Dance house Sadler’s Wells recently announced a programme of new work especially commissioned for ballet star Natalia Osipova as part of the theatre’s Spring/Summer 2016 season. Osipova is currently a Principal with the Royal Ballet, and joining with Sadler’s Wells for the new programme will see her married with much more contemporary works.
World-renowned contemporary dance choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant and Arthur Pita will create pieces inspired by Osipova for the production, which will receives its world premiere from 29 June to 2 July 2016. The celebrated ballet dancer follows in the footsteps of Sylvie Guillem and Tamara Rojo in taking on a new challenge with contemporary dance, in a production co-produced by Sadler’s Wells and Moscow’s Muz Art Management Company.
Having a programme of works created with Osipova in mind is a huge compliment for the dancer; whilst she has worked with the contemporary choreographers before, it will be a new challenge to dance these very new works. Osipova will be joined on stage by notorious ex-Royal Ballet dancer Sergei Polunin for the world premieres, who – it is rumoured – is also her off stage partner.
Osipova joined the Royal Ballet in 2013 after her guest appearance in Swan Lake, and has performed lead roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker and La Fille mal gardée and DGV: Danse à grande vitesse. She has created roles in Wayne McGregor’s Tetractys and Woolf Works, and Alastair Marriott’s Connectome. She started her formal ballet training at the age of eight, before joining the Bolshoi Ballet at the age of 18. She has also danced with American Ballet Theatre and Mikhailovsky Ballet.
