Carlos Acosta News

Following the live and on demand stream of The Nutcracker at The REP, Birmingham Royal Ballet continues to find creative ways of keeping audiences entertained with the release of Carlos Acosta's first major digital commission for the Company: Empty Stage.

Birmingham Royal Ballet’s Nutcracker at The REP will be streamed live from The Birmingham Repertory Theatre this evening, Friday 18th December, from 7.30pm. This magical Christmas production will then be available to view as a video-on-demand recording from Saturday 19th to Thursday 24th December.

Following news of Birmingham's Tier 3 status last week, and ongoing uncertainty about what will be possible post 16 December, Birmingham Royal Ballet has taken the difficult decision to move their 2020 adapted version of The Nutcracker online.

San Diego Opera has announced the continuation of its 2020-2021 season with a drive-in filmed encore presentation of the 2018 SDO production of All Is Calm: The Christmas Truce of 1914 on Monday, December 21, 2020 at 7 PM at the Del Mar Fairgrounds parking lot (2260 Jimmy Durante Blvd.). Prior to the screening of the film will be a live concert of holiday favorites starring members of the San Diego Opera Chorus including a singalong that patrons can enjoy from the comfort and safety of their own car. 

Following a month of Black History related commemorations and events at Elmhurst Ballet School, the vocational school in association with Birmingham Royal Ballet, reinforces its commitment to develop an inclusive landscape across its Edgbaston, Birmingham base.

Hurrah for the green shoots in our beleaguered industry. Lots of venues are mounting new shows and bringing back our favourites over the next few weeks and months - albeit with social distancing and safety measures in place. Here are some of the live theatrical goodies on offer.

Last night Birmingham Hippodrome hosted a preview evening for the UK premiere of Van Gogh Alive. Created by Grande Exhibitions, Van Gogh Alive is a digital art experience using stunning projections, classical music and scent gives you the unique opportunity to step on to the Hippodrome’s main stage and truly venture into Van Gogh’s world.

Today Sadler's Wells has announced a special new season of live dance and digital content for Autumn 2020, including further performances for socially distanced audiences at Sadler's Wells Theatre and new details for online programme, Digital Stage In Focus.

1910 saw George V ascend to the throne, the trial and execution of Dr Crippen, the publication of EM Forster's Howard's End and the birth of Alice Marks, later Alicia Markova, the country's first prima ballerina. It also witnessed the establishment of the Dancing Times, the first independent magazine devoted solely to dance.

Alonzo King LINES Ballet has announced that Founder and Artistic Director Alonzo King is the recipient of the 2020 Dance Magazine Award. King will be honored at a virtual award ceremony on December 7, 2020. 

Sadler's Wells' online autumn season begins with a new series of collaborations, Digital Stage In Focus, created in partnership with three of the UK's most innovative dance companies - Hofesh Shechter Company, ZooNation: The Kate Prince Company, and Candoco Dance Company.

Capital Theatres has sent a letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, as well as to Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture Fiona Hyslop, copied to Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland and Robert Wilson Chair of Creative Scotland which shows the scale of the crisis facing Capital Theatres and the depth of support from its peers.

Birmingham Royal Ballet looks a lot different today than it did ten years ago when this performance for David Bintleya??s Cinderella was filmed. A return to a familiar classic makes for heartwarming quarantine viewing, as well as an opportunity to watch fine dancers who have since retired.

A brand-new partnership has been confirmed between Birmingham Royal Ballet and Birmingham Repertory Theatre, which will see the two established companies combine creative ingenuity to stage new dance works in the heart of Birmingham city centre.

BETSY McBRIDE, SIMON WEXLER, PAOLA HARTLEY, and KAREN SCALZITTI-KENNEDY will be members of the guest faculty for the Shreveport Dance Academy's Summer Intensive in Shreveport, Louisiana. Ms. McBride and Mr. Wexler will be teaching from July 27-31, 2020, and Ms.  Hartley and Ms. Scalzitti-Kennedy will be teaching from August 3-7, 2020.

The Royal Opera House continues to treat us to a fortnightly fix of ballet and what relief this latest edition is. After some rather sombre, heavier narrative works, the froth and joy of Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardée is balm for the soul. Balletomanes will want to pour over this 2005 recording which features Marianela Nunez' debut in the central role of Lise with Carlos Acosta as Colas. 

Since taking the lead as Birmingham Royal Ballet's Director just three months ago, Carlos Acosta certainly hasn't had the easiest time of it. His ambitious first season of programming - featuring Don Quixote, Romeo and Juliet, their popular Nutcracker and a exciting Curated by Carlos bill featuring Alessandra Ferri - is on hold for now thanks to Coronavirus, but Acosta has not shied away from trying something new. Quickly shifting into Home From Home mode, Acosta and co. have experimented with performance and social distancing to create a specially adapted version of The Dying Swan, or as it is known here as simply The Swan.

Birmingham Royal Ballet is launching Home From Home, a new series of online content which will give an exclusive insight into the company's daily routine and specially curated performances as they stay fit and creative whilst in isolation at their homes across the globe.

Dance Consortium presents Acosta Danza's Evolution produced by Sadler's Wells and Valid Productions at The Lowry, Salford 24 & 25 March.

This show, by the company of ex-Principal dancer at The Royal Ballet, Carlos Acosta, gives the audience a mixed bill, as up close as the title suggests, with as much Cuba as you would find in a hand-rolled cigar.