Imagine... Carlos Acosta

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carlos acosta the reluctant ballet dancer carlos acosta the reluctant ballet dancer The son of a Cuban truck-driver, Carlos Acosta has leapt into the heart of the classical ballet world and has been hailed as the next Nureyev. Imagine follows the 29 year old back to his roots in Havana where he is preparing his first choreographed show, based on his own life story.The film travels from the scene of Carlos’s troubled childhood to his triumphant emergence as the first black principal dancer at the Royal Ballet. The film culminates in the show’s glittering Havana premiere, attended by Fidel Castro, who seeks out Carlos backstage to congratulate him. One of 11 children, Carlos grew up in a cramped Havana apartment, played truant from school and became a champion break-dancer.The fear of his wayward son becoming a delinquent prompted his father to send him off to ballet school. But Carlos had always dreamed of becoming a footballer and hated ballet. Despite this, his extraordinary natural talent as a dancer was quickly recognised, and by the age of 17 he was achieving world acclaim. Carlos has recently been receiving rave reviews performing with Darcey Bussell in Apollo and starring in the Nureyev Tribute season. He is currently performing in Manon at The Royal Opera House. His new show, Tocororo – A Cuban Tale, opens at Sadlers Wells in July. Award winning film-maker Lucy Blakstad captures the inspirational rags-to-riches tale of the charming, determined young Cuban who defied the expectations of the conservative world of ballet. Carlos Acosta – The Reluctant Ballet Dancer is a Lucy Blakstad Films / Horsepower production for the Imagine strand on BBC One..

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Generously Funded by I Am Going to See Houston Ballet Academy Perform 50 Years in 50 Minutes at Houston Ballet Center for Dance
Generously funded by I am going to see Houston Ballet Academy perform 50 Years in 50 Minutes at Houston Ballet Center for Dance. Lauren Anderson and Carlos Acosta in the World Premiere of Don Quixote by Ben Stevenson, after Marius Petipa Photo by Geoff Winningham Going to see a ballet is like watching t.v. or going to the movie because it tells a story. I will see ballets about people, animals, and even sports! Mireillle Hassenhoehler and Lucas Priolo in the Houston Ballet Premiere of Bruiser by Stanton Welch AM Photo by Geoff Winningham Going to see a ballet is different than watching t.v. or a movie because the dancers perform live in front of you on the stage. And in ballets, there are no words. The dancers tell the story with movement. Houston Ballet Academy in Raymonda Photo by Jim Caldwell 50 Years in 50 Minutes will be performed at Houston Ballet Center for Dance. When I arrive, I will park in the parking lot, next to the building. There will be people there to help show the way. We will walk from the parking lot to Houston Ballet Center for Dance. We will walk through two set of doors. We will enter the lobby area. This is a place where I can sit down to rest with my family and friends. Before the show, I can use the restroom or get a drink of water. I might need to get my tickets from the box office. Once I have my tickets, I can go into the theater.
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Don Quixote Press Release 2019
January 2019 Carlos Acosta’s celebrated production of Don Quixote returns Friday 15 February – Thursday 4 April 2019 Live Cinema relay: Tuesday 19 February 2019 #ROHDonQ Federico Bonelli and Sarah Lamb in Don Quixote, ©ROH/Johan Persson, 2013 Carlos Acosta’s vibrant dance production of Miguel de Cervante’s classic tale Don Quixote returns to the Royal Opera House this Spring. Created specially for The Royal Ballet in 2013, this stunning production tells the story of the bumbling knight Don Quixote and his ever-faithful squire Sancho Panza, and their efforts to help the young lovers Kitri and Basilio. This revival features exciting debuts from Lauren Cuthbertson, Yasmine Naghdi and Mayara Magri as Kitri and Matthew Ball, Alexander Campbell and Marcelino Sambé as Basilio. Don Quixote For all Royal Opera House press releases visit www.roh.org.uk/for/press-and-media includes a number of spectacular solos and pas de deux as well as outlandish comedy and romance as the dashing Basilio steals the heart of the beautiful Kitri. Don Quixote will be live streamed to cinemas on Tuesday 19 February as part of the ROH Live Cinema Season. Carlos Acosta previously danced the role of Basilio in many productions of Don Quixote. He was invited by Kevin O’Hare Director of The Royal Ballet, to re-stage this much-loved classic in 2013. Acosta’s vibrant production evokes sunny Spain with designs by Tim Hatley who has also created productions for the National Theatre and for musicals including Dreamgirls, The Bodyguard and Shrek. Acosta’s choreography draws on Marius Petipa’s 1869 production of this classic ballet and is set to an exuberant score by Ludwig Minkus arranged and orchestrated by Martin Yates.
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RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBET 2020 Essential Royal Ballet
RELEASE DATE SEPTEMBET 2020 Essential Royal Ballet The Royal Ballet Delve into the archive of The Royal Ballet in this special collection full of clips and interviews Katie Derham introduces highlights from the past ten years at the Royal Ballet in this special, extended edition of Essential Royal Ballet. Presented on location in Covent Garden at the iconic Royal Opera House, Katie weaves the history of ballet through carefully curated excerpts from the past decade of performances and goes behind the scenes to see what it takes to be a dancer in the company of The Royal Ballet as they prepare to take to the stage. From the great classics of The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker to the exciting frontiers of contemporary dance, Katie takes us on a romp through the repertory, showcasing the diversity of the UK’s biggest ballet company. With stunning solos, passionate pas de deux and jaw-dropping numbers for the corps de ballet, it is a chance to see your favourite dancers up close, including Carlos Acosta, Marianela Nuñez, Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae, alongside rising stars like Francesca Hayward and Matthew Ball, who will introduce their favourite ballets and share stories of their life on the stage. The ballets featured include the classics Giselle, La Bayadère, Swan Lake, The Sleeping Beauty and The Nutcracker while the 20th-century heritage of the Royal Ballet is explored in works by Frederick Ashton and Kenneth MacMillan. The contemporary life of the company is showcased in works by Christopher Wheeldon, and Wayne McGregor, along side recent productions of classic works.
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How Cuba Produces Some of the Best Ballet Dancers in the World by Noël Duan December 14, 2015 9:01 PM
http://news.yahoo.com/how-cuba-produces-some-of-the-best-ballet-dancers-020100947.html How Cuba Produces Some of the Best Ballet Dancers in the World By Noël Duan December 14, 2015 9:01 PM Recent graduates of the Ballet Nacional de Cuba School performing at the National Theater of Cuba in Havana in February 2015. (Photo: Getty Images) This story is part of a weeklong Yahoo series marking one year since the opening of relations between the United States and Cuba. Cuba is well known for many forms of dance, from the mambo and the tango to salsa, the cha- cha and the rumba. But only ballet enthusiasts know that the dance form is one of the country’s biggest cultural exports. In Cuba, ballet is just as popular as baseball, a sport where players from the Cuban national team regularly defect to the major leagues in the United States. Unlike in the United States, where ballet is generally considered highbrow art and Misty Copeland is the only ballerina with a household name, the Cuban government funds ballet training and subsidizes tickets to ballet performances. “Taxi drivers know who the principal dancers are,” Lester Tomé, a dance professor at Smith College and former dance critic in Cuba and Chile, tells Yahoo Beauty. Like Cuban baseball players, Cuban ballet dancers have made international marks around the world, from Xiomara Reyes, the recently retired principal dancer at New York City’s American Ballet Theatre to London’s English National Ballet ballet master Loipa Araújo, regarded as one of the “four jewels of Cuban ballet.” In September 2005, Erika Kinetz wrote in the New York Times that “training, especially Cuban training, has been a key driver of the Latinization of ballet,” an important note, considering that European ballet companies dominated the dance world for decades.
