For two nights only, this summer’s hot dance ticket has to be the Ardani 25 Dance Gala at the London Coliseum on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 July, presented by producer and impresario Sergei Danilian (Ardani Artists): Natalia Osipova, Edward Watson, Ivan Vasiliev, Marcelo Gomes, Denis Matvienko, Joaquín De Luz and Friedemann Vogel in three diverse contemporary pieces.
The evening will open with the world première of Royal Ballet choreographer Alastair Marriott’s Zeitgeist starring Natalia Osipova and Edward Watson, who will be reunited following the recent success of Marriott's Connectome.
Set to Philip Glass’s Violin Concerto, the work will feature Royal Ballet dancers Donald Thom, Marcelino Sambé and Tomáš Mock. Zeitgeist will tour to the United States and Russia as part of the Solo for Two project afterwards.
The second piece, Tristesse, created by dancer and choreographer Marcelo Gomes, who took his inspiration from French poet Paul Éluard, will be performed by Gomes with Denis Matvienko, Joaquín De Luz and Friedemann Vogel. Tristesse had its world première as part of Kings of the Dance in December 2014 at the Mikhailovsky Theatre.
Finishing the bill is Arthur Pita’s Facada, which was seen at the Coliseum in Solo for Two in August 2014. Pita adapted the piece especially for Osipova and Vasiliev from his original piece God’s Garden. Original music created by Frank Moon will be played live by the composer.
Ardani 25 Dance Gala marks Ardani Artists’ 25th anniversary. The Company was founded in 1990 by Sergei and Gaiane Danilian, impresarios of performing arts in the United States and beyond. Their most recent UK productions include Kings of the Dance, Solo for Two and Diana Vishneva: On The Edge at the London Coliseum.