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The return of former director
Bigonzetti
Mauro Bigonzetti, the short-lived director of
the Ballet Company of Teatro alla Scala,
Milan who lasted only a few months in 2016,
had originally included on the Italian compa-
nys programme for the 2016-2017 Season a
Copplia by himself (later cancelled and sub-
stituted by Kenneth MacMillans Romeo and
Juliet see review in previous issue of BAL-
LET2000), as well as, in May and June, Progetto
Hndel, an evening to music by the German
composer. The Hndel Project is part of a
series of ballets on chamber music that began at
La Scala in 2015 with Heinz Spoerlis Cello
Suites (Bach). It seems Bigonzetti will be re-
turning to La Scala to make this creation in-
spired by the baroque imagination and starring
Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle.
The dedication of Lpez Ochoa
Belgian-Colombian Annabelle Lpez Ochoa (44)
is one of the most active women choreogra-
phers on either side of the Atlantic. In 2016 she
created for various American companies and
for the Ballet Nacional de Cuba (on the occa-
sion of the famous International Ballet Festival
of Havana), while Tamara Rojo invited her to
create a piece for English National Ballet as
part of the female She Saidchoreography bill.
Lpez Ochoas next creation will be for Royal
Ballet Flanders in May, to be followed in Sep-
tember by another creation for Tulsa Ballet
(USA). Her engaging work for the Belgian com-
pany, Ecdysis, investigates the isolation of war
refugees and their difficulties in confronting a
new future; indeed, this creation is being pre-
sented in the context of a programme entitled
Hope that also comprises Martha Grahams
Chronicle (inspired by the Spanish Civil War
in 1936) and Pina Bauschs Caf Mller. This is
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Dawson, critics and Royal Ballet dancers
The Human Season, created in 2013, was 45-year-old English choreographer David
Dawsons first work for The Royal Ballet of London. It was revived at Covent Gar-
den in mid-March but wasnt well-received by British critics indeed some reviews
were downright scathing. This led to something of a row on the social networks.
According to the British press, Dawson himself posted a irritated comment (subse-
quently deleted) against journalists who had slammed his work while his assistant
proceeded to blame The Royals dancers for not having shown the professionalism
required to render The Human Season as it deserved, for failing to enter into the
spirit of the work, for having complained behind the scenes and for having belittled
the choreography and its maker. The mini dispute concluded with a diplomatic rec-
onciliation post from Dawson to which, however, The Royal Ballet hasnt replied.
Mayara Magri, Calvin Richardson The Royal Ballet:
The Human Seasons, c. David Dawson (ph. T. Kenton)
Below: David
Dawsons tweet
the first time a dance company other than included his version of Bolro as well as
Tanztheater Wuppertal is performing Bauschs Chroma by Wayne McGregor and Les
iconic work from 1978. Sylphides by Michel Fokine (known here, as in
Russia, by the title Chopiniana).
Imperial liaisons by the lakeside
As mentioned also in the previous issue of Ratmansky: a Czar in New York
BALLET2000, Krzysztof Pastor is the direc- Russian choreographer Alexei Ratmansky takes
tor not only of the Lithuanian National Ballet the dance floor in New York during the month
in Vilnius but also of the Polish National Ballet of May with a creation apiece for the Big Ap-
at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, not to mention ples two leading companies American Bal-
the fact that apart from creating for these two let Theatre, of which he has been Resident
companies he is also Resident Choreographer Choreographer since 2014, and New York City
of Het Nationale Ballet in Amsterdam. In May Ballet. Ratmanskys recently-created full-
the Polish National Ballet will be premiering evening ballet to music by Richard Strauss,
his new Swan Lake that recounts the love affair
between the future Nicholas II (the last Czar of
Russia) and Mathilde Kschessinska who is con-
sidered the first great non-Italian prima balle-
rina in Russia and one of the celebrated inter-
preters of Swan Lake of her times. The scenery
of this ballet is by Luisa Spinatelli. In recent
months the Polish company celebrated Pastors
60th birthday and his 30th anniversary as a
choreographer with a mixed programme that
Krzysztof Pastor in rehearsal with Yuka
Ebihara and Vladimir Yaroshenko
(Polish National Ballet)
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