Dancing into December

30/11/2022

For dance lovers, December will be like having Christmas come early, with a full schedule of performances sure to delight young and old whatever their creative tastes.

The winter season of the Ballets de Monte-Carlo begins with the 2022 Monaco Dance Forum, a yearly event that entices troupes from around the world to come and perform in the Principality in addition to offering dance enthusiasts a number of workshops, talks, screenings and master classes led by choreographers whose works feature in the line-up.

It kicks off on 10th December with a Monaco Dance Forum event by Gauthier Dance and Dance Company Theaterhaus Stuttgart’s presentation of 7 Sins. Aszure Barton, Hofesh Shechter, Marco Goecke, Marcos Morau, Sasha Waltz, Sharon Eyal, and Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui turn pride, greed, lust, envy, gluttony, wrath, and sloth into a magnificent tableau for all to enjoy at the Salle Garnier of the Grimaldi Forum.

On 12th December, Indian Kuchipudi dancer Shantala Shivalingappa, accompanied by an orchestra of musicians, hits the stage with her show Swayambhu, taking audiences on a trip to her native land..

The Kors’ia company will perform Igra on 14th December at the Grimaldi Forum. Mattia Russo and Antonio De Rosa have imagined a disconcerting ballet that echoes the haunting Games by Nijinsky.

This is followed on 16th December with La Veronal’s return to the Principality with their follow-up to the successful Sienna, a performance titled Sonoma. Called a cross between visual poetry and primitive howling, this performance is a whole-body experience, with drumbeats reconnecting audiences with their most basic origins.

The Compagnie des Ballets de Monte-Carlo will perform Noces by Jean-Christophe Maillot presented together with Opus 40 on 17th and 18th December.

A screening of the 1961 Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins version of West Side Story will also be screened on 18th December as part of a collaboration with the Audiovisual Institute of Monaco.

To end the year in style, the Ballets de Monte-Carlo will perform Jean-Christophe Maillot’s rendition of Faust, the classic tale of the man who sells his soul to the devil in return for worldly pleasure and unlimited knowledge. With scenographer Rolph Sachs, costume designer Philippe Guillotel and supported by the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra, the 50 dancers of the Company will offer the public a final farewell to 2022 from 27th to 31st December. It is not to be missed.

More information and ticket reservations, please visit www.balletsdemontecarlo.com.

Photo source: Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo/Facebook

Musical: Around the World in 80 Days

by: Cassandra Tanti

30/11/2022

The Grimaldi Forum will be hosting a musical version of Jules Verne’s masterpiece Around The World in 80 days this weekend.

Bring the family on a trip to the edge of the world with this new show from the creators of the Molières-nominated musical The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

It is London, 1889.

Phileas Fogg is a secretive, phlegmatic gentleman who lives his life with near-mathematical precision. He spends much of his time at the Reform Club playing cards and discussing various matters with the other gentlemen of the club. One day, during a discussion, Fogg announces that it is now possible to go around the world in 80 days. Sir Thomas Flanagan, his lifelong rival, challenges him to fulfill this promise. He secretly hopes to humiliate and discredit Fogg in the eyes of his colleagues and thus be able to become the head of the Reform Club, a position that the two men are fighting over.

Fogg, known for never having left the country (or even London for that matter), nevertheless seems sure of himself and takes up the challenge, putting almost his entire fortune at stake in this crazy gamble. From London to New York via Bombay and Hong Kong, the gentleman and his new French servant Passepartout set off on an adventure that will be strewn with pitfalls.

The performance, in French, is at the Salle des Princes, Grimaldi Forum, on Saturday 3^rd December at 7.30pm and Sunday 4^th December at 2.30pm. The show runs for two hours and 10 minutes, including a 15-minute intermission. Tickets start at €31.

See the preview below…

Condamine Market hosts Corsica

by: Elsa Carpenter

28/11/2022

Head to the popular Condamine Market this coming Saturday for a day celebrating the best of Corsican cuisine and culture.

From 8am on Saturday 3rd December, the Condamine Market at the foot of Le Rocher will be dedicating a whole day to products – from cheese and olive oil to specialist meats and wine – from the Ile de Beauté.

Musical performances and activities for the whole family will accompany a menu of tastings and gourmet treats.

Entry is free.

Photo source: Erik Dungan for Unsplash

Photos: Gilbert wins in final pro race at Beking

by: Luke Entwistle

28/11/2022

Philippe Gilbert’s glittering professional cycling career ended in fairytale fashion on the streets of Monte-Carlo, as he won the second edition of Beking on Sunday amidst a fun family atmosphere.

A career spanning 19 years, which has included winning titles such as the UCI World Tour and classic races such as the Paris-Roubaix, came to an end on Sunday, but was marked with one more final triumph.

Having won the team time trial in the morning, Belgian cyclist Gilbert then won the headline event, the criterium, in the afternoon after making the break on the final lap of 40 around the iconic streets of Monte-Carlo.

“I’m really happy to have won the two events today. The team time-trial this morning by one second and then this afternoon with all the pros. It was a different win because, with the quality of the riders that we have in Monaco, it’s not easy,” said Gilbert.

As a Monaco resident, it was the perfect place to write the final chapter of Gilbert’s professional career.

