CriticalDance Forum

From the ROH Booking Period 3 Emailed Press Release

TRIPLE BILL
APOLLO, DIVERTISSEMENTS, RAYMONDA ACT III

5, 9, 11, 14, 17, 23, 26 April

Rudolf Nureyev died in Paris on 6 January 1993. To mark the 10th anniversary of the death of this truly remarkable dancer, choreographer and ballet director, The Royal Ballet will stage a Triple Bill of works particularly associated with him. The programme opens with George Balanchine's Apollo, the central part of the programme will be a series of divertissements woven into a montage of film, photography and dialogue arranged by Sylvie Guillem, and will close with Nureyev's own production of Raymonda Act III.

Balanchine's Apollo was first danced by Nureyev at the Royal Opera House on 23 June 1971 with Svetlana Beriosova, Vergie Derman and Georgina Parkinson as his muses.

Francis Francis of The George Balanchine Trust says: "We are thrilled to be opening this great tribute programme to Rudolf Nureyev on this the anniversary of his death, and look forward to many further collaborations with The Royal Ballet in the years to come."

The divertissements will include a solo from Marius Petipa's Le Corsaire, MacMillan's pas de trois from Images of Love, originally created for Nureyev, Christopher Gable and Lynn Seymour in 1964, Pierre Darde's solo Lame, an extract from August Bournonville's La Sylphide and a pas de deux from William Forsythe's In the middle, somewhat elevated.

Nureyev first staged his complete version of Raymonda for the Royal Ballet Touring Company to perform at the Spoleto Festival in 1964. Raymonda Act III was first performed by The Royal Ballet, with Fonteyn and Nureyev in the leading roles, on 27 March 1969 at the Royal Opera House.

John Tooley, Chairman of the Rudolf Nureyev Foundation says: "I am extremely happy that The Royal Ballet is now able to honour Rudolf Nureyev's memory by mounting a programme in April 2003. This is of immense importance in that The Royal Ballet was the first western company Rudolf was associated with for any length of time after his defection. For The Royal Ballet and for him it was a historic and fruitful
period."

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Casts

In this order:
Apollo / Le Corsaire / Images of Love / Lame / La Sylphide / In the middle, somewhat elevated / Raymonda Act III

5, 11 April 7:30pm,

Acosta, Bussell, Galeazzi, Nunez / Kumakawa / Rojo, Watson, Tewsley / Hilaire / Cojocaru, Kobborg / Guillem, Hilaire / Guillem, Cope

9, 14 April 7:30pm

Cope, Tapper, McMeekan, Hatley / Acosta / Benjamin, Cervera, Stepanek / Hilaire / Oughtred, Putrov / Guillem, Hilaire / Yoshida, Kumakawa

17 April 7:30pm,

Acosta, Bussell, Galeazzi, Nunez / Kumakawa / Rojo, Watson, Tewsley / Hilaire / Cojocaru, Kobborg / Guillem, Hilaire / Yoshida, Kumakawa

23 April 7:30pm

Cope, Tapper, McMeekan, Hatley / Acosta / Benjamin, Cervera, Stepanek / Hilaire / Oughtred, Putrov / Nunez, Coppen / Bussell, Urlezaga

26 April 7:30pm,

Acosta, Bussell, Galeazzi, Nunez / Acosta / Rojo, Watson, Tewsley / Hilaire / Cojocaru, Kobborg / Nunez, Coppen / Bussell, Urlezaga

<small>[ 06 January 2003, 01:56 PM: Message edited by: sylvia ]</small>

Lots of things to look forward to - Kumakawa to guest again, Cuthbertson in Apollo and Cojocaru & Kobborg in an extract from La Sylphide are among my favourites.

And a CD link to the original thread about the change in the 2002-3 programme.

Other events:

For Friends
Open Rehearsal
Friday 4 April, 11:45

Nureyev at Convent Garden
Wednesday 26 March 1-2pm, Linbury Studio, 10 pounds
His colleagues and partners remember him.

For everyone
Pre-Performance talk
Monday 14 April, 6:30-7:00

<small>[ 11-23-2002, 10:15: Message edited by: sylvia ]</small>

One cast change going by the booking form in The Sunday Times. Isabel McMeekan replaces Lauren Cuthbertson in Apollo. I've edited the cast list above.