TIL MAY BANK HOLS

8
Prologue – The Sleeping Beauty
ENGLISH NATIONAL BALLET
PRESENT THE SLEEPING BEAUTY
This summer, English National Ballet
is to present Kenneth MacMillan’s The
Sleeping Beauty at the London Coliseum
from 6 to 16 June.
Principal casting sees Lead Principals
Alina Cojocaru and Joseph Caley, Lead
Principals Jurgita Dronina and Isaac
Hernandez, and Principals Shiori Kase
and Cesar Corrales debut in the roles of
Princess Aurora and Prince Desire
respectively. Lead Principal Erina
Takahashi reprises the role of Princess
Aurora, dancing alongside last year’s
joint winner of the Emerging Dancer
Award, Soloist Aitor Arrieta, who debuts
in the role of Prince Desire.
Also debuting in the lead roles are
Lead Principal Aaron Robison and Guest
Artist, Maria Alexandrova. Bringing
world class talent to UK audiences, the
renowned ballet star’s performances in
The Sleeping Beauty are her first with a
UK Company. Born in Moscow,
Alexandrova trained at the Moscow
Choreographic Academy. She won Gold
Medal at the Moscow International Ballet
© Patrick Baldwin
Competition in 1997 and joined the
Bolshoi Ballet shortly after, becoming
Principal in 2004.
With stunning sets by Peter Farmer
and elaborate costumes by Nicholas
Georgiadas, this classical version of the
fairy-tale ballet features Tchaikovsky’s
ravishing score played live by English
National Ballet Philharmonic.
This revival of The Sleeping Beauty
coincides with the recent anniversary of
MacMillan’s death, and follows the
Company’s performances of MacMillan’s
masterpiece Song of the Earth in the
autumn/winter.
Alongside performances of The
Sleeping Beauty, English National Ballet
will host a range of workshops and
events, aimed to provide a gateway into
the world of ballet. Activities include
on-stage workshops for all ages, Live
Drawing, Family Events, and behind-thescenes
talks.
Tickets are available from the London
Coliseum Box Office telephone
020 7845 9300 or visit the website at
www.ballet.org.uk/sleeping-beauty
MARIA CALLAS RETURNS WITH UK
PREMIERE HOLOGRAM CONCERT
Performing her most beloved arias live
in the form of a state-of-the-art hologram,
and accompanied on stage by a full
orchestra, the internationally renowned
musical sensation and original opera diva
Maria Callas is set to return with a UK
Premiere concert at the London Coliseum.
The show also marks 45 years since
Callas’ last London performance before her
death – a farewell show at Royal Festival
Hall in 1973. Through cutting edge
technology and extraordinary theatrical
stagecraft, this first of its kind live concert
brings the famed opera star back 40 years
following her death via breathtaking stateof-the-art
digital and laser projection for a
live full concert experience featuring
original recordings digitally remastered.
Callas left a forever lasting impact on
the world of opera as the definition of the
diva as artist – still one of classical music's
best-selling vocalists and arguably, the
greatest soprano that has ever lived.
From one moment to the next, fans will
feel her passionate heat, cool detachment,
heartrending vulnerability, fierce
confidence, and breathtaking grace.
Audiences will bear witness as she portrays
her operatic characters, and evokes the
drama that inspired her name, La Divina.
t h i s i s l o n d o n m a g a z i n e • t h i s i s l o n d o n o n l i n e