Roberto Bolle stars in five choreographic works alongside the leading dancers of some of the world’s most prestigious companies
The “Roberto Bolle and Friends” Gala, inaugurating I Cantieri dell’Immaginario 2026 on Saturday, July 4th, is just around the corner . This event, part of the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026, is supported and promoted by the Municipality of L’Aquila, and will take place in the extraordinary setting of the San Bernardino Staircase. For the first time in L’ Aquila and in Abruzzo, audiences will witness a performance that brings together some of the most important stars of international dance in a program spanning the great classical repertoire and contemporary creations.
Joining Roberto Bolle on stage will be Sae Eun Park, an Étoile with the Opéra National de Paris; Tatiana Melnik and Motomi Kiyota of the Hungarian National Ballet; Margarita Fernandes and António Casalinho of the Vienna State Ballet; and Ekaterine Surmava of the Dortmund Ballet. These artists, hailing from some of the most prestigious companies on the international scene, were personally selected by the Étoile to share the stage in one of the galas most beloved by audiences.
Roberto Bolle will star in five of the ten choreographed pieces on the program, an artistic journey that highlights the extraordinary breadth of his repertoire. He will dance in *Caravaggio* by Mauro Bigonzetti alongside Ekaterine Surmava, in *Luminous* by András Lukács with Tatiana Melnik, and in the solo *In Your Black Eyes* by Patrick De Bana, in the famous pas de deux from Le Parc by Angelin Preljocaj with Sae Eun Park, and will close the Gala with *Sphere*, a spectacular creation by Mauro Bigonzetti that combines dance, music, and technology.
Alongside Roberto Bolle’s performances, the Gala will pay tribute to the great tradition of ballet with some of the most famous pas de deux from the repertoire: *Il Corsaro*, *Coppélia*, Don Quixote and Diana and Actaeon, while The Death of the Swan, directed by Ekaterine Surmava, will offer one of the most intense and poetic moments of the evening.
Conceived as a journey through different eras, styles, and sensibilities, “Roberto Bolle and Friends” alternates between the virtuosity of the classical repertoire and the works of leading figures in contemporary choreography, reaffirming the formula that, over the years, has made this gala an international benchmark and an extraordinary vehicle for promoting dance.
Produced by ARTEDANZA srl and organized in L’Aquilaby the L’Étoile Association, chaired by Ornella Cerroni, the performance will officially open “I Cantieri dell’Immaginario” as part of the program for L’Aquila, Italian Capital of Culture 2026, transforming the San Bernardino Staircase into an exceptional stage for an evening that will bring together some of the world’s greatest dance stars.
DON’T MISS THE OPENING GALA OF “CANTIERI DELL’IMMAGINARIO”: