Francesca da Rimini, Amore, London Coliseum

Francesca da Rimini, music Pyotr Tchaikovsky, choreography Yuri Possokhov; costume designer: Igor Chapurin; lighting Sergei Shevchenko. Shot 24.11.2017 in the London Coliseum

Cast

• Francesca – Svetlana Zakharova (Rus. Светлана Захарова)
• Gianciotto, Francesca’s husband – Mikhail Lobukhin (Михаил Лобухин)
• Paolo, Gianciotto’s brother – Denis Rodkin (Денис Родькин)
• Guardians of Hell – Vladislav Kozlov (Владислав Козлов), Alexei Gaynutdinov (Алексей Гайнутдинов), Anton Gaynutdinov (Антон Гайнутдинов)
• Ladies of the Court – Ana Turazashvili (Ана Туразашвили), Olga Barichka (Ольга Баричка), Olga Marchenkova (Ольга Марченкова), Ekaterina Besedina (Екатерина Беседина), Ekaterina Smurova (Екатерина Смурова)

Svetlana Zakharova (Rus. Светлана Захарова), born 1979 is a prima ballerina with the Bolshoi Ballet and an étoile of the La Scala Theatre Ballet. She was born in Lutsk, in the Ukraine. In 1989, she entered Kiev Choreographic School. In Kiev, she trained with Valery Sulegina. Having finished six years at the Kiev School, Zakharova took part in a young dancers’ competition Vaganova-Prix in St. Petersburg. Her phenomenal physique (extraordinary flexibility, big step, stability, stable rotation) were noted at once. She won second prize and received an invitation to join the graduating course at Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. In 1996, Zakharova graduated from the Vaganova Academy, ennobling the first graduation by Elena Evteyeva, former distinguished ballerina of the Mariynsky Theatre. That same year she was accepted in the theatre’s company and in the following season was promoted to principal dancer. Famous ballerina and teacher Olga Moiseeva became her permanent teacher and mentor. One of her permanent partners was Igor Zelensky — the principal of the Mariynsky Theatre and an international star. Svetlana Zakharova’s international career began in 1999-2000. She performed the role of Medora in Le Corsaire in 1999 at Teatro Colon, staged by Makhar Vaziev. In 2000, she danced in The Nutcracker staged by Balanchine with the New-York City Ballet. In 2001, she performed in L’Histoire de Manon with the Bayerisches Staatsballett Ballet Company (on both occasions she was partnered by Igor Zelensky). In 2002, Zakharova (partnered by Carreno) performed in a gala concert of international ballet stars that took place at Palace des Arts in Montreal. She also participated in a gala dedicated to Rudolf Nureyev at Teatro alla Scala (partnered by Nikolai Tsiskaridze). During the 2003-2004 season, Svetlana Zakharova joined the company of the Bolshoi Theatre, where she was trained by distinguished ballerina Lyudmila Semenyaka, who represents the Petersburg ballet school. Her first performance there was Giselle.

Denis Rodkin (Rus. Денис Родькин) as a Principal Dancer with the Bolshoi Theatre. Born in Moscow. In 2009, after graduation from Moscow State Academic Dance Theatre Gzhel he joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company where he started to rehearse with Nikolai Tsiskaridze. Now his master-repetiteur is Yuri Vladimirov. In 2013, graduated from Bolshoi Ballet Academy (The Faculty of Education).

Mikhail Lobukhin (Rus. Михаил Лобухин) is principal dancer with Bolshoi Theatre Ballet, Moscow, Russia. He was born in Saint Petersburg (then Leningrad). In 2002, he graduated from the the Vaganova Ballet Academy (Saint Petersburg). Received a Diploma Certificate Bachelor of Arts with honors (teacher Boris Bregvadze), that same year he was admitted to the ballet of the Marinsky Theatre. In January 2010, joined the Bolshoi Ballet Company (teachers Mikhail Lavrovsky and Valery Lagunov).

 

Photos by Jack Devant ballet photography © with kind permission of Svetlana Zakharova and MuzArts Agency, special thanks to Kate Matlashenko and Yury Baranov.