Czech National Ballet's Scheherazade: a fresh take on an old tale

Romina Contreras as Scheherezade in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherazade

Paul Irmatov as Shahryar in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherazade

Paul Irmatov as Shahryar with Czech National Ballet in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherazade

Nana Nakagawa as Scheherazade with Czech National Ballet in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherazade

Giovanni Rotolo as Shahryar in Mauro Bigonzetti's Scheherazade

By Graham Watts, 02 December 2024

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“the essential message of female courage remains the same”

Reviewed at National Theatre (Národní divadlo), Prague on 28 November 2024

Shéhérazade (Mauro Bigonzetti)

The Czech National Ballet

Carlo Cerri, Set Designer, Lighting Designer

Anna Biagiotti, Costume Designer

Prague National Theatre Orchestra

Romina Contreras, Dancer

Paul Irmatov, Dancer

Giovanni Rotolo, Dancer

Nana Nakagawa, Dancer

Petipa Awards Gala: thrilling theatrics and star turns!

Margaret Willis, 23rd September

A shimmering smorgasbord of some of today’s most exciting international dancers, who performed pristine works by Petipa.

****1

Ratmansky's Russian Seasons the crown jewel in NYCB's mixed bill

Ivy Lin, 25th September

NYCB has always had a mission to present new works and Saturday's program included Amaria, a creation by Mauro Bigonzetti for retiring ballerina Maria Kowroski.

***11

Freshly hatched: Gauthier Dance's Dying Swans Project

Graham Watts, 16th April

A very mixed set of filmed solos themed around The Dying Swan, although this link was often tenuous.

***11

Icy chic: Svetlana Zakharova as Coco Chanel

Mark Pullinger, 4th December

Modanse, a double bill designed for the star Bolshoi ballerina, disappoints at the London Coliseum.

**111

New York City Ballet kicks off its spring season

Ivy Lin, 23rd April

A triple bill of 21st-century ballets at the Koch Theater sees the return of Alexei Ratmansky's masterpiece, Pictures at an Exhibition.

*****

Context: Diana Vishneva's tour de force

Alexandra Desvignes, 12th March

Under the artistic leadership of ballerina extraordinaire Diana Vishneva, Context, a showcase of Russian contemporary choreography, sees it UK premiere at London Sadler's Wells.

*****

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Graham Watts

Graham Watts is a freelance dance writer and critic writing regularly for Dancing Times, Dance Europe, Danza Europa, and many more publications. He regularly writes features for Sadler’s Wells, London Coliseum and La Scala. Chairman of the Dance Section of the Critics’ Circle in the United Kingdom and of the UK National Dance Awards he has interviewed many of the greatest names in dance including Maya Plisetskaya, Vladimir Vasiliev, Boris Eifman, Alexei Ratmansky, Andris Liepa, Sir Peter Wright, David Bintley and Dame Gillian Lynne. When not involved in dance Graham is a keen fencer, and has captained the British Sabre team.