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gramilano · 7 years

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In the ‘60s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was all the rage: Benjamin Britten’s opera premiered in 1960, Balanchine’s ballet opened in 1962, Ashton’s The Dream came along in 1964, and Peter Hall’s film (with future Dames Diana Rigg, Helen Mirren, and Judi Dench, among the cast) was in 1968.

It was no passing fad. Both ballets are now set firmly in the repertoire, the opera is constantly staged, and film and television versions pop up like plastic bottles in the Pacific.

Balanchine’s ballet first came to La Scala in 2003 as a vehicle for Alessandra Ferri who was the theatre’s ‘prima ballerina assoluta’. Her Oberon was Roberto Bolle. It has proved a success for La Scala’s Ballet Company, and has staged many times and been taken on international tours. Now it has been revived — by Patricia Neary, as always — for the last time.

Ashton’s version has a more slapstick approach to the humour and a more erotic element to the relationships. Balanchine is more detached, though there is certainly humour, and Balanchine’s Bottom remains firmly outside Titania’s bower. He doesn’t have much time for the mechanicals, and he uses them only to get Bottom into the story and take him offstage when his scenes are through. The rest of the storytelling is eloquent, especially for a choreographer who rarely told stories.

Alessandro Grillo, Emanuela Montanari and Mariafrancesca Garritano

Emanuela Montanari and Antonino Sutera

Maurizio Licitra and Antonino Sutera

Virna Toppi

Two outstanding actress-dancers on the opening night were Emanuela Montanari as Helena and Mariafrancesca Garritano as Hermia. Montanari, with her hair down in the first act, looked like Catherine Zeta-Jones en pointe. She has poise and grace, and dances beautifully. Garritano’s arc of emotions from happy in love, to desperate in rejection, and back, was precisely judged with a sure technique which gives her full rein to express Hermia’s changing mood. Virna Toppi made a strong impression as a statuesque Hippolyta.

Titania is played by Principal Dancer Nicoletta Manni, who is an assured and regal dancer, though tends to keep too much within her comfort zone, with a range of expressions going from A to… well, she doesn’t reach Z. She needs a choreographer she trusts who can create a safe space where she can experiment in going further, and risk giving more. She has so many excellent qualities; a great asset to the company.

Nicoletta Manni and Matthew Endicott 01

Nicoletta Manni and Matthew Endicott

Nicoletta Manni and Nicola Del Freo

Nicoletta Manni and Marco Agostino

Nicoletta Manni

Manni danced both the first act and the second act pas de deux, a La Scala peculiarity. Balanchine had a separate couple for the second act pas, which represents perfect love, in contrast to the confusions and jealousies seen in the first act. At La Scala, from when Neary first set the ballet, only Ferri has danced it this way, the other Titanias appear in the second act along with their first act Cavalier.

Manni’s Cavalier, confusingly looked as though he could have been Oberon’s brother. Nicola Del Freo, (Oberon) and Marco Agostino (the Cavalier) look alike on stage, and had similar coloured costumes, so those in the upper galleries must have had a bewildering evening.

Nicola Del Freo

Del Freo was an excellent Oberon. He’s an honest dancer with clean legwork – all multiple beats and sissonnes – beautiful feet, and a noble air. Agostino, too, was an admirable partner. Antonino Sutera, as Puck, jumps around the stage with glee and abandon, grinning widely, though a shade more mischievousness would have rounded off his character.

The company danced with discipline and apparent joy which, a decade or so ago, wasn’t always the case. It is good to see them looking comfortable on stage and dancing so well. The orchestra was that of La Scala’s Academy and they almost played better than the theatre’s own orchestra: no one missed the habitual grimace-inducing sounds from the brass section.

Luisa Spinatelli’s gorgeously detailed costumes were often unfortunately lit, with coloured gels cancelling the subtle work in colour and texture, so only with the lighting for the applause did we see them in their full glory.

A truly satisfying evening at the ballet and, to misquote Puck, these shadows did not offend, and we gave them our hands with much pleasure.

Nicola Del Freo and Nicoletta Manni

Antonella Albano and Antonino Sutera

Divertissement pas de six

Photo credits: Sogno di una notte di mezza estate, choreography by George Balanchine © The George Balanchine Trust Photos by Marco Brescia and Rudy Amisano / Teatro alla Scala

Balanchine’s Dream sprinkles its magic fairy dust over La Scala for the last time In the ‘60s, A Midsummer Night’s Dream was all the rage: Benjamin Britten’s opera premiered in 1960, Balanchine’s ballet opened in 1962, Ashton’s…

#Alessandra Ferri #Benjamin Britten #George Balanchine #Helen Mirren #Judi Dench #La Scala #Marco Agostino #Mariafrancesca Garritano #Nicola Del Freo #Nicoletta Manni #Roberto Bolle

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earlrmerrill · 7 years

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Ballerina Fired For Speaking Out About Anorexia Talks About Her First Year Back On The Job

In 2011, Mariafrancesca Garritano (pen name Mary Garret) spoke out and eventually wrote about the anorexia she developed after being fat-shaming by instructors at La Scala's ballet school - and the company fired her and charged her with libel. Last year Italy's highest court ruled that she had been unfairly dismissed and should get her job back. Here she talks about her return to the company and the effects of four years away from ballet.

Article source here:Arts Journal

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ballerinadiary · 12 years

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'Code of silence': La Scala ballerina reveals 'widespread anorexia and infertility' in ballet world

Mariafrancesca Garritano reveals details of anorexia

Revelations may cost her place in opening performance

Dancers tormented by eating disorders to get 'perfect body'

By NICK PISA

A leading ballerina has risked the wrath of theatre chiefs by blowing the lid on the dark secrets of the ballet world including details of anorexia and women unable to have children as a result.

In scenes that would not look out of place in the Natalie Portman Oscar winning blockbuster Black Swan, ballerina Mariafrancesca Garritano, 33, has broken the unwritten code of silence - which she fears could cost her a place in the opening performance of next season.

Mariafrancesca Garritano has risked the wrath of theatre chiefs by blowing the lid on the dark secrets of the ballet world

Miss Garritano, a ballerina at Milan's famous La Scala opera house, described how dancers were tormented with eating disorders such as anorexia and bulimia, as they frantically tried to please teachers and opera chiefs with 'the perfect body.'

She added: 'Sadly this is a phenomenon that affects the whole of the ballet world but is very rarely discussed - it's as if there is a Mafia code of omerta (silence) that rules over us and as it result it must never be broken.

'Dancers are having their bodies taken to the limit by teachers and theatre directors who are demanding that the dancers have the perfect body and as such this is a sore that needs to be treated.

Black Swan: The pressures of life as a ballerina were highlighted in the film starring Natalie Portman

Ballet and the world of dance is a beautiful form of art that should not be exploited and put the lives of ballerinas and dancers at risk. One in five dancers in the ballet world are victims of anorexia - even La Scala is not immune.

Miss Garritano, who spoke after rehearsals at La Scala for next month's opening performance of Excelsior, added: 'This message needs to get out there - the people in the industry know the problem exists and the thought that I may be victimised for speaking out has crossed my mind but I hope it does not come to that.

I have personal experience of this problem - when I was a young teenager I suffered from anorexia and my weight dropped to 43 kilos (6.8stone). I didn't think I was fat but the teachers kept telling me I needed to lose weight or I would not get selected for performances.

Eating disorder: Natalie Portman's character in the Black Swan is sick after eating a slice of cake

'For eighteen months I did not have my period and even know I suffer from intestinal problems which I am sure are all connected to my experiences as a teenager. Lots of dancers I know cannot conceive because of the problems they had with anorexia.'

She added: 'It is not unusual to hear ballerinas talk of how they had two crackers for breakfast, a yoghurt for lunch and an apple for dinner just to make sure they can fit into their tutus. I know dancers who would compete against each other to see how little they could eat which is lunacy.

'They resort to this extreme course of action because they are being told that if they don't lose weight then they will not get picked.'

Earlier this year former Strictly Come Dancing judge Arlene Phillips also spoke of the pressures that dancers faced and highlighted the scene in Black Swan where Natalie Portman's Nina is sick after eating a slice of cake to celebrate winning a part in Swan Lake.

Arlene said: 'Staying slender is obviously a big part of a dancer's life,' turning to the cake scene she added: 'Initially she refuses to eat it and when she finally has a tiny bite, you can see the distaste on her face. She knows in a few days time she has to fit into a tutu, which has been measured to fit her exactly. she has to abstain.'

No one from La Scala opera house was available to comment on the revelations

Miss Garrittano added: 'I have never actually seen people being sick after eating but I know ballerinas who have suffered from eating disorders and then gone on to have psycological problems as well. I saw the film Black Swan and it was not very far from the truth at all but this problem is not restricted to dancing it is in fashion as well.'

Miss Garrittano has written about her experiences in a book called 'The Truth, Please, About Ballet' and added: 'When you see ballerinas on stage perfectly combed and immaculately dressed no-one can imagine that behind these people are stories of corruption and threats in order to keep their places in the company.'

No-one from La Scala was available to comment.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2069859/La-Scala-ballerina-reveals-widespread-anorexia-infertility-ballet-world.html#ixzz1gjOfyr76

#anorexia #ballerina #ballet dancer #performance #Mariafrancesca Garritano

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gramilano · 7 years

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La Scala's fired ballerina, and eating-disorder author, Mary Garret on her first year back with the company

La Scala’s fired ballerina, and eating-disorder author, Mary Garret on her first year back with the company

Back home In 2016, Mary Garret walked through the artists’ entrance at La Scala, ready to take daily class again with the company that had fired her four years previously. The ballerina Mariafrancesca Garritano, who writes under the name of Garret, wrote a book where she reflected on the nature of stringent diets and the search for the perfect physical form. La verità, vi prego, sulla danza! (The…

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#Claudio Coviello #Eleonora Abbagnato #La Scala #Mariafrancesca Garritano #Romeo and Juliet #Walter Madau

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gramilano · 7 years

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Symphony in C

An odd evening at La Scala saw Balanchine’s pure, sparkling choreography for Symphony in C sandwiched between two new contemporary creations on music which has already had phenomenally successful choreographies set to it: Ravel’s La Valse (Nijinska, Lifar, Balanchine, Ashton) and Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade (Fokine).

Matteo Gavazzi, Stefania Ballone and Marco Messina

Balanchine at la Scala in 1965, photo by Erio Piccagliani

Eugenio Scigliano, photo by Dario Lasagni

This new La Valse was choreographed by Stefania Ballone and Marco Messina, who are in La Scala’s corps de ballet, and Matteo Gavazzi from the Mario Bigonzetti stable (who was director of the company when he put forward this programme). Three choreographers? Bizarre, as La Valse is a single work of 12 or so minutes, not a symphony with distinct movements. Therefore, it is impossible to know who to blame for this ineffective and slightly irritating creation which was, thankfully, saved by the orchestra playing gloriously under the baton of Paavo Järvi.

Ravel’s large swathes of sound are decadent not perverse, yet most of the choreography was dark and unnerving. Certainly, dark currents lie beneath La Valse, which is why Stephen Sondheim stole from it ingeniously for his musical A Little Night Music, where the waltz underpins the extravagant lifestyle and sexual intrigues of the characters. In this new choreography, the grand sweeps of the orchestra were not echoed in movement, rather there were many small, urgent gestures which could have been set to some other music altogether. The poor cast were humiliated with unflattering costumes, wearing headdresses that lay somewhere between a bathing cap and a crash helmet… Irene Monti’s costume designs looked so good on paper.

One of those pretentious programme notes, that contemporary dance seems to excel in, states,

The music materializes through bodies that move and take on shapes of various emotive tensions and dynamics, either alone, in pairs or as a group.

This pointless phrase could be applied to most dance pieces ever created.

Mariafrancesca Garritano and Christian Fagetti gamely – and bravely – gave it everything they had, with psychological support from Giulia Schembri and Gioacchino Starace! [Note to management: Fagetti dances consistently well in the many roles he is assigned… shouldn’t he be a soloist by now?]

La Valse

Eugenio Scigliano’s Scheherazade, was something else altogether. He has a choreographic voice, even if he got unstuck during the long pas de deux – the piece ran out of steam and each time it appeared to get going again it would newly grind to a halt. However, the opening and ending were interesting both choreographically and with the sleek sets and dramatic lighting from Carlo Cerri. Kristopher Millar and Lois Swandale’s costumes were simple and effective.

Scheherazade costume design by Kristopher Millar and Lois Swandale

La Valse costume design by Irene Monti

Alessandra Vassallo was impressive and expressive in the very long and physically demanding role of Zobeide, and Nicola Del Freo was a strong presence as the Golden Slave. The love making between the two – so shockingly evident in Fokine’s version from over a century ago – was tame here, yet Zobeide’s violent treatment at the hands of the Sultan and his brother (Fagetti as the Sultan, Shahryar, with Walter Madau as his brother; both bad-temperedly macho) was quite extreme and drawn out. That’s the 21st century for you.

Scheherazade

The four couples leading each movement of Symphony in C were Nicoletta Manni and Nicola Del Freo, Maria Celeste Losa and Marco Agostino, Antonella Albano and Antonino Sutera, and Martina Arduino and Massimo Garon. Not every dancer can be a Balanchine dancer, and not everyone in this cast had the physique du role or right style for this piece, but as the filling in this triple-bill sandwich, it was certainly the richest and most satisfying part of what was on offer… if I were returning I would be tempted to lick out the filling and throw away the bread. Manni was sure and noble, Losa had some difficulty but is a delightful dancer to watch, Albano has a face that bristles with pleasure, and Arduino was secure and luminous. Their four partners were mostly clean and precise, as was the corps, especially in the heady, final frenetic moments.

