Tag: Daria Klimentova

Daria Klimentová: End Of An Era

Daria Klimentova © Laurent Liotardo PhotographyDaria Klimentová, one of English National Ballet’s Lead Principals has announced she will retire after dancing the role of Juliet at the Royal Albert Hall in June with long-time partner Vadim Muntagirov. Despite his recent departure to The Royal Ballet the pair have formed one of the most admired ballet partnerships. He will return to the Company to play Romeo in Derek Deane’s spectacular production of Romeo & Juliet in-the-round and partner Klimentová in her final performances.

Performed by a huge company of 120 dancers, actors and sword-fighters, the production is an epic staging of Shakespeare’s timeless tragedy. This acclaimed production brings to life all the emotions of the world’s greatest love story, from the majestic sweep of the masked ball to the passion and intimacy of the lovers’ balcony scene. Klimentová has recently named dancing Juliet with Vadim Muntagirov as one of her favourite roles.

Klimentová has become one of the most respected and accomplished stars of classical ballet over her professional career spanning 25 years, 18 of those spent with ENB. She has performed many of the greatest roles in classical ballet to critical acclaim due to the technical precision, virtuosity and dramatic quality of her performances.

Klimentová danced first with the National Theatre Ballet Company, Prague (joined 1989, Soloist, Principal); going on to the Cape Ballet Company, South Africa (joined 1992, Principal) Scottish Ballet (joined 1993, Principal) and before joining English National Ballet as a Principal in 1996. She has the won Paris Dance Foundation Prize at Prix de Lausanne, first place Tokyo (1989), International Ballet Competition, Pretoria (1991), and received The Patron’s Award from Dame Beryl Grey (2011). Daria won the 2011 Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards for Outstanding Female Dancer.

Image courtesy of Laurent Liotardo Photography.

Swan Lake

Swan Lake - Royal Swedish Opera

Swan Lake as an iconic and perhaps one of the most ‘stereotypical’ traditional ballets of the arts world is showcased by many prestigious ballet companies each year. Complete with white pointe shoes and feathered head pieces, the twirling tutus of the numerous swans which grace stages all over the world are breathtaking.

A company which engages with the staging of their version of Swan Lake each year is English National Ballet, renowned for its glamour and success, and notable for placing 60 swans on the stage of the Royal Albert Hall in June 2010. This was in addition to featuring the production in an episode of their notorious BBC documentary, Agony & Ecstasy: A Year at English National Ballet.

From 3 – 11 August 2012 at the London Coliseum, ENB will perform its enchanting production during the London 2012 Olympic Games, choreographed by Derek Deane. The opening night will see Daria Klimentová present her experience and beauty, don her tights, and dance the lead role of Odette/Odile alongside Russian star Vadim Muntagirov as Siegfried in their internationally recognised star partnership. Arguably the most powerful ballet ever created, Swan Lake is set to Tchaikovsky’s unmistakable score, featuring some of the most beautiful music in classical ballet repertoire.

Additional events from ENB highlight the extent of Swan Lake’s popularity and ultimate success amongst ballet lovers across the globe, regardless of whether they regularly wear leotards and ballet shoes. A masterclass with esteemed guest repetiteur and artistic advisor Maina Gielgud is included in the available itinerary, in which she will work with two dancers on a challenging pas de deux from Swan Lake.  The ‘Swan Lake Aspire Day’ is also available, in which a fun and informal workshop focusing on Swan Lake will be held at the ENB studios. In addition, an on-stage creative workshop will include the opportunity to watch ENB’s dancers in their practice dancewear, taking part in morning class, as well as the unique chance to watch Company Class.

Image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

English National Ballet Star Daria Klimentova

Daria Klimentova © Laurent Liotardo Photography

Image courtesy of Laurent Liotardo Photography.

The Prima ballerina of English National Ballet, Daria Klimentova, is performing alongside her pas de deux partner, Vadim Muntagirov and the rest of the Company in Sydney until June 17, epitomising the worldwide success of English National Ballet, and the international recognition they will continue to receive in the arrival of new Artistic Director Tamara Rojo in August. Sydney will see Klimentova and Muntagirov perform a fantastic display including the Black Swan pas de deux from Swan Lake.

As one of the pointe shoe primas in the twenty-first century, Klimentova is a beacon for English National Ballet, hired by then Artistic Director Derek Deane and partnering Muntagirov for recent years. The now stars of the company were thrown together by current Artistic Director Wayne Eagling, and are now being marketed as today’s Dame Margot Fonteyn and Rudolf Nureyev, the most famous ballet duet in dance history. Fonteyn and Nureyev also had an age gap of 19 years, yet against the odds, both couples have internationally wowed critics and shone to perfection in their respective tutu and dance tights grandeur.

Kilimentova’s life, however, does not stop at performing. Each summer she runs a season of international ballet classes in Prague, her hometown. She is in high demand by the Czech National Ballet, which requested her as its own Director three times, turned down each time by Klimentova due to her continuing desire to dance. With English National Ballet Klimentova and Muntagirov are also in high demand as a duo: after their stint in Sydney they will also be visiting Denmark, performing Swan Lake in London, a gala in Mexico, Swan Lake again in Moscow, culminating with a week in Singapore.

2012 alone demonstrates the sheer power of the grace, unity and strength of the Klimentova-Muntagirov partnership, the tiara on the head twenty-first century ballet and the yardstick from which aspiring ballet dancers must extend their technique and performance.