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Festivals and Occasions People Premieres
Dutch National Ballet - Daniel Camargo and Igone de Jongh in John Neumeier's La Dame aux Camélias. © Emma Kauldhar Contents In 2018 we are celebrating People 74 Crystal Palace th our 40 Anniversary! CATHERINE PAWLICK takes in a spectacular 10 Mathias Dingman production at the Kremlin Palace Theatre 40 YEARS VIKI WESTALL meets Birmingham Royal Ballet's in Moscow nurturing students towards American principal dancer professional careers Festivals and 40 YEARS 26 Mark Morris Occasions inspiring dancers and audiences AMANDA JENNINGS interviews the inimitable alike with exciting repertoire choreographer in New York 44 Le Temps d'Aimer FRANÇOIS FARGUE on the diverse programme offered by the unique festival in Biarritz 40 YEARS 48 Katja Khaniukova gracing the stage of Munich’s EMMA KAULDHAR catches up with ENB's legendary National Theatre 64 Carlos Acosta - A Celebration Ukrainian soloist in Kiev ROBERT PENMAN weighs up the Cuban's programme to celebrate 30 years on stage 66 Lorenzo Trossello MIKE DIXON meets Northern Ballet's 70 Umbrella 2018 Today the Foundation manages young Italian dancer GERARD DAVIS picks some of the Germany’s largest junior compa- contemporary dance festival's highlights ny: the Bayerisches Junior Ballett Premieres München. We look forward to 78 Joaquin De Luz Farewell welcoming you at a performance Remembrance LUCY VAN CLEEF watches the NYCB in the near future. 22 principal step down in style AMANDA JENNINGS considers Wayne Eagling's new wartime ballet for New English Ballet Theatre 6 ENTRE NOUS Front cover: Birmingham Royal 83 AUDITIONS AND JOBS Ballet - Mathias Dingman and Delia 52 The Hamlet Complex Mathews in Juanjo Arqués' Ignite GERARD DAVIS unravels Alan Lucien Øyen's 97 WHAT’S ON latest piece for the Norwegian National Ballet 106 PEOPLE PAGE >>> Photo:ChristinLosta | heinz-bosl-stiftung.de | bayerischesjuniorballett.de Photo:ChristinLosta | heinz-bosl-stiftung.de Dance Europe - November 2018 3 ROYAL SWEDISH BALLET DANCE EUROPE Performances FOUNDED IN 1995 P.O.
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Press Release Thursday 29 April, 2021 DANCE LEGEND CARLOS
Press Release Thursday 29 April, 2021 DANCE LEGEND CARLOS ACOSTA RETURNS TO THE STAGE FOR UK TOUR IN NORWICH THEATRE FIRST Norwich Theatre and its co-producing partner Valid Productions are delighted to announce today that they will re-mount and tour On Before, an intensely personal evening of dance conceived, directed and performed by legendary Cuban dancer, Carlos Acosta CBE, as UK venues re-open in July and August 2021. Emerging from the cultural crisis transformed, this is the first ever touring production from Norwich Theatre. The production will open for two nights at Norwich Theatre Royal from Friday 16 July, before touring to The Lowry, Salford (21-22 July), Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (3-4 August) and The Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury (6-7 August). First conceived by Carlos Acosta in 2010, On Before is an homage to Carlos’ late mother and the most personal work he has ever created. It features choreography by world-renowned artists including Russell Maliphant, Kim Brandstrup and Will Tuckett, alongside Carlos’ own choreography. The show sees Carlos Acosta perform as both a soloist and alongside Laura Rodriguez, a founding member of his Cuban dance company, Acosta Danza. A powerful story of a doomed relationship between a man and a woman, On Before is set to a diverse musical repertoire ranging from Handel to Cuban contemporary composer Omar Puente and culminating in a moving finale featuring a live choir performing Morten Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium. ‘Sophisticated beautifully thought-out work’ The Observer ‘A journey worth following’ The Telegraph ‘Dance with beauty and style’ The Guardian Norwich Theatre and Valid Productions remount this iconic production at a critical time, as theatre venues prepare for full-scale re-opening and recovering the cultural life of the UK.
