Rain Before It Falls, Amore, London Coliseum

Rain Before It Falls, music by Johann Sebastian Bach, Ottorino Respighi, Carlos Pino Quintana. Choreography by Patrick de Bana, costume designer Stephanie Boyerli, lighting James Angot. Shot 24.11.2017 in London Coliseum.

• Svetlana Zakharova (Rus. Светлана Захарова)
• Patrick de Bana
• Denis Savin (Денис Савин)

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 Mariinsky 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 Mariinsky 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.

Patrick de Bana was born in Hamburg, Germany. He studied at the Hamburg Ballet School before joining the Bejart Ballet Lausanne in 1987 where he was quickly promoted to Principal Dancer. In 1992, he left Switzerland to join Nacho Duato’s Compania Nacional de Danza as a Principal Dancer. His repertoire included ballets by Nacho Duato, Jiří Kylián, Ohad Naharin, William Forsythe, Mats Ek and others. He left CNdD in 2002 and in 2003 created his own company, Nafas Dance. As a choreographer Mr. de Bana has often collaborated with the dancers of Paris Opera Ballet and Svetlana Zakharova from the Bolshoi Theatre.

Denis Savin (Rus. Денис Савин) is a leading soloist with Bolshoi Ballet. Born in Moscow. In 2002, on completing his studies at Bolshoi Ballet Academy (Igor Uksusnikov’s class), he joined the corps de allet of the Bolshoi theatre. Actually from the outset he was entrusted with solo parts. The next season at the theatre he received the title role of Romeo in Romeo and Juliet to music by S. Prokofiev (production by Declan Donnelan, choreography by Radu Poklitary, 2003). He danced this part at the first night performance. His repetiteur is Victor Barykin.

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