances of the happy ending (in which other famous fairytale figures appear)
are all brought to life by the luscious designs of this celebrated production,
created in 1946 for the The Royal Ballet. The inspired performances of its revival for the 75th anniversary
of the Company in 2006, together with a magnificent High Definition recording,
make this a superb tribute to The Royal Ballet’s unique style and visual splendour.

Princess Aurora: Alina Cojocaru
Prince Florimund: Federico Bonelli
King Florestan XXIV: Christopher Saunders
His Queen: Elizabeth McGorian
Cattalabutte: Alastair Marriott
Carabosse: Genesia Rosato
Lilac Fairy: Marianela Nuñez
The Royal Ballet
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Choreographer: Marius Petipa
Additional choreography: Ashton / Dowell / Wheeldon
Conductor: Valeriy Ovsyanikov
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 5th December 2006.

The Nutcracker. RB. 2009.


Watch The Nutcracker Here:

This all-time ballet favourite, in which young Clara is swept into a fantasy adventure when one of her Christmas presents comes to life,
is at its most enchanting in Peter Wright's glorious production as fresh as ever in its 25th year.
Tchaikovsky's ravishing score, period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman (including an ingenious magical Christmas tree),
an exquisite Sugar Plum Fairy (Miyako Yoshida) and chivalrous Prince (Steven McRae), the mysterious Drosselmeyer (Gary Avis)
and vibrant dancing by The Royal Ballet make for a captivating performance.
The Sugar Plum Fairy – Miyako Yoshida
Nephew / Nutcracker – Ricardo Cervera / Steven McRae
The Prince – Steven McRae
Drosselmeyer – Gary Avis
The Royal Ballet
The Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Koen Kessels, conductor
Peter Wright, choreographer and director
(after Lev Ivanov)
Recorded live at the Royal Opera House, November and December 2009.

The Sleeping Beauty. POB. 1999.



Watch The Sleeping Beauty Here:


The Nutcracker. RB. 2001.


Watch The Nutcracker Here:

Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker ballet has had many facelifts over the years.
Peter Wright's Royal Ballet production is among the most imaginative,
bringing together the narrative and fantasy aspects with relish.
The first half of Act 1 is made busy but low-key,
moving up a gear with the majestic Christmas tree "Transformation Scene",
and ending with a gorgeous "Waltz of the Snowflakes".
Act 2 decks out the lengthy sequence of character dances with vivid stage sets,
culminating in a moving reconciliation between the magician Drosselmeyer and his nephew.
Anthony Dowell brings authority, Ivan Putrov enthusiasm to their respective roles;
Alina Cojocaru is sympathetic as Clara,
and Miyako Yoshida steals the show as the Sugar-Plum Fairy.
The Royal Opera House Orchestra take time to adjust to Evgeny Svetlanov's spacious tempos,
but the showpieces have real emotional force.
A Nutcracker for today, and a Christmas treat for all ages.

Thursday 7 June 2012

Swan Lake. MB. 2006.


Watch Swan Lake Here:

This rendition of Pyotr Ilych Tchaikovsky's seminal ballet Swan Lake features dancers Ulyana Lopatkina and Danila Korsuntsev; it was staged and filmed at the Mariinsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.
The Orchestra of the Mariinsky Theatre, under the baton of Valery Gergiev, provides musical accompaniment.
Ulyana Lopatkina Odette-Odile
Danila Korsuntsev Prince Siegfried
Alexandra Gronskaya The Queen
Pyotr Stasiunas  Tutor
Andrei Ivanov  Jester
Ilya Kuznetsov  Rothbart
Valery Gergiev  Conductor

Swan Lake. SB. 2004.


Watch Swan Lake Here:

Tchaikovsky`s fantastically gorgeous ballet SWAN LAKE conjures up a feeling of warmth and joy.
A pinnacle of classical dance, the ballet is performed here at Milan`s world-famous Teatro della Scala in 2004.
Starring two of the most lauded ballet dancers on the globe, Svetlana Zakharove and Roberto Bolle,
the performance was choreographed by Russians Lev Ivanov and Vladimir Bourmeister.
Odette / Odile – Svetlana Zakharova
Prince Siegfried – Roberto Bolle
Jester – Antonino Sutera
Rothbart – Gianni Ghisleni
Princess – Sabrina Brazzo
Queen – Flavia Vallone
Milan La Scala Ballet
James Tuggle, conductor
Vladimir Burmeister and Lev Ivanov, choreographer
Florence Clerc and Frédéric Olivieri, stage director
Roberta Guidi di Bagno, set and costume designer
Gianni Mantovanini, lighting designer
Recorded live from the Teatro degli Arcimboldi, Milan, 2004.

Tuesday 5 June 2012

La Bayadere. RB. 2009.


Watch La Bayadere Here:

Marius Petipa’s exotic ballet, set in legendary India, is a story of love, death and vengeful judgement.
Natalia Makarova’s sumptuous recreation of Petipa’s choreography,
with atmospheric sets by Pier Luigi Samaritini and beautiful costumes by Yolanda Sonnabend,
stars Tamara Rojo as the Bayadère (temple dancer) Nikiya, Carlos Acosta as Solor,
and Marianela Nuñez as Gamzatti whose alluring presence challenges Solor’s love for Nikiya.
Solar: Carlos Acosta
Gamzatti: Marianela Nuñez
Nikiya: Tamara Rojo
The High Brahmin: Gary Avis
Rajah: Christopher Saunders
Magdaveya: Kenta Kura
Solor’s Friend: Valeri Hristov
Conductor: Valeriy Ovsyanikov
Choreographer: Natalia Makarova

Recorded live from the Royal Opera House, January 2009

Giselle. ABT. 1977.

