Biographies

Natalia Makarova. (Choreographer)
Na talia Makarova. (Coreógrafa)

Natalia Makarova began her career in her native Leningrad, entering the Vaganova School at the age of 13. After graduating, she joined the Kirov Ballet, rapidly rising to the rank of Ballerina. She came to international prominence when she danced Giselle with the Kirov Ballet in London, which became one of her signature roles. She won the Gold Medal in Varna in l965.

On 4 September l970, while on tour in London with the Kirov, Makarova took the step which changed her life forever by requesting asylum in Britain. She began her new career by joining the American Ballet Theatre, making her debut with the Company in Giselle. Her long association with the Royal Ballet began in 1972. She also appeared as guest artist with major ballet companies throughout the world. Her vast repertory includes the full classical repertoire and the ballets of the great contemporary choreographers including MacMillan, Robbins, Balanchine, Ashton, Bejart, Petit, Neumeier, Tetley and Cranko. She won the Evening Standard Award in 1985, presented by Princess Diana, for her performance of Cranko's Onegin.
Natalia Makarova staged the 'Kingdom of the Shades' from La Bayadere for the American Ballet Theatre in l974. In 1980 she staged and directed the full-length production, making American Ballet Theatre the first Western company to acquire this work. Her production included for the first time since 1919 a reconstruction of the last act, with Makarova's choreography after Marius Petipa, restoring the original dramatic structure and impact of this early masterpiece. She has staged her production of La Bayadere for numerous companies including the Royal Ballet, La Scala Ballet, the Royal Swedish Ballet, Teatro Colon Buenos Aires, Australian Ballet, Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro and the Dutch National Ballet. Her other productions include Giselle for the Royal Swedish Ballet, Sleeping Beauty for the Royal Ballet and she has recently staged her new production of Swan Lake for the Perm Ballet of Russia and the National Ballet of China.

Her television work includes the 'Ballerina' Series, which she wrote and presented for the BBC; 'Assoluta' (BBC); 'Makarova Returns' (BBC); 'In a Class of Her Own'(Channel 4); and 'Natasha'(Thames Television). She has also been filmed in Swan Lake, Giselle, Romeo and Juliet and La Bayadere.
She made her musical comedy debut on Broadway in On Your Toes, winning the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical, the Drama Desk Award, the Stanislavsky Award as well as numerous other awards. In 1984 she starred in the West End production of On Your Toes, for which she won the Laurence Olivier Award.

On February 1, 1989, after 19 years' absence, she was the first artistic exile to be invited back to perform in the Soviet Union. She returned to her native Leningrad where she danced with the Kirov Ballet on the stage where she began her illustrious career.
In 1991 she made her debut as a dramatic actress in the Chichester Festival production of Tovarich which transferred to the West End. She returned to Russia in 1992 in the play Two for the Seesaw, giving performances in Moscow and St. Petersburg. In 1997 she starred in the Chichester Festival production of George Bernard Shaw's play Misalliance. She also appeared in Noel Coward's Blithe Spirit where she played the role of Elvira. Miss Makarova continues to stage classical ballets throughout the world passing on her knowledge to a new generation of dancers.

.......................................................................

Pier Luigi Samaritani. (Scenery)

PierLuigi Samaritani was born in Novara, Italy. He attended the Academia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan before going to Paris to study art. In Paris, Samaritani met the celebrated set designer and painter Lila De Nobili who awakened his interest in the theatre, and he enrolled at the Centre Dramatique de la Rue Blanche.

In 1967, Massimo Begianckino, general manager of Rome's Teatro dell'Opera, invited Samaritani to design sets and costumes for Manfred (Schumann/Byron) -- the success of that production placed him among the foremost designers.

In 1975, Samaritani made his directorial debut in The Old Maid and the Thief. During the next three years, he designed the sets and costumes for: Trittico and La Falena at the Teatro Verdi in Trieste, Eugene Onegin for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, I Racconti di Hoffmann for the Dallas Civic Theatre, Orfeo e Euridice for the Lyric Opera of Chicago, Gemma di Vergy for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, Otello for the Hamburgische Staatsoper, Luisa Miller for the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, Re Cervo for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, Egiste for the Teatro La Fenice, Medea in Corinto for the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, and La Traviata for the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome.

In 1978, Samaritani staged and designed the sets and costumes for Massenet's Werther for the Teatro Comunale of Florence, a production which was later brought to the Lyric Opera of Chicago. In 1978 Samaritani also created the sets and costumes for Cosi fan Tutte for the Bayerische Staatsoper in Munich and for Thais for the Teatro dell'Opera in Rome. Also in that year, Samaritani was commissioned to design Vivaldi's L'Incoronazione di Dario in Sienna -- a production which received considerable critical acclaim and was greeted by much public controversy. In 1979, he staged Madama Butterfly at the Teatro Comunale of Florence and was invited to stage and design La Sonnambula for the opening night of the Spoleto Festival. The latter was seen at the Festival of the Two Worlds in Charleston in May, 1980. Late in 1979, Samaritani designed the new production of Gounod's Faust for the televised opening night of the Chicago Lyric Opera's 25th anniversary season. His plans for 1980 included the staging of Francesca da Rimini for the Teatro Filarmonico of Verona (he also designed the sets and costumes), and designing the sets and costumes for Lucrezia Borgia at Rome's Teatro dell'Opera. In June, 1980 Samaritani staged and designed Tchaikovsky's Eugene Onegin for the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino.

.......................................................................

r Theoni V. Aldredge (Costumes)

Born Theoni Vachlioti in Athens, Greece, Aldredge received her training at the American School in Athens and at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago. Her first Broadway assignment was designing costumes for Geraldine Page in Tennessee Williams' Sweet Bird of Youth in 1959; her most recent was the 2006 revival of A Chorus Line.

Aldredge won the Oscar and a British Academy Award for her work on The Great Gatsby in 1974. Her designs for the film were adapted for a clothing line sold exclusively by Bloomingdale's in Manhattan. In 2002, she won the Theatre Development Fund's Irene Sharaff Lifetime Achievement Award.

.......................................................................

Philip Ellis (Musical Director)

Philip Ellis was the winner of the 1991 Leeds Conductor's Competition, having previously won all of the major conducting prizes at the Royal Academy. In 1990 he had been one of only five conductors to graduate from the European International Conductors' Masterclass.

Philip Ellis has conducted regularly with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic, Royal Liverpool Philharmonic, BBC Philharmonic, Hallé, English Northern Philharmonia, City of London Sinfonia, BBC Concert Orchestra and Brighton Philharmonic.

Following his début with the Singapore Symphony in 1987 his work abroad has included the Hong Kong Philharmonic, Netherlands Radio Symphony, Belgian National and Jersey Symphony where he is Principal Conductor. He has conducted many times with the Flemish Radio Orchestra in Brussels, including a number of television and radio performances. He has been invited return to Singapore in 2005. His German début came in 1997 with the Württemberg Philharmonic, being invited immediately again and other notable appearances have been with the Flanders Symphony, National Symphony of México and the St Petersburg Symphony in Switzerland.

Philip Ellis has recorded a number of CDs with the Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic and the Britten-Pears Ensemble. He has also made a number of radio recordings for BBC Radio 3.

Since 2001 he has made UK tours with the English Sinfonia and Northern Sinfonia and recorded programmes with soprano Lesley Garrett for BBC TV, with guests including Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Leif Ove Andsnes and the BBC Concert Orchestra. That year he also made his début with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales and gave German and US tours with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and return visits to Switzerland, Belgium and Mexico.

He has made his début with the London Philharmonic and returned to the BBCNOW, RPO, RLPO and Northern Sinfonia. He also made a further BBCTV series with Lesley Garrett and guest artists and conducted on two CDs for EMI Classics. 2002 saw the release of a 2-CD set with the Royal Philharmonic to tie in with nationwide performances through autumn and 2003; he will record further with the Orchestra this year. In 2002 he also appeared with the Ulster Orchestra, Hallé and Royal Scottish National, as well as conducting in Switzerland and with the St Petersburg Philharmonic. He returned to the Orchestra of Opera North in 2003 for the third season in succession and made a successful UK operatic début, conducting 'Tosca' in London, as well as conducting again the BBC Philharmonic. He conducted the Royal Philharmonic regularly, including at the Royal Albert Hall and the BBCNOW in a world premiere concert at St David’s Hall in Cardiff. Last year he made his début in Australia with the West Australian Symphony and in the autumn conducted a new production of ‘La Bayadere’ at the Teatr Wielki in Warsaw, with such success that he has been invited immediately to return in 2005. He will also tour Australia and New Zealand this year with the Sydney Symphony.

.......................................................................

Ángel Corella (Principal - Solor)

Angel Corella was born in Madrid in 1975. He began his ballet studies in Colmenar Viejo, and later studied in Madrid with Victor Ullate.In May 1991, Corella won First Prize in the Spanish International Ballet Competition. Training by Karemia Moreno (Ballet Mistres), in December 1994, he won the Grand Prix and Gold Medal at the Concourse International de Dance de Paris, dancing the Pas de Deux from Don Quixote and Le Corsaire.

In April 1995, he joined the American Ballet Theatre as a Soloist, and was promoted to Principal Dancer in August 1996, the highest category in the scale in this Company. From this time forward, Mr Corella opened all the seasons at the Metropolitan Opera House. Corella has also been a guest star with the London Royal Ballet, the Australian Ballet, The Scala of Milan Ballet, Tokyo Ballet, Ballet of Chile, Ballet of Hungary and Kirov Ballet of San Petersburg.

Throughout these years he has danced all the principal roles of the classical and neo-classical ballets. Choreographers such as John Neumeier, Nacho Duato, Twyla Tharp, David Parson amongst others, have prepared works for him.

Ángel Corella danced on the opening night of the 1998 autumn season in the City Center in New York, in the first concert he danced five love songs sung by the famous mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli uniting lyricism and ballet. This experience was repeated in Spain on two occasions with the soprano Ainhoa Arteta; the first time in the Palau de la Música in Barcelona on 27 December 1999, and the second on 13 August 2000 in San Sebastian.

In May 2000, Corella received the Benois Dance Award as Best Male Dancer for his work in Other Dances by Jerome Robbins, and on 4 November 2002, he was awarded “The National Dance Prize of Spain“ as an exceptional dancer and representative of a generation which enhances Spanish dance in the most outstanding international companies”.

On October 2005, Angel Corella came back to the Opera World, performing Gioconda’s Dance of the hours with Leticia Giuliani in Theatre Liceo in Barcelona and in the Metropolitan Opera House in New York, both performance achieved an outstanding success from public and critics On the opening of Victoria de los Ángeles Foundation, on January 2007, Angel Corella danced O mi Bambino Caro performing by Victoria de los Ángeles’ voice-over.

Corella has danced for some of the greatest word celebrities as the current President of the United States, George Bush and his wife; her Majestic Queen Sofía of Spain and Infanta Elena and Infanta Cristina of Spain; Queen Elizabeth II and Princess Margaret of Great Britain; President of the USA Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, etc.

Since 2006, he takes part in the show “Kings of the Dance”, know in the dancing world as “the Three Tenors”

........................................................................

Herman Cornejo (Principal- Solor)

Herman Cornejo began his ballet studies at the age of eight at the Superior Institute of Art at the Colon Theater. A multiple prize winner in several prestigious South American competitions, he went on to study at the School of American Ballet in New York as a scholarship student. He then joined Ballet Argentino in 1995.

At the age of 16, Mr. Cornejo became the youngest Gold Medal winner in the history of the VIII International Dance Competition in Moscow (1997). He was then promoted to Principal Dancer with Ballet Argentino, alternating with Julio Bocca in all the principal roles in the repertoire during the company's worldwide tours.

