Alessandra Ferri’s return to the stage has been a triumphant one: The 52-year-old has starred in Martha Clarke’s Chéri alongside Herman Cornejo, dazzled in Wayne McGregor’s critically-acclaimed Woolf Works at The Royal Ballet and been a perfect example of the magic that can happen when a ballerina reinvents her career. Now, she will return to […]
Choreographer Roland Petit was for years the ballet world’s master of theatrical showmanship. Bolstered by rich, beautifully designed costumes and decor, his works oozed sensual style. Yet even stripped of all that pageantry, his choreography retains an electric charge. Witness this bare-bones video from some years back of Alessandra Ferri and Laurent Hilaire dancing the […]
Like an actor’s monologue, a ballerina’s solo must achieve the difficult balance between drama and ostentation, controlled technique and theatrical abandon. In the ballet rendition of Rossini’s play, Guillaume Tell, Alessandra Ferri dances the character of Mathilde, an Austrian damsel whose love for a Swiss man is reminiscent of the forbidden love in Romeo and […]
It takes the work of a ballet dancer to embody the words of Shakespeare. With the help of Sergei Prokofiev’s masterful score, the Royal Ballet’s Alessandra Ferri and Wayne Eagling approach this task with heartbreaking beauty. They perform the iconic balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet in this recording of the company’s 1984 production—and their movement speaks. […]
Few things in life are more beautiful than Alessandra Ferri. Personally, I could watch old videos of her for hours on end. And it turns out I’m not the only one still in love six years after her retirement: This Friday, the Italian International Dance Festival will present the former prima with the IIDF A […]
This month, American Ballet Theatre will make the North American premiere of Wayne McGregor’s Woolf Works. The critically acclaimed ballet, created for The Royal Ballet in 2015, is based on three works by 20th-century modernist author Virginia Woolf: Mrs. Dalloway, Orlando, and The Waves. The triptych’s three acts are titled “I now, I then,” “Becomings,” […]
Nutcracker season is almost upon us, but there’s still a chance to catch some exciting world premieres, streaming events and more before the holiday season begins. Here’s a roundup of what’s new this November. Alonzo King Company Premiere at Pacific Northwest Ballet (Onstage and Streaming) Pacific Northwest Ballet presents Beyond Ballet, a triple-bill of dance works, from […]
Autumn is officially here, and with it comes a slew of fall season openers. Check out some of the exciting world premieres, dancer debuts and streaming events happening in October. Live-Performance Premieres at Joffrey Ballet Joffrey Ballet’s Home: a Celebration runs October 13–24 at Chicago’s Lyric Opera House and features performances of works created during […]