Osipova’s first Manon at La Scala

Posted on October 30, 2013

Kenneth MacMillan’s Manon returns to La Scala, Milan from November 7. On November 8 and 10, Russian ballerina Natalia Osipova will dance the title role for the first time, partnered by Claudio Coviello. Osipova, who joins The Royal Ballet as a principal this season, has already given acclaimed performances as MacMillan’s Juliet with American Ballet Theatre.

At La Scala, L’histoire de Manon – as the ballet is often called in Europe, to distinguish it from Massenet’s opera Manon – will open with a first cast of Svetlana Zakharova and Roberto Bolle, who dance on November 7, 9 and 12. Marta Romagna will dance Manon on 13 and 15, while Virna Toppi makes her debut on the matinee of November 8. Romagna and Toppi will both be partnered by Marco Agostino.

Picture: Natalia Osipova in Giselle. Photograph: Frederika Davis

Zoe Anderson

Zoë was born in Edinburgh, and saw her first dance performances at the Festival there. She is the dance critic of The Independent, and has also written for The Independent on Sunday, The Scotsman and Dancing Times. In 2002, she received her doctorate from the University of York for a thesis on “Nationhood and epic romance: Ariosto, Sidney, Spenser”. She is the author of The Royal Ballet: 75 Years and The Ballet Lover’s Companion.