Mr. Cornejo joined American Ballet Theatre in 1999 and was promoted to Soloist in August 2000, and was appointed Principal Dancer in August 2003. His roles with ABT and as a guest artist with others companys, include, Basilio in Don Quixote, Romeo and Mercutio in Romeo & Juliet, Franz in Coppelia, Siegfried in Swan Lake, Ali, Birbanto and Lankedem in Le Corsaire, Prince Desire in Sleeping Beauty, Lescaut in Manon, Albrech in Giselle, James in La Sylphide, Hortensio in The Taming of the Shrew, Puck in Frederic Ashton's The Dream, Alain in La Fille Mal Gardee, 1st Sailor in Jerome Robbis's Fancy Free, G. Balanchine's Theme and Variations, Symphony in C, Tarantela, The Suite of Who Cares?, Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux, Le Spectre De La Rose and Petrouchka, Yelow Couple in Martha Graham's Diversion of Angels, Diana & Acteon Pas de Deux, Flames of Paris Pas de Deux, Christian Spuck's Le Grand Pas de Deux, Jiri Kylian's Petite Mort and Sinfonietta, William forsythe's Workwithinwork, Clark Tippet's Bruch Violin Concerto, Robert Hill's Marinba, Twyla Tharp's In The Upper Room and Sinatra Suite. He created roles in Twyla Tharp's Variations on a Theme By Haydn, Stanton Welch's Clear.

In 2000, UNESCO honored Mr. Cornejo in Argentina as a Peace Messenger, and he was granted a Special Distinction by the Argentinian Embassy in Washington, DC.

........................................................................

Iain Mackay (Principal - Solor)

Iain Mackay trained as a Junior Associate of Scottish Ballet, before joining the Dance School of Scotland. He spent two years at the Royal Ballet Upper School, and joined BRB in 1999.

Promoted to Soloist in 2001 and Principal in 2003, he became one of Birmingham Royal Ballet's most valued and versatile artists, leading to the creation of a number of important roles in the recent repertory as Siegfried in Swan Lake; Prince in The Nutcracker; Prince Florimund in The Sleeping Beauty; Albrecht in Giselle; La Fille Mal Gardee; Coppelia; Romeo in Romeo and Juliet; Gipsy lover in The two Pigeons; Western Symphony First Movement, Apollo, The Prodigal Son and Dúo Concertante (Balanchine); 3rd Sailor in Fancy Free (Jerome Robbins) and Twyla Tharp’s In the Upper Room.

........................................................................

Adiarys Almeida (Principal - Gamzatti)

Born and raised in Matanzas, Cuba. At age 6 she started her first ballet steps in the Casa de Cultura of her natal city. She continued her training in the Vocational Art School "Alfonso Perez Isaac" Matanzas, Cuba and the National Ballet School of Havana, Cuba. After graduated in 2001 as a Ballet Dancer and Teacher Almeida, was part of the Ballet National of Cuba 2001/2003, under the direction of Alicia Alonso. In 2003, Almeida went to live in the United States of America were she danced with Ballet Rosario Suárez as a guest artist, the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, as a guest Principal Dancer, and the Cincinnati Ballet were she joined as a soloist in 2004, and continued as a Principal Dancer until 2008.

Almeida participated in the International Ballet Competion of Havana, Cuba were she received the Silver Medal in 1997and 1998 and the Gold Medal in 1999 and 2000. In Japan, in 1999, she participated in the Nagoya Dance Competition and the Gala of the Ballet Muses in Tokyo, as a partner of Rolando Sarabia Oquendo.In 2006, Almeida was a finalist in the USA International Ballet Competition in Jackson, Mississippi. Almeida has been a guest principal artist with many companies and ballet festivals around the world, like Ballet Concerto of Puerto Rico, the Miami International Ballet Festival in Florida, the Vail International Ballet Festival in Colorado, etc, as well as in many others events and galas in importants stages like Holand, Spain, Mexico, Japan, Colombia, Venezuela, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico and USA.

In 2008 she joined Corella Ballet as a Principal Dancer.

........................................................................

Carmen Corella (Principal- Nikiya)

Carmen Corella received her dance training at the Victor Ullate School of Dance from 1986 to 1990 and later joined the company, where she danced until 1995.

In March 1996, Corella was a finalist in the Second Nureyev International Ballet Competition held in Budapest, Hungary. In August 1996, she joined the Pennsylvania Ballet where she danced such soloist roles as the Energy Fairy in The Sleeping Beauty, Prayer in Coppélia and in George Balanchine’s Who Cares? and Divertimento No. 15.