Watch The Performance Here:

Swan Lake. RSB. 2002.


Watch Swan Lake Here:

The Royal Swedish Ballet, Stockholm / Michel Quéval
Choreographer Peter Wright stages Swan Lake as a romantic gothic tragedy.
This stunning production focuses on the heartbreaking role of the Prince in this dramatic classic,
honouring the 1895 Petipa/ Ivanov original.
Odette/Odile: Nathalie Nordquist
Prince Siegfried: Anders Nordström
The Queen: Marketta Kaila
Baron von Rothbart: Christian Rambe
Benno: Johannes Öhman with students of The Swedish Ballet School

Nutcracker: The Story of Clara. Australian Ballet. 1994.


Watch The Story of Clara Here:

Nutcracker – The Story of Clara takes audiences
deeper into Clara’s story and celebrates the strong
ties between Russian and Australian ballet. This
Nutcracker is set on a sweltering Melbourne
Christmas Eve in the late 1950s. Clara is a frail former
ballerina, reliving her rich and eventful life in one night
of feverish dreams. Clara’s journey echoes that of
many Ballets Russes dancers who toured Australia in
the late 1930s, enamouring audiences and helping
establish the art form in this country. Many of these
dancers would stay here for the rest of their lives.
Graeme Murphy illustrates this passage of time by
showing Clara at three stages in her life.
Based on the music of Tchaikovsky, but very Australianised
version. It will not be like any production of  "THe Nutcracker"
you may have seen before.
The Australian Ballet Company mounted this loose adaptation of
Pyotr Illych Tchaikovsky's ballet The Nutcracker in 1994.
In lieu of the traditional narrative associated with that ballet,
 this version relays the historical tale of a Russian ballerina
named Clara (played by three performers - Vicki Attard,
Margaret Scott and Siobhan Elsmann) who journeys to Australia
in the 1940s. Additional dancers in the company include
Steven Heathcote and David McAllister. Graeme Murphy choreographs;
the Orchestra Victoria (originally called The State Orchestra of Victoria)

Monday 4 June 2012

Les Flammes De Paris. BB. 2010.


Watch The Performance Here:

Recorded live at the Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Bolshoi Ballet perform
one of their most prestigious productions, les Flammes de Paris, with over
130 dancers on stage.Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow, March 31st, 2010
Les Flammes de Paris was first presented by Vassili Vaynonen at the Bolshoi
Theatre in 1933. It is one of the company's most interesting and unusual
ballets, belonging neither with the classical repertoire nor with the
masterpieces of the Soviet period. Les Flammes de Paris was presented on
the eve of the anniversary of the October Revolution; its story takes place
during the French Revolution and its protagonists are the common people.
Choreographer: Alexei Ratmansky
Composer: Boris Asafiev
Music Director: Pavel Sorokin
Orchestra: Symphonic Orchestra of the Bolshoi Theatre
Scenographers: Ilya Utkin, Evgeny Monakhov
Costume Designer: Yelena Markovskaya
Lighting Designer: Damir Ismagilov
Music dramaturgy conception: Yuri Burlaka

Sylvia. RB. 2005.


Watch Sylvia Here:


The Firebird. RB. 2001.


Watch The Firebird Here:

La Bayadere. POB. 1992.


Watch La Bayadere Here:

Exotic and mysterious India serves as the backdrop to this story of doomed love between the warrior Solor and the bayadère,
Nikiya, who is killed by her jealous rival, Gamzatti.
Breathtaking sets and costumes are designed by Ezio Frigerio and Franca Squarciapino in this exceptional production,
recorded at the Palais Garnier in Paris.
Direction and choreography in this fully restored version of Petipa's original ballet are by Rudolf Nureyev.
Isabelle Guérin, Laurent Hilaire, and Élisabeth Platel.

Le Corsaire. ABT. 1999.


Watch Le Corsaire Here:

Le Corsaire is the perfect vehicle for the world-renowned virtuosity of the American Ballet Theatre.
The acclaimed cast masterfully weaves their way through pirates, shipwrecks, abductions, treachery and true love.
Dazzling choreography is intertwined with colorful costumes, exotic scenery and special effects that add life to the non-stop action.
It's entertainment, pure and simple.
Julie Kent, Angel Corella, Joaquin De Luz, Paloma Herrera, Vladimir Malakhov, Ethan Stiefel.

Sunday 3 June 2012

Mayerling. RB. 2009.


Watch Mayerling Here:




Watch Rehearsals Here:

Costumes Here:


Enjoy :-)


Manon. Australian Ballet. 1995.


Watch Manon Here:

This highly rated production of Manon by The Australian Ballet was recorded live at the Adelaide Festival Centre.
It features premier dancers Justine Summers, Steven Heathcote, Nigel Burley, Jonathan Kelly,
Lynette Wills and Paul de Masson.
In 18th century Paris, Manon, a captivating young woman, falls passionately in love with a penniless student,
des Grieux. Manipulated by her avaricious brother, she makes a fatal decision to shun her true love
and exploit the pleasures of wealth. Des Grieux, a victim of Manon's desires and depravity,
sacrifices everything to follow her to a tragic end.

The Sleeping Beauty. RB. 2011.


Watch Part 1. Here:


Watch Part 2. Here:



Watch Part 3. Here: