A CELEBRATION OTHE WORKS OF FREDRICK ASHTON
SWAN LAKE – PAS DE QUATRE
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: Pëtr Il’ič Čajkovskij
THE DREAM – OBERON AND TITANIA’S RECONCILIATION PAS DE DEUX
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: Felix Mendelssohn
FAÇADE – TANGO PASODOBLE
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: William Walton
VOICES OF SPRING
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: Johann Strauss Son
MARGUERITE AND ARMAND
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: Franz Liszt
RHAPSODY
Choreography: Frederick Ashton
Music: Sergej Rachmaninov
The Royal Ballet brings the genius of its founder and choreographer Frederick Ashton to the stage with a programme of his creations. One of the world’s leading ballet companies, the Royal Ballet is renowned for the dynamism and versatility of its dancers. The stars of the company’s tour in Nervi will be principal dancers Matthew Ball, Lauren Cuthbertson, Mayara Magri and Marianela Nuñez. The company members will also include Luca Acri, Giacomo Rovero, Ginevra Zambon and Valentino Zucchetti, who are looking forward to performing for the audience in their home country. The profusion of charm, wit and inventiveness in Frederick Ashton’s creative imagination will be fully evident in the ballets and excerpts presented in this programme. Alongside his one-act works Marguerite and Armand and Rhapsody, there will be excerpts from Swan Lake, The Dream and Voices of Spring.
The Director of the Royal Ballet, Kevin O’Hare, comments: “It is with immense pleasure that we present ourselves at the Nervi International Ballet Festival, an event with a rich cultural heritage and a splendid setting in which to share the creative genius of the founding choreographer of the Royal Ballet, Frederick Ashton. His creations are a fantastic showcase for our talented dancers, especially for those from Italy who are returning to perform in their home country. Special thanks go to the Fondazione Teatro Carlo Felice for welcoming us so warmly and to the Festival’s artistic director, Jacopo Bellussi, whom we have known since his time at the Royal Ballet School. We are also grateful to our generous supporters in the United Kingdom who have helped make this event possible. Thank you for entering the world of the Royal Ballet, and we hope you enjoy tonight’s performance.”
THE ROYAL BALLET
Under the direction of Kevin O’Hare, the Royal Ballet combines tradition and innovation in world-class performances and is a driving force in the development of ballet as an art form. Based at the Royal Opera
House in Covent Garden, it brings together today’s most versatile dancers with a world-class orchestra and leading choreographers, composers, conductors, directors and creative teams to share important theatrical experiences with a diverse audience around the world. The company’s extensive repertoire includes 19th-century classics, the unique legacy of the works of founding choreographer Frederick Ashton and principal choreographer Kenneth MacMillan, exciting new works by contemporary choreographers, including resident choreographer Wayne McGregor and artistic collaborator Christopher Wheeldon, and the bold and complementary programming of the Linbury Theatre. Guest choreographers Kyle Abraham, Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Cathy Marston, Arthur Pita, Crystal Pite, Hofesh Shechter, Pam Tanowitz, Mthuthuzeli November, Jessica Lang, Gemma Bond and Twyla Tharp have also created works for the company.
