Natalia Osipova

American ballet dancer Joy Womack is accepted into Moscow's infamously tough Bolshoi Ballet Academy, with the dream of becoming a great ballerina.

A portrait of dance superstar Natalia Osipova which combines unique access to the rehearsal rooms of the Royal Ballet with Natalia's contemporary dance projects, to give an unparalleled glimpse into the working life of a great dance artist.

Don Quixote is a 19th century work, choreographed by Petipa in 1869. Rudolf Nureyev revived it in 1966 and it is his version in La Scala Ballet’s repertoire, much loved by ballet audiences for its winning mix of technical bravura, exuberance and comic touches. La Scala Ballet brought the world of a fantastical Spain brilliantly to life with their sophisticated dance, music, costumes and sets, energetically accompanied by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, conducted by David Coleman.

The Mother is a powerful, narrative dance production choreographed and directed by Arthur Pita - a master storyteller. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s dark tale, The Story of a Mother, this sumptuously designed production stars international dance superstar Natalia Osipova and multi-award winning dancer Jonathan Goddard. This is an inventive new production which conjures up a dangerous, kaleidoscopic world, combining narrative dance and drama. In setting out to save her sick child a young mother journeys into the unknown to face life and death. Will she succumb to the forces of evil, or will the power of motherhood prevail?

Set in the Royal India of the past, La Bayadère is a story of eternal love, mystery, fate, vengeance, and justice. The ballet relates the drama of a temple dancer (bayadère), Nikiya, who is loved by Solor, a noble warrior. She is also loved by the High Brahmin, but does not love him in return, as she does Solor.

From The Royal Ballet’s classical origins in the works of Petipa, to the home-grown choreographers who put British ballet on the world stage, this mixed programme highlights the versatility of the Company. Petipa’s Raymonda Act III is Russian classical ballet summarized in one act, full of sparkle and precise technique, while Ashton’s Enigma Variations is quintessentially British in every way – from its score by Elgar and period designs by Julia Trevelyan Oman, to Ashton’s signature style, the essence of British ballet. Concerto, MacMillan’s fusion of classical technique with a contemporary mind, completes a programme that shows the breadth of the Company’s heritage.

A tale of the French Revolution, The Flames of Paris belongs to the pearls of the pure classics of classical dance. This world premiere recording of the production from choreographer Alexei Ratmansky (after Vasily Vaynonenon) and the Bolshoi Ballet, features the standout soloists Natalia Osipova and Ivan Vasiliev. Although set in revolutionary France, The Flames of Paris was intended to serve as an allegory for contemporary events in the Soviet Union. The ballet premiered in 1932 on the anniversary of the October Revolution, and one of its main characters was the population - revolutionary in mood and ready for action. Not surprisingly, The Flames of Paris was quickly included in the ranks of works which were always presented for major anniversaries.The choreographer Alexei Ratmansky has attempted to make maximum use of the preserved fragments of Vasily Vainonen in his new ballet.

Don Quixote, based on Miguel de Cervantes’ epic novel of the same name, regales the adventures of the eccentric nobleman Don Quixote and his faithful squire Sancho Panza, as they help to bring a vivacious young couple, Kitri and Basilio, together.

With Roland Petit’s cool, cabaret-style choreography and chic costumes by Yves Saint Laurent, Notre-Dame de Paris has been a modern ballet hit ever since its 1965 premiere. Petit’s deft condensation of Victor Hugo’s epic and tragic novel is now renewed by two stars of our own time, Roberto Bolle and Natalia Osipova: a stunning tribute to Petit’s genius after his death in 2011. Recorded live at Teatro alla Scala, Milan, March 2013.

Christopher Wheeldon's Within the Golden Hour is based around seven couples separating and intermingling, to music by Vivaldi and Ezio Bosso and lit with the rich colours suggested by sunset. In Flight Pattern, Crystal Pite combines Górecki's haunting “Symphony of Sorrowful Songs” with a large dance ensemble to create a poignant and passionate reflection on migration. Between them, Medusa is new work inspired by the Greek myth, created for The Royal Ballet by the acclaimed choreographer Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, which juxtaposes Purcell arias with an electronic score by Olga Wojciechowska.

