Former Mariinsky Ballet principal Xander Parish has co-founded Nouveaux Ballets Russes, a new international company that will debut at Florence’s Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino on 14 March 2027.
Announced on 25 September, the company is funded entirely by the New Generation Foundation. Parish will serve as artistic director and choreograph its opening production of Swan Lake, co-produced with the theatre to mark the ballet’s 150th anniversary.
The principal cast includes Joy Womack, Vsevolod Maievskyi, Boris Zhurilov and Anastasia Matvienko.
Set in the Belle Époque, the production will draw on Russian folklore, Surrealism and the work of artists Ivan Bilibin, Natalia Goncharova and Léon Bakst. The designs will incorporate projection mapping, digital imagery and holographic scenery.
James Conlon will conduct the Orchestra del Maggio, with stage direction by Jean-Romain Vesperini. Bruno de Lavenère will design the sets and Étienne Guiol the video, following their involvement in the Paris 2024 Olympic opening ceremony. Costumes will be designed by Alain Blanchot.
The foundation says the company takes its inspiration from the international collaborations of Sergei Diaghilev’s Ballets Russes. Launched in Paris in 1909, the original company became known for its modernist commissions and collaborations across music, choreography, visual art and fashion. The new venture plans to reinterpret classical repertoire and provide professional performance opportunities for dancers graduating from leading ballet schools.
Parish became the first British dancer to join the Mariinsky in 2010 and was promoted to principal in 2017. He left Russia in March 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine, subsequently joining Norwegian National Ballet. That year, he also became artistic director of Reunited in Dance, bringing together dancers who had left Russian companies following the invasion.
Six Florence performances are scheduled between 14 and 21 March 2027. The company has announced plans to tour the production to Venice, Monte Carlo, Paris, London, New York and San Francisco, with further engagements in Asia.