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A Brief Nostalgia the Suit
Wednesday 30 October 2019 Performed by Birmingham Royal Ballet A BRIEF NOSTALGIA A Brief Nostalgia is a Co-Production between Birmingham Royal Ballet and Queensland Ballet, and is a Ballet Now commission Choreography Jack Lister; Music Tom Harrold; Design Thomas Mika; Lighting Alexander Berlage Delia Mathews Brandon Lawrence Maureya Lebowitz Mathias Dingman Momoko Hirata Tzu-Chao Chou Samara Downs Max Maslen Alys Shee Lachlan Monaghan Beatrice Parma Kit Holder ROYAL BALLET SINFONIA Conductor Martin Georgiev; Leader Robert Gibbs Ballet Now is generously supported by Oak Foundation’s Special Interest Programme, which provided major funding for the project. Ballet Now is also supported by the Foyle Foundation, Anthony Coombs and The Keith Coombs Trust, The Big Give 2017, The John Feeney Charitable Trust, The Leche Trust, The John S Cohen Foundation, The Hochhauser Foundation, The H Steven and PE Wood Charitable Trust, The W and M Morris Charitable Trust, the estate of Judith and John Percival, Birmingham Royal Ballet’s New Work Syndicate 2017 and Director’s Appeal 2017. Music score for A Brief Nostalgia is supported by the RVW Trust INTERVAL Performed by Ballet Black Founder & Artistic Director: Cassa Pancho MBE THE SUIT Choreography Cathy Marston; Music Philip Feeney; arrangement of Kronos Quartet pieces; Design Jane Heather; Lighting David Plater; Dramaturgy Edward Kemp Matilda Cira Robinson Philemon José Alves Simon Mthuthuzeli November The Chorus and inhabitants of Sophiatown Isabela Coracy, Sayaka Ichikawa , Marie Astrid Mence, Ebony
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LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE – the Wayward Daughter ONE of the ROYAL BALLET’S MOST POPULAR WORKS Thursday 16 April – Tuesday 5 May ROH Live Cinema Tuesday 5 May
APRIL 2015 PRESS RELEASE LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE – The Wayward Daughter ONE OF THE ROYAL BALLET’S MOST POPULAR WORKS Thursday 16 April – Tuesday 5 May ROH Live Cinema Tuesday 5 May This iconic British ballet, complete with dancing chickens and Shetland pony, is perfect entertainment for newcomers and Royal Ballet regulars of all ages. Its many highlights include the gloriously funny clog dance and Fanny Elssler pas de deux with its ribbon motif, which not only entertain, but also showcase choreographer Frederick Ashton’s genius and the distinctive English balletic style he shaped. Debuts in the lead virtuoso roles include Royal Ballet principal dancers Natalia Osipova as Lise and Vadim Muntagirov as Colas. These roles combine dazzling technique and touchingly human details which have won audiences over for more than 50 years. Stepping into the clogs for the first time as Widow Simone are Jonathan Howells and Thomas Whitehead. The story begins with the feisty Lise about to be married off by her over-protective mother, Widow Simone. Not wishing to marry the simple-witted Alain, Lise makes several attempts to run off with her true love, Colas. Fortunately a summer thunderstorm proves the catalyst for the lovers’ eventual union and true love wins the day. La Fille mal gardée is part of the ROH Live Cinema Season and will be screened on Tuesday 5 May. For all Royal Opera House press releases visit www.roh.org.uk/press --- ENDS --- Generously supported by Mrs Aline Forie-Destezt, the Paul Ferguson Memorial Fund, Celia Blakey and Marina Hobson OBE.
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Acosta Danza up Close: Carlos Acosta's Acclaimed Company Bring
January 2020 Acosta Danza Up Close : Carlos Acosta’s acclaimed company bring five dynamic works to the Linbury Theatre Thursday 13 February 2020 – Monday 24 February 2020 | #AcostaDanza | Tickets £7- £40 | Acosta Danza. Impronta. Photo © Johan Persson. • Acosta Danza make their Linbury Theatre debut with a mixed bill of five works. • Choreography by Rafael Bonachela, Maria Rovira, Marianela Boán, Russell Maliphant and Juliano Nunes. Former Principal dancer of The Royal Ballet Carlos Acosta brings his acclaimed Cuban company Acosta Danza to the Royal Opera House this February. Making their debut in the Linbury Theatre, The Royal Ballet’s international stage for dance, the company present For all Royal Opera House press releases visit www.roh.org.uk/for/press-and-media a varied bill of five contemporary works created by internationally acclaimed choreographers. Rafael Bonachela presents Soledad , an evocative pas de deux set to music by Chavela Vargas and Gideon Kremer which receives its UK premiere during this run. Maria Rovira ’s Impronta , a work created specifically for Acosta Danza is also performed for the first time in the UK alongside Marianela Boán ’s El cruce sobre el Niágara [The Crossing Over Niagra] , based on Alonso Alegría ’s play about 19 th -century tightrope walker Charles Blondin , who famously crossed Niagra Falls bearing his friend on his shoulders. Russell Maliphant ’s acclaimed solo Two also features and is performed by Carlos Acosta, and the bill is completed with the world premiere of Mundo Interpretado (Interpreted World) , a new work by Juliano Nunes , returning to the Royal Opera House following his 2019 debut with Two Sides Of..
