Summer treats

The summer ballet season in London, with the traditional arrival of illustrious foreign guests, has a well-established historical tradition. It was during the summer months that, in the 19th century, famous and not-so-famous foreign ballet stars appeared on the stages of theatres such as the Her Majesty’s, the Alhambra and the Empire. Later on, renowned ballerinas such as Lydia Kyasht, Olga Preobrajenska and the legendary Anna Pavlova came to London in summer with small companies or groups, leading the way for Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes, the quintessential ‘visiting’ ballet company of the first half of the past century. Since then, the summer ballet season in London has provided dance goers with a wealth of memorable experiences. This year is no exception, for there are some delectable treats in store.

The season kicks off next week, at the Royal Opera House, with the classic The Sleeping Beauty, performed by the ballet company from La Scala Theatre (25–29 July). Considered by many as the Italian temple of opera and dance, La Scala has played a significant role in the history of ballet and also, more or less directly, in the history of British ballet. Many of the admired stars who appeared at the Empire and the Alhambra had either trained or performed regularly at La Scala. Their performances had such an impact on the London dance scene that many indigenous dancers had to change their names into Italian-sounding ones, to get some sort of artistic credibility.

Moreover, former La Scala celebrities, such as Francesca Zanfretta and Malvina Cavallazzi, settled in the English capital, where they subsequently taught the first generation of home-grown 20th-century British dancers, thus contributing to the development of British 20th-century ballet. Not to mention the fact that it was for La Scala that choreographers such as Frederick Ashton and John Cranko created some of their most memorable works.