From Hamburg, where Silvia Azzoni is at the helm of the company directed by the great American choreographer John Neumeier, to theaters around the world representing his style.
Silvia Azzoni’s career as Principal Dancer of the Hamburg Ballett since 2001 has been marked not only by prestigious accolades (Danza&Danza Award 2004 for ‘Best Italian Dancer Abroad’ and Prix Benois 2008 for her performance in The Little Mermaid), but also by a series of leading roles, many specifically created for her by the great master of narrative ballet of the twentieth century: John Neumeier. She embodies his ideal of a dancer: intense, musical, technically impeccable, profoundly lyrical, and versatile. It is no coincidence that she leads the group of stars and soloists of the Hamburg company in lyrical and captivating gala evenings, showcasing both Neumeier's repertoire and works by emerging contemporary choreographers from the company’s ranks, such as the now-acclaimed Jirí Bubenícek.
One of these gala evenings has been selected for the celebrations of the reopening of the historic Teatro Zandonai, closed for restoration for a decade, symbolizing the cultural tradition of Rovereto (the first city in Trentino to establish a theater back in 1783).
Alongside Azzoni is her husband Alexandre Ryabko, also a Principal of the Hamburg Ballett, and stars Carolina Agüero, Leslie Heylmann, Alexandr Trusch, and Dario Franconi. All are exceptional artists who will perform six different pieces, three of which are by the master and can be considered among his ‘calling cards’: the Third Symphony of Gustav Mahler, created in 2004, featuring the long duet from the final movement titled What Love Tells Me with Azzoni and Ryabko; the intense pas de deux Kicho; and the Nocturnes, an expression of his most vivid lyricism set to Chopin’s Nocturnes performed live on piano by Michal Bialk.
Completing the rich program are Arlesienne by Roland Petit to music by Georges Bizet; the nineteenth-century gem Coppelia by Petipa (pas de deux); and the grand finale with the lively piece composed by Sasha Riva, a 1991-born Italian dancer of the Hamburg Ballett and guest choreographer of the youth company founded by Neumeier, which is an explosion of forms and rhythm to the timeless Fancy Free by Leonard Bernstein.
