Milan is getting ready to end the year on pointe. The calendar features great classics from the repertoire, Christmas performances, and a fairy tale transformed into a spectacle of lights. Here are some dance and ballet events not to be missed between November and December.
Balanchine, Bausch, and Stravinsky at La Scala
From November 7 to 21, the Corps de Ballet and Orchestra of La Scala present a double bill dedicated to Stravinsky. The program begins with *Apollo*, in George Balanchine’s neoclassical choreography, and then moves on to the expressive power of *The Rite of Spring*, in Pina Bausch’s famous version. An evening that brings together two different visions of dance, blending rigor and intensity.
Ballet of Lights: Sleeping Beauty at the Teatro Leonardo
On November 14, the fairy tale of Aurora comes to the Teatro Leonardo in a luminous new production. In *Ballet of Lights*, the illuminated costumes react to the dancers’ movements and transform the stage into a landscape of light, while the story takes the audience from an enchanted slumber to awakening. Two performances are scheduled, at 5:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m.; the show lasts about an hour and is suitable for children ages 5 and up.
Cinderella by the Accademia Teatro alla Scala at the Teatro Strehler
From December 10 to 20, the students of the Accademia Teatro alla Scala Ballet School will perform *Cinderella* at the Teatro Strehler. Frédéric Olivieri’s fairy-tale choreography, set to music by Sergei Prokofiev, features over one hundred young dancers in court dances, waltzes, and pas de deux. Tickets start at 28 euros.
La Scala’s The Nutcracker
Starting December 17, La Scala kicks off its ballet season with *The Nutcracker*, choreographed by Rudolf Nureyev to music by Tchaikovsky. The Corps de Ballet and the Theater Orchestra, together with students from the Ballet School and the Children’s Choir, accompany Clara on her journey through the battle with the mice, the snowflakes, and the famous waltzes. Performances scheduled through the end of December are on the 17th, 18th, 23rd, 30th, and 31st.
Cinderella on Ice at the TAM
For a variation on ice, from December 18 to 20, the Imperial Ice Stars bring *Cinderella on Ice* to the Teatro Arcimboldi. The fairy tale comes to life through skating, acrobatics, and choreography: a show that combines ice ballet and theater for an evening with a Christmas atmosphere.
From great classics to reimagined fairy tales, November and December offer many ways to experience dance in Milan. If you’ve already set your sights on a show, check dates and ticket availability on the theaters’ websites: some performances are on the bill for only a few days.