“It’s nice to end my career like this. I’ve been living in Monaco for 13 years now, so finishing here is really nice,” he said.

Whilst the Beking event adds an element of competition to the off-season, its raison d’être is to inspire the next generation of cyclists and hundreds participated in the children’s race, with many of the professionals own children taking part.

“It’s a special event in that I can bring my wife and kids along and it’s an event that is entirely built around bikes and kids,” INEOS cyclist Luke Rowe told Monaco Life. “That’s great. We’re doing more and more in bringing bikes and safety to Monaco. Onwards and upwards!”

For the professionals, it is also an opportunity to ascertain their level ahead of the beginning of the season.

“In the middle of the winter, it’s nice to be able to test your legs and see exactly where you’re at with an important year coming up and just to gauge your form. The line-up is incredible. It really is the crème de la crème of professional cycling at the moment,” added Rowe.

Indeed the vast majority of the cyclists are from the local area, with the Principality acting as a hub for the elite of the sport. Monaco’s Victor Langellotti spoke about what makes the area so attractive to his fellow professionals.

“It’s a paradise for cyclists. The weather, the training ground is excellent, there are ascents, there is the flat. There is everything you need in order to train well,” he told Monaco Life.

Despite the Côte d’Azur’s overwhelming popularity with cyclists, the sport has yet to flourish in the area, a fact that Beking is attempting to rectify.

“It’s a nice project. For the second edition, it’s better,” said Gilbert. “I’m sure every year it will have more success and I hope to come back in 10 years and there will be 1000s of people. Cycling is not famous here in the south of France so we have to make it famous. We’re on the right path. The dream is to have one of these kids riding today turning professional in 10 or 15 years. That would be the best message.”

It is an event that adds a sprinkle of competition for professionals in the off-season, that raises the profile of the sport on the Côte, and inspires the next generation of riders. The second edition of Beking was a confirmation of the event’s and the sport’s positive trajectory in the Principality.

Photo gallery by Monaco Life.

A busy and diverse weekend of sport in the Principality

by: Luke Entwistle

24/11/2022

It is set to be a hectic weekend of sports in Monaco and fans will have a wealth of options to choose from, with rowing, fencing and cycling events all taking place.

Following a successful debut last winter, Beking Monaco returns for its second edition. Stars from the world of cycling, such as Matteo Trentin, Tadej Pogacar and Davide Formolo will form part of the peloton that will tour Monte-Carlo and Port Hercule on Sunday 27th November.

Spectators can enjoy two events: the professional event, which will follow the Formula One track, and the Pro-Am, which gives amateurs the chance to ride alongside their idols.

Alongside the on-track action, there will be multiple expo events, and workshops for children to improve their cycling skills. In the Beking village, there will also be DJ sets and entertainment throughout the day.

Those in search of nautical entertainment won’t be disappointed either. On Saturday and Sunday, the 17th edition of the Prince Albert II Challenge will take place.

The coastal rowing event returns to the shores of the Principality with 20 teams taking part in the weekend-long event. A total prize of €15,000 will be shared among the top five teams, with the winner taking home €5,000. Three Monegasque teams will take part in the event.

From the water to the piste, there is also something for fencing fans to savour this weekend. The 35th edition of the Mens’ Fencing Tournament and the 34th edition of the Senior Women’s National Fencing Circuit will take place in Monaco on Saturday and Sunday in the multi-sport hall at the Espace Saint-Antoine.

The finals of both events will get underway on Sunday at 4.30pm, with entry to the event free.

Photo by Beking Monaco

Ducruet, Frolla and Coulthard join fight for an end to violence against women

by: Stephanie Horsman

23/11/2022

With the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women coming up this Friday, three Monaco associations and three familiar faces are planning an event to show men and boys how they can make a real difference in helping end violence towards women.

Since 2008, the United Nations has championed the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women as a way to increase public awareness on the issues surrounding women’s safety, as well as to enlighten people to what an insidious problem it is.

2022 has been a complex year for women’s rights. Although a prominent topic in the news, steps backward have been taken, not least the shock United States’ Supreme Court’s reversal of Roe v. Wade, which gave American women the right to choose in case of pregnancy.

In Monaco, the good fight continues, and three local organisations – Fight Aids Monaco and SheCanHeCan with the support of the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights – are taking advantage of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women to inspire male allies.

These groups believe men and boys are the “central actors” in ending violence against women, and will set up a stand in the Fontvieille Shopping Centre on Thursday 24th November. From here, they will ask men of all ages to come and be photographed with powerful anti-aggression messages. These messages will be posted on the associations’ social media accounts as well as on Clear Channel all day on Friday 25th November.

Ambassadors Louis Ducruet, Pierre Frolla and David Coulthard are hoping to collect over 200 portraits of men and boys who are willing to show that they stand against violence towards women.

Each man photographed will choose the message he wants to convey, from “A real man doesn’t hit a woman” to “I say NO to violence against women”. The participants will also be invited to take a Pledge for Equality.

“This initiative, launched in 2019, aims to encourage the local population to act daily to make equality a reality,” said the SheCanHeCan association via a communiqué.

For further information, please visit www.shecanhecan.org.

Photo source: Ashkan Forouzani for Unsplash