Xander Parish to Lead New Company Inspired by Ballets Russes

The New Generation Foundation, a nonprofit organization based in Florence, Italy, has announced the launch of the Nouveaux Ballets Russes, a new ballet company led by former Mariinsky Ballet principal Xander Parish. Taking its inspiration from Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes of the early 20th century, the company will debut next year on March 14–21, with a reimagined production of Swan Lake at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence. Afterwards, Nouveaux Ballets Russes will embark on an international tour, including performances in New York City and San Francisco.

Parish, who made history as the first British principal of the Mariinsky Ballet, left Russia in 2022 in response to its invasion of Ukraine. In addition to dancing with Norwegian National Ballet for two years, he’s since directed several galas. As part of its annual summer festival last year, the New Generation Foundation tapped Parish to curate a performance based on the repertoire of the Ballets Russes. “The show went down very well, and the producers invited me to work with them to go a step further and create a new production of Swan Lake, which would form the foundations for a new company,” he tells Pointe over email.

The ballet’s principal cast includes Joy Womack, Anastasia Matvienko, Vsevolod Maievskyi, and Boris Zhurilov. Parish is choreographing the production, although he plans to preserve some of the most famous Marius Petipa/Lev Ivanov choreography, especially for the principals. He’s moving the setting to Paris during the Belle Époque, and Parish hints that the story “turns many things upside down. I hope the result will be a fresh and exciting reinterpretation.”

Like Diaghilev’s company in the 1900s, the Nouveaux Ballets Russes aims to collaborate with bold visionaries in art, fashion, music, and technology. Swan Lake’s creative team includes Bruno de Lavenère (set design) and Étienne Guiol (video direction), whose credits include the opening ceremony for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. Alain Blanchot has been commissioned to design the costumes, while Jean-Romain Vesperini, who has an extensive background in opera, will provide stage direction. “The producers, having most of their experience in opera, have approached this production in that vein,” says Parish. In addition, technologies like projection mapping, digital imagery, and holographic scenery, are intended to create a surreal, immersive experience. “I hope to learn and be stretched in my own understanding and approach to ballet by observing and collaborating with [this creative team],” he adds.

Auditions for the company’s corps de ballet, which Parish will oversee, take place September 26 in Florence. As for dancing with the company himself, he says it is tempting, but not his main priority. “I’m excited to take on this new challenge, and, as artistic director, to help younger dancers develop and grow in this beautiful art form.”