Leonid Lavrovsky (1905 - 1967) a Russian dancer and choreographer, was Artistic Director of the Kirov Ballet from 1935 - 1944 after which he was named chief choreographer of the Bolshoi Ballet.
María Pagés is internationally renowned for her personal esthetic concept of the art of flamenco. She started her professional career as a member of the Antonio Gades Company and in 1990 established the María Pagés Company, which has toured the most prestigious stages throughout Europe, Asia and the United States.
Vladimir Vasilyov and Natalia Kasatkina: Vladimir Vasilyov joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1958 and performed as principal dancer for the next twenty years. He began choreographing the 1970 and his works have been seen at the Bolshoi and major companies around the world. He was named Artistic Director of the Rome Opera Ballet in 1993, and in 1995 returned to the Bolshoi Ballet as Director. He has choreographed many works with his wife, Natalia Kasatkina. Ms. Kasatkina joined the Bolshoi Ballet in 1954. She began to choreograph with Mr. Vasilyov in 1962. She and Vasilyov subsequently became directors of the Moscow Classical Ballet, an international touring company for which they have created many works.
Christopher Wheeldon has created ballets for companies all over the world, including The Royal Ballet, Bolshoi Ballet, San Francisco Ballet and Boston Ballet, to name a few. He co-founded Morphoses/The Wheeldon Company, and served as Artistic Director from 2007 - 2010. Mr. Wheeldon was Resident Choreographer New York City Ballet from 2001 - 2008, where he created 17 ballets.
About the Company:
Corella Ballet Castilla y León was founded in April 2008 at the Royal Palace of La Granja in Segovia-Spain. Corella Ballet, under Ángel Corella's artistic direction, is currently the only classical ballet company in Spain. Corella Ballet's wide repertoire incorporates classical, neoclassical and contemporary choreography. The company consists of 60 dancers from 12 countries: Spain, Cuba, United States, Brazil, Ukraine, Italy, Ireland, Japan, Russia, Argentina, the Republic of Georgia and Kazajstán. Corella Ballet Foundation projects include the creation of a dance school which will also be the base for future Corella Ballet dancers. One of the company's missions is to provide a professional career for classical dancers in Spain, so that Spanish born dancers do not have to leave the country to further their careers, as Corella and many others have done. The Spanish National Heritage Department has granted the Foundation Ángel Corella use of the Santa Cecila Palace in the Royal Place of La Granja de San Ildefonso, Spain. This location will be the future home of the company as well as the boarding school.
Corella Ballet will play for four performances, at New York City Center, 55th Street, between 6th and 7th Avenues, according to the following schedule: March 17 at 7:30, March 19 at 8 pm and March 20 at 2 & 8 pm. (no performance Thursday, March 18) Tickets range from $25 - $75 and can be purchased by calling CityTix® at 212-581-1212, online at www.nycitycenter.org or at the City Center Box Office (West 55th Street between 6th and 7th Avenues)
The Performance Schedule
Wednesday, March 17 at 7:30 pm; Friday, March 19 at 8 pm; Saturday, March 20 at 8 pm
STRING SEXTET (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Ángel Corella
Music: Peter Ilyitch Tchaikovsky, String Sextet, "Souvenir of Florence" Op. 70
WALPURGISNACHT (1956)
Choreography: Leonid Lavrovsky
Music: From Faust (1859, ballet music added in 1869) by Charles Francoise Gounod
Pas de Trois performed by Kazuko Omori, Joseph Gatti & Kirill Radev
(Yevgen Uzlenkov replaces Radev on March 19)
SUNNY DUET (1973)
Choreography: Vladimir Vasilyov & Natalia Kasatkina
Music: Arno Babajanyan
Pas de deux performed by Adiarys Almeida and Herman Cornejo
SOLEÁ (World Premiere)
Choreography: María Pagés
Pas de deux performed by Ángel Corella & Carmen Corella
DGV: DANSE À GRAND VITESSE (2006)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Michael Nyman, MGV: Musique à Grande Vitesse
Saturday, March 20 at 2 pm
STRING SEXTET (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Ángel Corella
Music: Peter Tchaikovsky, String Sextet, "Souvenir of Florence" Op. 70
EPIMETHEUS (U.S. Premiere, 2009)
Choreography: Russell Ducker
Music: Mike Oldfield, The Music of the Spheres
SOLEÁ (World Premiere)
Choreography: María Pagés
Pas de deux performed by Ángel Corella & Carmen Corella
DGV: DANSE À GRAND VITESSE (2006)
Choreography: Christopher Wheeldon
Music: Michael Nyman, MGV: Musique à Grande Vitesse
Funding for the Corella Ballet season is made possible, in part, by Junta de Castilla y León; SOTUR (Tourism of Castilla y LEÓN), Instituto Nacional de Artes Escénicas y de la Música INAEM, and Ayuntamiento del Real Sitio de San Ildefonso (Segovia-Spain). Official Carrier: Iberia