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La Fille Mal Gardée
FERDINAND HÉROLD LA FILLE BAMALLET INL TWO GARDÉE ACTS MARIANELA NUÑEZ ∙ CARLOS AcOSTA WILLIAM TUCKET ∙ JONATHAN HOWELLS ORCHESTRA OF THE ROYAL OPERA HOUSE CONDUCTED BY ANTHONY TwINER STAGED BY FREDERICK ASHTON FERDINAND HÉROLD LA FILLE MAL GARDÉE Ballet company The Royal Ballet Ever since its triumphant premiere in 1960, Frederick Ashton’s Choreographer Frederick Ashton La Fille mal gardée has been treasured as one of his happiest cre- Orchestra Orchestra of the ations - his artistic tribute to nature, and an expression of his Royal Opera House feelings for his beloved Suffolk countryside. Marianela Nuñez Conductor Anthony Twiner and Carlos Acosta perfectly portray the young lovers Lise and Colas, determined to thwart the plans of Widow Simone to mar- Lise Marianela Nuñez ry off her wayward daughter to Alain, the simple son of wealthy Colas Carlos Acosta Farmer Thomas. Widow Simone William Tuckett Alain Jonathan Howells Osbert Lancaster’s colourful, picture-book designs, along with Thomas David Drew Ferdinand Herold’s tuneful score, arranged by John Lanchbery, provide the perfect setting for Ashton’s blissfully bucolic ballet, Video Director Ross McGibbon complete with haywain, pony, maypole and ribbons, a cockerel and his chickens and, of course, the famous clog dance, here Length: 108' wonderfully led by William Tuckett as the irascible but lovable Shot in HDTV 1080/50i Widow Simone. Cat. no. A 020 50036 “La fille mal gardée is sheer perfection. Nuñez and Acosta are A production of BBC unsurpassable respectively in the feminine grace and masculine in association with the confidence of Ashton’s Lise and Colas, and their mimetic skills Royal Opera House, Covent Garden are delicious.” (BBC Music Magazine) World Sales: All rights reserved · credits not contractual · Different territories · Photos: © Bill Cooper · Flyer: luebbeke.com Flyer: · Cooper contractual Bill Different Photos: © territories credits · not rights · All reserved · Tel.
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Eva Evdokimova (Western Germany), Atilio Labis
i THE CUBAN BALLET: ITS RATIONALE, AESTHETICS AND ARTISTIC IDENTITY AS FORMULATED BY ALICIA ALONSO A Dissertation Submitted to the Temple University Graduate Board in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY by Lester Tomé January, 2011 Examining Committee Members: Joellen Meglin, Advisory Chair, Dance Karen Bond, Dance Michael Klein, Music Theory Heather Levi, External Member, Anthropology ii © Copyright 2011 by Lester Tomé All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT In the 1940s, Alicia Alonso became the first Latin American dancer to achieve international prominence in the field of ballet, until then dominated by Europeans. Promoted by Alonso, ballet took firm roots in Cuba in the following decades, particularly after the Cuban Revolution (1959). This dissertation integrates the methods of historical research, postcolonial critique and discourse analysis to explore the performative and discursive strategies through which Alonso defined her artistic identity and the collective identity of the Cuban ballet. The present study also examines the historical context of the development of ballet in Cuba, Alonso’s rationale for the practice of ballet on the Island, and the relationship between the Cuban ballet and the European ballet. Alonso defended the legitimacy of Cuban dancers to practice ballet and, in specific, perform European classics such as Giselle and Swan Lake. She opposed the notion that ballet was the exclusive patrimony of Europeans. She also insisted that the cultivation of this dance form on the Island was not an act of cultural colonialism. In her view, the development of ballet in Cuba consisted, instead, of an exploration of a distinctive Cuban voice within this dance form, a reformulation of a European legacy from a postcolonial perspective.
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Royal Ballet's
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