Thank goodness for Balanchine.

All photos by Marco Brescia and Rudy Amisano – Teatro alla Scala (if not otherwise credited). Symphony in C, Choreography by George Balanchine © School of American Ballet

Balanchine saves the day – a triple bill at La Scala: La Valse, Symphony in C and Scheherazade An odd evening at La Scala saw Balanchine’s pure, sparkling choreography for Symphony in C sandwiched between two new contemporary creations on music which has already had phenomenally successful choreographies set to it: Ravel’s…

#A Little Night Music #La Scala #Mariafrancesca Garritano #Nicoletta Manni #Stephen Sondheim

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gramilano · 6 years

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Nureyev at La Scala after the Le Corsaire pas de deux in 1966, photo by Erio Piccagliani, Teatro alla Scala

24*, 25, 26, 29 May 2018

Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev

Remembering the 80th Anniversary of Rudolf Nureyev’s birth, 25 years after his death

Rudolf Nureyev at La Scala in Don Quixote

with Corps de ballet of La Scala, Director Frédéric Olivieri

Étoiles Svetlana Zakharova, Roberto Bolle

Guest Artists Marianela Nuñez, Germain Louvet, Vadim Muntagirov

Conductor David Coleman Orchestra of the La Scala Academy

With the participation of students from La Scala’s Ballet School

The Sleeping Beauty, Act 3 Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev

Don Quixote, Grand Pas Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev

Apollo Choreography by George Balanchine

Défilé To Wagner’s Tannhäuser – March from Act 3

* Benefit Evening for Fondazione Francesca Rava

Cast

Svetlana Zakharova The Sleeping Beauty photo by Marco Brescia, Teatro alla Scala

Germain Louvet photo by James Bort

The Sleeping Beauty, Act 3

Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev Restaged by Monique Loudières and Florence Clerc Musica Piotr Tchaikovsky

Aurora Svetlana Zakharova Desiré Germain Louvet King Florestan Alessandro Grillo The Queen Marta Romagna Catalabutte, master of ceremonies Riccardo Massimi

Pas de cinque (24, 25, 26 May) Timofej Andrijashenko, Virna Toppi, Alessandra Vassallo, Gaia Andreanò, Caterina Bianchi

Pas de cinque (29 May) Nicola Del Freo, Martina Arduino, Mariafrancesca Garritano, Chiara Fiandra Vanessa Vestita

Puss-in-Boots Federico Fresi (24, 25, 29 May) / Massimo Garon (26 May) The White Cat Antonella Albano (24, 25, 29 May) / Denise Gazzo (26 May) Bluebird Antonino Sutera (24, 25, 29 May) / Christian Fagetti (26 May) Princess Florine Vittoria Valerio (24, 25, 29 May) / Agnese Di Clemente (26 May)

Corps de ballet of La Scala

Interval

Vadim Muntagirov Don Quixote photo by ASH

Marianela Nunez in Don Quixote, photo by Carlos Villamayor

Don Quixote, Grand Pas de deux, Act 3

Choreography by Rudolf Nureyev Restaged by Florence Clerc Music by Ludwig Minkus Orchestrated and adapted by John Lanchbery

Kitri Marianela Nuñez Basilio Vadim Muntagirov Maid of Honour Maria Celeste Losa (24, 25, 26 May) / Alessandra Vassallo (29 May) And the Corps de ballet of La Scala

Apollo

Apollo Roberto Bolle Terpsichore Nicoletta Manni Polyhymnia Martina Arduino Calliope Virna Toppi

The performance of “Apollo”, a Balanchine® Ballet, is presented by arrangement with the George Balanchine Trust and has been produced in accordance with the Balanchine Style® and Balanchine Technique® Service standards established and provided by the Trust.

Défilé

20 December 1980, Rudolf Nureyev as Romeo, photo by Lelli e Masotti

To Richard Wagner’s Act 2 March from Tannhäuser

with Svetlana Zakharova, Roberto Bolle, Marianela Nuñez, Germain Louvet, Vadim Muntagirov, Corps de ballet of La Scala, La Scala Ballet School

www.teatroallascala.org

Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev at La Scala: full casting with Zakharova, Bolle, Nuñez, Louvet, Muntagirov 24*, 25, 26, 29 May 2018 Serata Nureyev – An Evening for Nureyev Remembering the 80th Anniversary of

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