The Ballet of La Scala, Milan has announced its plans for the 2013–14 season. It will open on December 17 with an evening of works by Alexei Ratmansky, including Concerto DSCH, Russian Seasons and a new work. Performers will include Svetlana Zakharova, Roberto Bolle and Massimo Murru.

Jonathan Gray journeyed to Tbilisi in Georgia, to see the celebrations marking Nina Ananiashvili’s 30 years on stage. Here, he offers a personal tribute to a great ballerina

Not so very long ago, it was not unusual for a ballerina’s career to last well into her forties and beyond – just think of some of the great names from the past, like Anna Pavlova, Galina Ulanova, Margot Fonteyn, Maya Plisetskaya, Antoinette Sibley or Lynn Seymour.

The Maryinsky Ballet concludes its London season this week. Ekaterina Kondaurova and American star David Hallberg dance Swan Lake tonight, followed on Tuesday by Anna Karenina, a UK premiere.

The Maryinsky Ballet continue their London season this week, dancing the Homage to Fokineprogramme at the Royal Opera House tonight. Casting includes Anastasia Petushkova as the Firebird, plus Viktoria Tereshkina and Vladimir Shklyarov in Scheherazade.