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Episode details

Radio 3,12 Jul 2026,86 mins

Carlos Acosta, dancer

Private Passions

Available for 29 days

In the world of dance, Carlos Acosta is a superstar. He grew up in a poor part of Havana, where he was the 11th child in his family, and began his training at the National Ballet School of Cuba. At the age of just 18, he became the youngest principal dancer at the English National Ballet. After gaining further international experience, he joined the Royal Ballet in 1998 and made it his home for nearly two decades, dancing almost every major classical role. He’s now Director of Birmingham Royal Ballet, where he’s fostered some unexpected collaborations, including a ballet danced to the music of local heavy rock legends Black Sabbath as well as productions of classics such as Swan Lake and the Nutcracker. And this summer, he returns to the stage of the Royal Ballet in London with a programme called Myths and Modern Masters. Carlos' music choices include works by Prokofiev, Khachaturian, Massenet and Ennio Morricone.

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Tracklist

  1. Track
    Artist
  2. 1.
    Balcony Scene (Romeo and Juliet - suite no.1)
    Balcony Scene (Romeo and Juliet - suite no.1)
    Sergey Prokofiev
  3. 2.
    Despedida (Misa Negra [The Black Mass])
    Despedida (Misa Negra [The Black Mass])
    Chucho Valdés
  4. 3.
    Cinema Paradiso (Main Theme)
    Cinema Paradiso (Main Theme)
    Ennio Morricone