Corella appeared as a guest artist with American Ballet Stars Tour of China, where she danced Diamond in The Sleeping Beauty and George Balanchine’s Tchaikovsky Pas de Deux. Corella represented Spain at the Expo /98 in Lisbon, Portugal, dancing Le Corsaire Pas de Deux and La Sylphide Pas de Deux with her brother, ABT Principal Dancer Angel Corella.

Corella joined ABT as a member of the corps de ballet in April 1998, and she was appointed a Soloist in August 2003. Her roles with the Company include a lead D’Jampe, Tall Pas D’Action and a Shade (2nd variation) in La Bayadère, an Odalisque in Le Corsaire, Mercedes and the Driad Queen in Don Quixote, Big Swans in Swan Lake, Fairy Godmother in Cinderella, Romeo’s Harlot in Romeo and Juliet, Mirta and Zulma in Giselle, Balanchine’s Symphony in C (4th movement, principal couple), the Stepmother in Agnes de Mille’s Fall River Legend, She Wore a Perfume in Antony Tudor’s Dim Lustre, the Lady in Red and the Lead Can-Can dancer in Ga”té Parisienne, Twyla Tharp’s Push Comes to Shove, leading roles in Harold Lander’s Etudes, Jiri Kylian’s Stepping Stones and Sechs Tänze, William Forsythe’s Workwithinwork, Kirk Peterson’s Amazed in Burning Dreams, Robert Hill’s Marimba, and Stanton Welch’s Isn’t it a Pity in Within You Without You: A Tribute to George Harrison. She created leading roles in Mark Morris’ Gong, Robert Hill’s Baroque Game and Concerto No. 1 for Piano and Orchestra and Stanton Welch’s Carmina Burana from HereAfter.

........................................................................

Natalia Tapia (Principal - Nikiya)

Natalia Tapia began her professional training at the age of 8 in Zaragoza under the coaching of Cristina Miñana.

At the age of 16 she joined the Young Ballet of France and afterwards she danced with the Ballet of Zurich during six years, until she came back to Spain to join Victor Ullate Ballet.

In 2007, Natalia Tapia danced with “Ángel Corella and friends” company, her roles included: Corsaire Suit and “Who Cares?. She has also performed “The Dance of the Hours” from La Gioconda, as Ángel Corella’s partner.

Her repertoire includes: Emerald pas de deux; Gamzatti Suite in La Bayadère; Diana & Acteón pas de deux; Le Corsaire pas de deux; Coppelia; Synphony in C; Concerto Barroco; In the Middle of Somewhat Elevated; Golberg Variations; Midsummer’s Night Dream, etc.

........................................................................

Kazuko Omori (First Soloist - Nikiya)

Omori was born on April 9th 1981 in Fukasima, Japan. She began her dance studies when she was 4 at the Susuki Ballet Academy, when she was 17 years old she was accepted to the Royal Ballet School of Flanders (Belgium)

In 2000, Kauzuko joined the Flanders Royal Ballet where she remained for one year before joining the Hong Kong Ballet in 2001, where she danced for 3 years and broadened her classical repertoire.

During her carrier she has participated in prestigious competitions and was finalist in the Japan International Concourse and in the Modern Dance Competition (1996), as well as semi-finalist in the Lausanne Gran Prix (1998).

She has performed soloist roles in ballet as: Coppelia; Romeo & Juliete; The Swan Lake; La Bayadère; Giselle; Esmeralda; Le Corsaire; and Pas de Deux de Cupid en Don Quixote, as well classical and contemporary roles.

........................................................................

Joseph Gatti (First Soloist - Solor)

  
Born in Warwick, New York and raised in Orlando, Florida. Joined Corella Ballet as a Soloist, in 2008, promoted to First Soloist in 2009. He is also a Former Principal Dancer with the Cincinnati Ballet.

