Miraculous. Electrifying. Unbound by the laws of gravity.

That’s Natalia Osipova.

Multi-award winning classical ballerina, principal of the Royal Ballet, and former principal of the Mikhailovsky Ballet and American Ballet Theatre – Osipova is a force to be reckoned with.

Osipova has performed lead roles in Giselle, Don Quixote, The Nutcracker, La Fille mal gardée and DGV: Danse à grande vitesse with the Royal Ballet, and is taking a leap into contemporary dance with Natalia Osipova and Guests at this year’s International Festival.

The performance will feature three brand new works, Qutb,Silent Echo andRun Mary Run, created specially for Osipova by renowned choreographers Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant and Arthur Pita.

While this is not Osipova’s first foray into contemporary dance, it is her most decisive move away from the structured world of classical ballet.

In a recent interview with The Times, Osipova said: “This is how I want to express my personality. To mix classical and contemporary. This is my wish.”

Natalia Osipova and Guests received brilliant reviews from its stint at Sadler's Wells in London. The Guardian wrote that there are "outstanding moments – lifts in which [Osipova's] exceptional suppleness and strength create the illusion that she’s walking, flying or hovering over her partners’ bodies." While The Times wrote that "Pita’s theatrical choreography blends sweet fantasy with grisly reality."

Qutb – Cherkaoui

Qutb is a new trio piece for Osipova and two male dancers, Jason Kittleberger (Cedar Lake Contemporary Dance Company) and James O’Hara (recently seen in Bolero at Paris Opera Ballet with Marina Abramovitch). Qutb features Cherkaoui’s trademark alchemy of movement vocabularies, musical genres and cultures with lighting designed by recent Knight of Illumination winner Fabiana Piccoli and a soundscape designed by Felix Buxton from Basement Jaxx. Cherkaoui will also work with Japanese costume designer Kimie Nakano, a frequent collaborator with Akram Khan Company.

Silent Echo – Maliphant

Silent Echo is a new duet for Osipova and Sergei Polunin. The piece features lighting by Maliphant’s long-time collaborator and Knight of Illumination award-winner Michael Hulls. Hulls, a Sadler’s Wells Associate Artist, also received an Olivier Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2014. The new work features a soundtrack from UK composer and sound artist Scanner.

Run Mary Run – Pita

Run Mary Run is a new duet for Osipova and Polunin. Pita crafts a dark, comedic story for the pair, highlighting Osipova’s natural gift for acting. The work features a soundtrack from The Shangri-La’s, The Crystals and David Lynch, mixed by Pita’s long-time collaborator Frank Moon.

Image Credits:

Natalia Osipova © Nikolai Gulakov
QUTB © Alastair Muir
Silent Echo © Bill Cooper
Run Mary Run © Bill Cooper