OUR OWN
Ballets
& Operas
Our ballets and operas are the finest expression of our imagination and translate the world of Dragone onto the classical stages
- Ballets & Operas
The Nutcracker
Aida
Sorolla
The Nutcracker
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— Franco Dragone
“First and foremost, The Nutcracker is a tale, an eminently popular tale. I wanted give the story back its’ true nature”
and to conceive, for a family audience and that of Festivals, of the festive lull, a sophisticated show in its execution and delivery, but simple in its intentions: to touch hearts and to reawaken the child inside us”
Almost 125 years to the day after Piotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s first ballet performance at the Mariinsky Theater in St Petersburg, Franco Dragone wanted to offer the Belgian public an innovative and family-friendly vision of The Nutcracker at Forêt National for the holiday season.
In collaboration with choreographer Giuliano Peparini, his accomplice for more than ten years, and internationally respected composer and conductor Matt Dunkley, Franco Dragone has reworked the famous Hoffmann tale by adding his signature mark.
By privileging the magic, that the costumes created by Dragone Costumes in collaboration with the designer Frederic Olivier have perfectly magnified, the direction of Franco Dragone has redeployed the two acts of the ballet written by Georges Balanchine with contemporary music that pays tribute to the genius of Tchaichovsky.
Aida
Aida
— Franco Dragone
“I have tried to create an uncluttered, timeless Aida”
an Aïda stripped of its opulent sets and its embellishments, offering a different look at today’s world. This interpretation evokes a world turned upside down. Out of the darkness, I hope to create a beacon of light and hope.”
Franco Dragone’s production of Aïda in Naples’ San Carlo Theater, the oldest opera house in Europe, aimed to provide a more intimate, introspective slant on the work. 70 musicians and chorus members, conducted by charismatic Eloi Baudimont, mesmerized audiences in December 2014
The poetic ensemble presented an unconventional tribute to Verdi.
As is typical, Dragone surrounded himself with a team of highly talented artistes – Conductor Nicola Luisotti, Set Designer Benito Leonori, Costume Designer Giusi Justin, Chorus Master Salvatore Caputo, Lighting Designer Michel Beaulieu and Video Creator Olivier Simola.
The performers were handpicked by Dragone’s own casting team.
Since 2014, the show has been put on several times at the San Carlo Opera, most notably during the 2016 edition of the International Theater Festival of Naples, directed by Franco Dragone. In 2017, the opera was adapted and tailored for touring and was shown at the Schouwburg of Antwerp and in Brussels at Forêt National during the holiday season.
Sorolla
Sorolla
— Franco Dragone
“Inspired by the paintings of Joaquín Sorolla”
Hosted at the Spanish National Ballet in June 2013 and in summer 2014, Sorolla was a stunning production inspired by various regional dances of the Iberian Peninsula as painted by Joaquin Sorolla between 1913 and 1919 .
Franco Dragone evoked Sorolla’s vision of Spain, of tears and laughter.
Dragone collaborated with Pascal Jacob for the staging and Vincent Lemaire for the scenography. The choreography was entrusted to a team of three Spanish experts under the direction of Antonio Najarro – Miguel Fuente, Arantxa Carmona and Manuel Liñán.
The music by Juan Colomer and costumes by Nicolas Vaudelet developed counterpoints between Joaquín Sorolla’s luminous brushstrokes – hence his nickname of “painter of light” – and a darker reality.
