Xander Parish to Lead Nouveaux Ballets Russes, Debuting with Reimagined Swan Lake in Florence
The Nouveaux Ballets Russes, a fresh ballet troupe created by the Florence-based New Generation Foundation, is under the leadership of Xander Parish, a former principal dancer at the Mariinsky Ballet. Inspired by the legendary Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev, this company will unveil a new take on Swan Lake from March 14 to 21, 2024, at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, with additional shows planned for New York City and San Francisco. Parish, who moved from Russia in 2022 after his time with the Norwegian National Ballet, will head a principal lineup featuring Joy Womack, Anastasia Matvienko, Vsevolod Maievskyi, and Boris Zhurilov. Auditions for the corps de ballet will take place in Florence on September 26, with Bruno de Lavenère and Alain Blanchot contributing to set and costume design.
Key facts
- The New Generation Foundation announced the launch of Nouveaux Ballets Russes, led by Xander Parish.
- The company debuts March 14–21 next year with Swan Lake at Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino in Florence.
- An international tour will follow, including New York City and San Francisco.
- Xander Parish was the first British principal at the Mariinsky Ballet and left Russia in 2022 after its invasion of Ukraine.
- Principal cast: Joy Womack, Anastasia Matvienko, Vsevolod Maievskyi, and Boris Zhurilov.
- Parish is choreographing, preserving some Marius Petipa/Lev Ivanov choreography, and setting the ballet in Belle Époque Paris.
- Creative team: Bruno de Lavenère (set design), Étienne Guiol (video direction), Alain Blanchot (costumes), and Jean-Romain Vesperini (stage direction).
- Auditions for the corps de ballet take place September 26 in Florence.
Entities
Artists
- Xander Parish
- Sergei Diaghilev
- Joy Womack
- Anastasia Matvienko
- Vsevolod Maievskyi
- Boris Zhurilov
- Marius Petipa
- Lev Ivanov
- Bruno de Lavenère
- Étienne Guiol
- Alain Blanchot
- Jean-Romain Vesperini
Institutions
- New Generation Foundation
- Nouveaux Ballets Russes
- Ballets Russes
- Mariinsky Ballet
- Norwegian National Ballet
- Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino
- Pointe
Locations
- Florence
- Italy
- New York City
- San Francisco
- Russia
- Ukraine
- Paris