Taiwan / October 2019 (Day 5)

Finally, the day of the performance has arrived! We are proud to be the first ballet company to be performing in this brand new theater which just opened last season and to bring our art form to the audiences of Kaohsiung!

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Company class in the morning starts the day: here with Alessandro Giaquinto, Friedemann Vogel, Daiana Ruiz, Priscylla Gallo and at the piano Catelijne Smit who always gets the dancers motivated with her magical music mix

A big thank you to our main sponsor Porsche AG Stuttgart for the lovely t-shirts commemorating this tour to Taiwan and China!

Notes on stage after class for the whole company

Artistic Director Tamas Detrich and Ballet Mistress Yseult Lendvai giving notes from the dress rehearsal the night before and inspiration for the evening’s performance

The dancers listen attentively

Between morning class/rehearsals and the evening performance, the dancers have a short break. Just enough to do a bit of sightseeing and gain appreciation of Taiwanese culture

Impressions of lovely Kaohsiung…

A quick snack before the performance: yummy dumplings

It‘s show time! Friedemann Vogel applies eyeliner while make-up artist Lola Khurramova styles his hair

Adhonay Soares da Silva deep in concentration while the friendly staff of the theater helps him with his costume

Matteo Miccini warms up on stage before the performance

Elisa Badenes and Matteo Miccini on stage before the performance

Elisa Badenes and Matteo Miccini stretching

Very important: Elisa Badenes‘ pointe shoes which will carry her through the evening

Just before the start of the second act

Christian Pforr und Clemens Froehlich in the tarantella

Sonia Santiago as the nurse and Alessandro Giaquinto as clown

Friedemann Vogel as Romeo dreaming of Juliet

Rocio Aleman as gypsy with Friedemann Vogel as Romeo

Dresser Johanna Doring prepares Friedemann Vogel for the third act

Friedemann on stage at the beginning of the third act

The last pas de deux of Romeo and Juliet: Elisa and Friedemann

Elisa and Friedemann

Romeo with Juliet just before he has to leave her

Martí Fernández Paixà as Count Paris with Elisa Badenes as Juliet

Elisa as Juliet: about to take the potion

Friedemann Vogel, Elisa Badenes and Martí Fernández Paixà: in the crypt, Paris sees Romeo at Juliet’s bier

Juliet prepares to take her life, unbale to live without Romeo

For never was a story of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo – William Shakespeare

Elisa Badenes and Friedemann Vogel take their first bow after an intense performance of John Cranko’s masterpiece

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 19)

Kobe turns out to be a delightful city and presents itself to us from its best side. The morning after our arrival dawns with brilliant sunshine and balmy temperatures which inspires many dancers to take a stroll along the water as our hotel lies directly at the harbor which also provides spectacular views from our hotel rooms. Downtown Kobe is just five minutes away on foot and is filled with good restaurants, attractive bars and coffee houses, wonderful bakeries, upscale stores as well as small boutiques and arcades filled with stores for every wallet. The Hyogo Performing Arts Center lies in the next town over, and is a modern, spacious, state of the art theater. We travel between the two cities via a local commuter train which provides insight into the daily life of the local population. Of course, everyone is also working! Class, rehearsals, set up and unpacking run along smoothly. This afternoon the last performance will take place; tomorrow morning our bus departs for the airport at 5:45 am. As today is our tour diary photographer Roman Novitzky’s birthday and as he is also performing today, there will not be an entry in our tour diary tomorrow. Which is why we would like to take the opportunity now to say thank you to Roman for his amazing, unflagging work and of course we wish him a very happy birthday. And of course a huge toi, toi, toi to him, Alicia Amatriain, Friedemann Vogel and the whole company for the last performance of this highly successful tour.

Photos: Roman Novitzky

Auditorium of the Hyogo Performing Arts Center as seen from the stage during the set up

The view from the other side: the technical crew sets up the stage

Rehearsal in the spacious studio of the theater

The swans rehearse in the studio

Swan consultations

Veronika Verterich and Diana Ionescu rehearsing the pas de six as ballet masters Yseult Lendvai, Rolando D’Alesio, Andria Hall and Krzysztof Nowogrodzki watch

A further insight into the rehearsal

Alicia and Friedemann rehearse

Alicia and Friedemann

Alexander Mc Gowan reprises his famous commuter moment

Kobe by night as seen from the hotel

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 12)

Our second Swan Lake performance took place yesterday before a full house. Not only our Kammertaenzer Alicia Amatriain und Friedemann Vogel, also the whole company provided an unforgettable performance. Highly concentrated and with great intensity John Cranko’s tragic love story was brought to life with dancing on the highest level. Bravo!

Photos: Roman Novitzky

With her crown already firmly in place, Alicia warms up

The company warms up

Alicia Torronteras and Miriam Kacerova warming up

Friedemann warming up before the performance

Alicia and Friedemann

Miriam

Alicia

Lovely swans

Alicia and Friedemann

Alicia and Friedemann

Alicia and Friedemann

Happy swans before the performance

Swans on break

Rocio Aleman and Miriam Kacerova just before the start of the fourth act

Swans!

Intense swans

Alicia and Friedemann

Lighthearted fun after the performance: Friedemann cuts up

Friedemann and Roman switch roles

Japan Tour / November 2018 (Day 4)

The day of the premiere is getting closer; the dress rehearsal of John Cranko’s Onegin with the fantastic Tokyo City Philharmonic Orchestra under our Music Director James Tuggles‘ baton runs smoothly. Our strong and expressive Kammertänzer Alicia Amatriain and Friedemann Vogel take on the leading roles. We can’t wait for opening night!

Photos: Roman Novitzky

So beautiful but never to be: one last moment of passion for Tatiana (Alicia) und Onegin (Friedemann)

Tatiana‘s writing utentsils lie in wait – lovingly prepared by our colleagues from the props department

Onegin (Friedemann) is bored and plays solitaire.

Tatiana tries to divine Onegin’s thoughts.

In the intermission, some dancers strike a pose for Roman Novitzky’s camera: here Alessandro Giaquinto

What would Onegin be without the two famous love letters? Tatiana (Alicia Amatriain) writes the fateful letter which will change many lives – not least her own!

Fabio Adorisio

Tatiana (Alicia) contemplates her love letter to Onegin

Tatiana (Alicia) und Onegin (Friedemann) at the beginning of their last pas de deux

Onegin (Friedemann Vogel) dances with Tatiana (Alicia) – he is not impressed by her letter

With all the elegance of St. Petersburg high society: Daniele Silingardi und Fernanda de Souza Lopes

Noan Alves, Paula Rezende und Matteo Miccini

E-MAIL FROM… MOSCOW (FRIEDEMANN VOGEL)

Friedemann Vogel and Olga Smirnova

From Russia with LOVE!

I am very excited to be back in Moscow on one of the most famous stages in the world, at the Bolshoi Theatre, I am very much looking forward to dance in the World Ballet Stars Gala: A Tribute to Marius Petipa.

Making the occasion even more special is my first partnership with the Bolshoi Ballet prima ballerina Olga Smirnova. We are both so thrilled to dance together the Mirror pas de deux from Onegin for two nights on 31^st May and 1^st June.

Much love
Friedemann