Michele Esposito – Landgraf on Dance

29. July 20264. August 2026

A Ballet Onion

“Ma Bayadère”
Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo
Forum Ludwigsburg
Ludwigsburg, Germany
July 24, 2026

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2026 by Ilona Landgraf

The pronoun Ma in Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s 2025 Ma Bayadère is a clever modification. It allows the ballet’s creator, artistic director Jean-Christophe Maillot, to twist and mock Petipa’s La Bayadère with impunity while also advertising his brand. Ma Bayadère is like an onion of correlating layers. Like previous productions by Maillot, it reinterprets ballet history. Last weekend, the audience of the annual Ludwigsburg Festival had the opportunity to watch the German premiere of Ma Bayadère at the Ludwigsburg Forum.

Maillot transforms Petipa’s Indian Rajah from a palace ruler to a company’s choreographer who dances the role of the Rajah in his own La Bayadère. Niki, Gamza, and Solo are dancers of his company and prepare for the roles of the temple dancer, Nikiya, the Rajah’s daughter, Gamzatti, and the warrior, Solor, respectively. Continue reading “A Ballet Onion”

24. April 202629. April 2026

Growing From Solid Roots

“Miniatures”
Les Ballets de Monte Carlo
Salle Garnier Opéra de Monte-Carlo
Monte-Carlo, Monaco
April 18, 2026

by Ilona Landgraf
Copyright © 2026 by Ilona Landgraf

Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s recent premiere, Miniatures, takes up the 2004 project of the same title. Back then, Bruno Mantovani, artistic director of the festival Printemps des Arts de Monte-Carlo and director of the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain, challenged Le Ballets de Monte-Carlo’s artistic director, Jean-Christophe Maillot, with seven contemporary compositions. Each of them represented another mindscape; none was written for dance, and Maillot was tasked with choreographies. He was successful. Mantovani threw four new compositions commissioned for this year’s festival into the ring (and also played them with the Ensemble Orchestral Contemporain during the run of the program), which former and current dancers of the company put into dance. Two of Maillot’s 2004 works complemented the ninety-minute program. Continue reading “Growing From Solid Roots”

16. June 202130. July 2021

A Strong Comeback

“Beethoven” (“Prometheus” / “Grosse Fuge”)
Dutch National Ballet
Dutch National Opera & Ballet
Amsterdam, The Netherlands
June 08, 2021 (live broadcast)

The Dutch National Ballet’s celebration of Beethoven’s 250th birthday was, in fact, supposed to premiere a year ago. “We’re a little bit late,” admitted Ted Brandsen, Dutch National Ballet’s artistic director, for reasons dictated by COVID-19. The originally scheduled program would have included Toer van Schayk’s “7th Symphony”. The anniversary program that was ultimately shown on June 8th was an adaption of this program comprised of two pieces: “Prometheus” (a new creation by the choreographer-trio Wubkje Kuindersma, Ernst Meisner, and Remi Wörtmeyer) and Hans van Manen’s “Grosse Fuge”. The break was used for an excursion away from Beethoven to Milena Sidorova’s recently released dance film “Rose”. Continue reading “A Strong Comeback”