In 2003 he was coached by Orlando Molina for the Youth American Ballet Competition in New York, where he was awarded with the Gold Medal and with a scholarship to the Royal Ballet School in London. Upon graduating with honours he received the 2004 Dame Ruth Railton Award for Excellence in Dance. In 2005, he became the first American Male Dancer to win the prestigious Gold Medal at the New York International Ballet Competition. Joseph Gatti was nominated as best male dancer for the 2006 Benois de la Danse in Moscow, Russia. He also received the Bronze Medal in the 2006 USA International Ballet Competition and the Silver Medal in the 2006 Seoul International Dance Competition, Korea. He was also chosen to be featured in a video entitled "The Male Ballet Dancer" presented by master teacher Finis Jhung. In the summer of 2007 Joseph was coached by Cuban teacher Magaly Suarez for the First World Ballet Competition in Orlando, Florida, were he received the Gold Medal.

Joseph has been invited as a Principal Guest Artist with Western Ballet and Ballet Concierto de Puerto Rico, The Miami International Ballet Festival, The Baltic Ballet Festival, the Cuban Classical Ballet of Miami, Ballet Municipal de Lima, Peru, Balletto di L' Arena di Verona, Italy, and many others ballet Galas and festivals around the world, performing in important stages like Germany, London, Latvia, Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Peru, Korea, Italy, Spain and the USA.

........................................................................

Ashley Ellis (Soloist - Gamzatti)

Born in Santa Monica, California, she began dancing at the age of five at the Lauridsen Ballet Centre in Torrance, California. She joined South Bay Ballet Company in 1994 and was featured in Le Corsaire, Paquita, and Cinderella.

Ashley participated in American Ballet Theatre's Summer Intensive in 1999, 2000, and 2001, during which she won the annual Coca-Cola Scholar Award.

She attended summer programs at the School of American Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, American Academy of Ballet, and Utah Regional Ballet.

Ellis joined American Ballet Theatre as an apprentice in January 2002 and she joined the corps de ballet in October of that year. Her repertory with the Company includes the Daughter in Offenbach in the Underworld, as well as a featured role in HereAfter.

In 2008, she joined Corella Ballet as a Soloist.

........................................................................

Fernando Bufalá (Soloist - Bronze Idol)

Fernando Bufalá started his trainee with Nadie Boiseabert at the age of 12. At the age of 16 he was granted with a scholarship for a summer course at the Royal Ballet. He continued his studies at the Madrid Conservatoire, after being awarded in Zaragoza Competition. He finished his formation at London Studio Centre and at Royal Ballet School.

In 2001 he joined English National Ballet, and was promoted to first artist in 2003. In July 2004 “Dancing Times” named him as the Dancer of the Month. He joint Corella Ballet in 2008 and was promoted to Soloist one year later.

........................................................................

Kirill Radev (Soloist - Bronze Idol)

Kirill Radev studied at the Russian Ballet Academy. In 1999, he was made a First Soloist at The Imperial Russian Ballet.

Among the roles he has danced are: Walpurgisnacht- Satir, Vakh; Dreams of love-the last tango; Carmen-suite; Sleeping Beauty - Desire, Blue bird; The Nutcracker - Prince, Spanish dance, Harlequin; Romeo and Juliet - Romeo, Mercucio; Bolero; Le Corsaire; La Sylphide; Swan Lake-Prince Sigfried, Pas de Trois; Giselle, etc.

Kirill Radev has participated in numerous international galas and competitions such as: the International Ballet Competition of Luxemburg (2003) and the Dancers Ballet Competition of Russia.

In 2008, he joined Corella Ballet as a Soloist.

........................................................................

Yevgen Uzlenkov (Soloist - Bronze Idol)

He began his dance studies at the School of Ballet in Kharkov, Ucrania. In 1998 he joined Kharkov Nacional Opera Ballet. He has also danced with Carmen Roche Young Ballet, National Opera of Bordeaux and Teatre du Capitole Company.

In 1997, Mr. Uzlenkov danced at the Aoyama Ballet Festival (Tokio) and in 2000 he was finalist at the Paris International Ballet Competition.

In 2003 he joined Víctor Ullate Ballet as soloist. In 2007 started his collaboration with Corella & Friends, Leipzig Ballet and Ballet de Madrid. In 2009 is promoted to Soloist.