The stars of the Royal Ballet perform a very special selection of the best of ballet. From the ultra-contemporary Untouchable by Hofesh Schechter to the Hollywood glitz of Carousel, there is something for everyone in this glorious gala. The stellar partnership of Marianela Nuñez and Vadim Muntagirov tackle one of the great classical pas de deux from Don Quixote, and the larger forces of the whole company are seen in Elite Syncopations. Natalia Osipova dances the famous Dying Swan, and choreographers including Wayne McGregor, Christopher Wheeldon and Cathy Marston rub shoulders with Frederick Ashton and Kenneth Macmillan. The orchestra of the Royal Opera House is conducted by Jonathan Lo. Presented by Anita Rani.

Frederick Ashton's La Fille mal gardée (The Wayward Daughter) is one of the choreographer's most joyous and colourful creations. Inspired by his love for the Suffolk countryside, the ballet is set on a farm and tells a story of love between Lise, the daughter of Widow Simone, and Colas, a young farmer. It contains some of Ashton's most stunning choreography, most strikingly in the series of energetic pas de deux that express the youthful passion of the young lovers, performed here by Natalia Osipova and Steven McRae. The ballet is laced with exuberant good humour, and elements of national folk dance, from dancing chickens and a maypole dance to a Lancashire clog dance for Widow Simone, performed by Philip Mosley.

Dance film inspired by the life and work of the artists Camille Claudel and Auguste Rodin.

Don Quixote - Full Length Ballet by Teatro alla Scala di Milano ft. Natalia Osipova

The first revival of Wayne McGregor’s critically acclaimed ballet triptych to music by Max Richter, inspired by the works of Virginia Woolf.

The peasant girl Giselle discovers the true identity of her lover Albrecht – and that he is promised to another. This is one of The Royal Ballet’s most loved and admired productions, faithful to the spirit of the 1841 original yet always fresh at each revival. This performance features former Bolshoi star and now Royal Ballet Principal Natalia Osipova in a breath-taking interpretation of the title role.

Royal Ballet Principal Natalia Osipova dances the title role in Kenneth MacMillan’s haunting ballet, to atmospheric music by Tchaikovsky and Martinů. Anastasia tells the story of Anna Anderson who, following the Russian Revolution and the murder of the royal family, claimed she was the surviving Grand Duchess Anastasia. Many believed her to be an imposter; others hoped she was Anastasia, a remnant of a lost world. A powerful, psychological challenge for the lead dancer, Anastasia explores one of the great historical mysteries of the 20th century, only recently solved, and the distorting mirror of memory, time and place.

Inspired by dark and gripping real life events, this Royal Ballet classic depicts the sexual and morbid obsessions of Crown Prince Rudolf leading to the murder-suicide scandal with his mistress Mary Vetsera. The oppressive glamour of the Austro-Hungarian court in the 1880s sets the scene for a suspenseful drama of psychological and political intrigue as Rudolf fixates on his mortality. Kenneth MacMillan's 1978 ballet remains a masterpiece of storytelling and this revival marks 30 years since the choreographer’s death. Expect to see the Company at its dramatic finestacross potent ensemble scenes and some of the most daring and emotionally demanding pas de deux in the ballet repertory.

Rhapsody was created in 1980 and is one of Frederick Ashton’s final works – a virtuoso conclusion to his series of non-narrative ballets. It was created for acclaimed Russian dancer Mikhail Baryshnikov, who requested the Ashton commission and whose personality is at the heart of the work. The male Principal role is characterised by exceptionally fluent leaps, turns and lightness of movement. It is twinned with the strength and grace of the ballerina, a role created on the pure, fleet-footed style of former Royal Ballet Principal Lesley Collier. The ballet is set to Sergei Rachmaninoff’s well-known Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, which moves from stormy passages to calmer interludes. The premiere of Rhapsody was given at the Royal Opera House in honour of Ashton’s close friend Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, on the occasion of her 80th birthday.

In this joyful version, a beautiful mechanical doll interferes with the happiness of two lovers. Original choreography by Marius Petita. New version by Sergei Vikharev. Music by Leo Delibes. Live performance 29 May 2011.

Tchaikovsky: Swan Lake – The Royal Ballet